Automated communications assistant and method

• US 7,263,178 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Goodheart, Eric Andrew, Virzi, Robert Anthony, Philbin, David Anthony, Brothers, Laurence Raphael, Haley, James Edward, Rajan, Yohan, Nelson, Bernadette Anita, Bucchieri, Vittorio Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/253,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/142.01, 379/68, 715/854, 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/654 Pre, in or post-call message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A method and system for administering calls on a voice network allows a user to selectively determine which calls will be accepted and assists the user in placing calls to other users on the network. The user may establish a list of users whose calls will be accepted and may also establish a list of users whose calls will not be accepted. The method and system may provide unwanted callers with an option to speak with the user for a fee. Users may establish “business card” headers, or profiles, which serve to identify the user to a called party. The user may also maintain profiles for received calls by using the “business card” header provided by the caller, or by inputting caller profiles. The method and system may also be used in conjunction with a scheduling system, such that calls amongst two or more users will be initiated at an agreed upon time.

Claims

1. A system for administering a communication directed to a terminal unit of a called party, comprising:

an identification module to determine, from the communication, identification information for an initiator of the communication;

a search module to determine at least one caller profile associated with the identification information from a listing of caller profiles of a contact database of an electronic mail system;

a lockout module for activation by the called party to modify the at least one caller profile; and

a network lockout to prevent an initiator from accessing a network of users of the system when a predetermined number of the users has activated the lockout module for the at least one caller profile associated with the initiator;

wherein the network lockout is further configured to prevent a service provider associated with the initiator from accessing the network when the predetermined number of the users has activated the lockout module for the at least one caller profile associated with the initiator.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a prompter to request an initiator of the communication to input the identification information for the communication when the identification information is not available from the communication.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising a recorder to accept a message as the identification information input by the initiator.

4. The system of claim 2, comprising a fee module to accept a payment as the identification information input by the initiator.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a listing editor to modify the listing of caller profiles based on the identification information for the communication.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising an attachment module to attach a profile of a user to communications initiated by the user.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a terminal unit display, to display to a user of the system, representative identification information taken from at least one of the identification information and the at least one caller profile; and

a link from the representative identification information to a site wherein the at least one caller profile may be displayed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the communication is a conference call; and

the site is a web site having caller profiles for participants of the conference call.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification information for the communication comprises a digital certificate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises one of a text message received from a service control point and a connection notification.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a scheduling module to negotiate, when the called party is unavailable, a time at which parties to the communication will be available for completing the communication; and

user interfaces to inform the parties of the time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the scheduling module comprises:

links to schedule databases maintained by the parties; and

wherein

the scheduling module compares scheduling information from the schedule databases to negotiate the time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the scheduling module is configured to negotiate the time by comparing a first user schedule associated with the called party with a second user schedule associated with the at least one caller profile.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second user schedule is maintained in the electronic mail system.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the scheduling module is configured to initiate the communication at the negotiated time.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the scheduling module is configured to request from the parties to the communication confirmation of their availabilities at the negotiated time.

17. A method for administering a communication directed to a terminal unit of a called party, comprising:

determining, from the communication, identification information for an initiator of the communication;

determining at least one profile associated with the identification information from a database listing of profiles of a contact database of an electronic mail system;

modifying instructions in the at least one profile associated with the identification information;

preventing an initiator of a communication from accessing a network of users when a predetermined number of the users has modified the instructions in the at least one profile associated with the initiator; and

preventing a service provider associated with the initiator from accessing the network when the predetermined number of the users has modified the instructions in the at least one profile associated with the initiator.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising providing the at least one profile to a user at the terminal unit.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

establishing a web site for the communication; and

providing the at least one profile to the web site for access by participants of the communication.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a user provides a user profile with the communication.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising prompting an initiator of the communication to input information for at least one of unblocking identification information, announcing the communication to a user and accepting a fee for completing the communication with the user.

22. The method of claim 17, comprising modifying caller profiles based on the identification information for the communication.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising;

negotiating, when the called party is unavailable, a time at which parties to the communication will be available for completing the communication; and

informing the parties of the time.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein scheduling the time comprises:

linking to schedule databases maintained by the parties, and

comparing scheduling information from the schedule databases.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the negotiating step includes comparing a first user schedule associated with the called party with a second user schedule associated with the at least one caller profile to determine the time.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second user schedule is maintained in the electronic mail system.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising initiating the communication at the negotiated time.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising requesting from the parties to the communication confirmation of their availabilities at the negotiated time.

29. A system for administering a communication, comprising:

an identification module to determine, from the communication, identification information for an initiator of the communication;

a search module to compare the identification information for the communication to a listing of caller profiles,

a lockout module for activation by a called party to modify the listing of caller profiles to associate a not-to-be-accepted action with a caller profile corresponding to the identification information for the communication; and

a network lockout to prevent an initiator from accessing a network of users of the system when a predetermined number of the users has activated the lockout module for the caller profile associated with the initiator;

wherein the network lockout is further configured to prevent a service provider associated with the initiator from accessing the network when the predetermined number of the users has activated the lockout module for the at least one caller profile associated with the initiator.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a prompter to request an initiator of the communication to input the identification information for the communication when the identification information is not available from the communication; and

a fee module to accept a payment as the identification information input by the initiator.