Caller identification employing a digital content set

• US 7,113,577 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cook, Fred S., Parker, Benjamin J., Frederick, Terry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/688,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/415, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.05, 379/142.06, 379/142.14, 379/142.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/142.16, 379/142.17, 379/245, 379/247
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

An information server according to one embodiment of the invention includes a communication interface configured to communicate over a communication network and a processing system connected to the communication interface. The processing system is configured to receive one or more digital content sets, receive a caller system identifier and a called system identifier from the caller system, select a digital content set from among the one or more digital content sets using the caller system identifier and the called system identifier, and provide the selected digital content set to a called system corresponding to the called system identifier prior to the caller system establishing a communication channel to the called system.

Claims

1. An information server, comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate over a communication network; and

a processing system connected to the communication interface and configured to receive one or more digital content sets, receive a caller system identifier and a called system identifier from the caller system, receive and decrypt an encrypted verification identifier from the caller system, select a digital content set from among the one or more digital content sets using the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and the decrypted verification identifier, and provide the selected digital content set to a called system corresponding to the called system identifier prior to the caller system establishing a communication channel to the called system.

2. The information server of claim 1, wherein the selected digital content set comprises a graphical image set.

3. The information server of claim 2, wherein the processing system is configured to push the graphical image set to the called system.

4. The information server of claim 2, wherein the called system pulls the graphical image set from the information server.

5. The information server of claim 2, further comprising an lookup table that correlates the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and one or more selection criterion to the graphical image set.

6. The information server of claim 2, wherein the processing system is configured to compare a first verification identifier with a second verification identifier received from the caller system and verify a caller identity corresponding to the caller system.

7. A caller identification method, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more digital content sets;

receiving a caller system identifier and a called system identifier from the caller system;

receiving and decrypting an encrypted verification identifier from the caller system;

selecting a digital content set from among the one or more digital content sets using the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and the decrypted verification identifier; and

providing the selected digital content set to a called system corresponding to the called system identifier;

wherein the selected digital content set is provided prior to the caller system establishing a communication channel to the called system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected digital content set comprises a graphical image set.

9. The method of claim 8, with the selecting step further comprising:

inputting the caller system identifier into a lookup table;

inputting the called system identifier into the lookup table; and

outputting the graphical image set from the lookup table, with the graphical image set corresponding to the caller system identifier and the called system identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, with the selecting step further comprising:

inputting the caller system identifier into a lookup table;

inputting the called system identifier into the lookup table;

inputting one or more selection criterion into the lookup table; and

outputting the graphical image set from the lookup table, with the graphical image set corresponding to the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and the one or more selection criterion.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing step comprises pushing the graphical image set to the called system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing step comprises pushing a graphical image set identifier to the called system, with the called system pulling the graphical image set using the graphical image set identifier.

13. The method of claim 8, with the providing step further comprising:

transmitting a graphical image set identifier to the called system, with the graphical image set identifier corresponding to the graphical image set;

receiving a digital content set identifier from the called system;

retrieving the graphical image set corresponding to the graphical image set identifier; and

transmitting the graphical image set to the called system in response to the received digital content set identifier, wherein the called system pulls the graphical image set.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of comparing a first verification identifier with a second verification identifier received from the caller system and verifying a caller identity corresponding to the caller system.

15. A software product for an information server, the software product comprising:

control software configured when executed by a processing system to direct the processing system to receive one or more digital content sets from a caller system, receive a caller system identifier and a called system identifier from the caller system, receive and decrypt an encrypted verification identifier from the caller system, select a digital content set from among the one or more digital content sets using the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and the decrypted verification identifier, and provide the digital content set to a called system corresponding to the called system identifier, wherein the digital content set is provided prior to the caller system establishing a communication channel to the called system; and

a storage system that stores the control software.

16. The software product of claim 15, wherein the digital content set comprises a graphical image set.

17. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to input the caller system identifier into a lookup table, input the called system identifier into the lookup table, and output the graphical image set from the lookup table, with the graphical image set corresponding to the caller system identifier and the called system identifier.

18. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to input the caller system identifier into a lookup table, input the called system identifier into the lookup table, input one or more selection criterion into the lookup table, and output the graphical image set from the lookup table, with the graphical image set corresponding to the caller system identifier, the called system identifier, and the one or more selection criterion.

19. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to push the graphical image set to the called system.

20. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to transmit a graphical image set identifier to the called system, with the called system pulling the graphical image set using the graphical image set identifier.

21. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to receive a graphical image set identifier from the called system, retrieve the graphical image set corresponding to the graphical image set identifier, and transmit the graphical image set to the called system, wherein the called system pulls the graphical image set.

22. The software product of claim 15, wherein the control software further directs the processing system to compare a first verification identifier with a second verification identifier received from the caller system and verify a caller identity corresponding to the caller system.