Method of obtaining information on the identity of a caller in a terminal of a telephone communications network

• US 7,099,657 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Guirauton, Alain, Le Gendre, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/739,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/414.1, 455/567, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

The invention relates to identifying callers in a terminal of a telephone communications network in which the caller'"'"'s number is transmitted by the network at the time of an incoming call. The invention proposes providing the terminal with an agent which, on or after receiving a caller'"'"'s number, selects at least one external server likely to be able to provide identity information; the agent then uses a request file and the caller'"'"'s number to prepare a request whose argument is the caller'"'"'s number and whose destination is the server. The request is sent to the server to obtain the information. In the absence of a result, the agent can send a plurality of requests in succession.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining information regarding an identity of a caller in a terminal of a telephone communications network, wherein the terminal comprises an agent including a program or an application which is stored and activated on the terminal, the method comprising:

receiving at the terminal an incoming call from a caller and a telephone number of the caller;

at the agent of the terminal, selecting from among a plurality of external servers at least one external server likely to be able to provide the information regarding the identity of the caller;

preparing at the agent of the terminal a request indicating the telephone number of the caller and requesting the information regarding the identity of the caller; and

sending from the agent of the terminal the request to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the agent of the terminal a response to the request from the server;

or

if a response to the request is not received at the agent, or if the response is not satisfactory, selecting at the agent another server likely to be able to provide said information on the identity of the caller, preparing at the agent another request indicating the telephone number of the caller and requesting the information regarding the identity of the caller, and sending from the agent the other request to the other server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of receiving the response or selecting another server, preparing another request, and sending the other request to the other server are repeated if the response to the other request is not received at the agent or if the response to the other request is not satisfactory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting at the agent at least one external server likely to be able to provide said information on the identity of the caller is performed by searching a request file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal has a data channel and wherein the request is sent on the data channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

7. A terminal of a telephone communications network in which a telephone number of a caller is transmitted to the terminal at the time of an incoming call to the terminal, the terminal comprising an agent for configured to select from among a plurality of external servers at least one external server likely to be able to provide information regarding an identity of a caller, prepare a request indicating the telephone number of the caller and requesting the information regarding the identity of the caller, and send the request from the terminal to the server, wherein the agent comprises a program or an application which is stored and activated on the terminal.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the agent is configured to receive a response to the request from the server, and if there is the response is not received, or if the response is not satisfactory, select another server likely to be able to provide said information on the identity of the caller, prepare another request indicating the telephone number of the caller and requesting the information regarding the identity of the caller, and send the other request to the other server.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the agent is configured to select another server, prepare an additional request, and sending the additional request to the other server if there is no response to the other request or if the response to the other request is not satisfactory.

10. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the agent is configured to access a request file to select the server and prepare the request.

11. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the terminal has a data channel and wherein the request is sent on the data channel.

12. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

13. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the terminal is a fixed terminal connected to the telephone network.

14. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the terminal is a fixed terminal having access to the Internet.