System and method for audio caller identification service

• US 7,388,949 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C. Sr., Contractor, Sunil H., Holt, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US09/749,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,728 Days
• Field of Search: 37922108-22112, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/76, 379/374.02, 379/207.09, 379/207.1, 379/201.01, 379/88.21, 37921101-21102, 37914201-14211, 37914213-14215, 379/220.01, 379/201.04, 379/67.1, 379/212.01, 379/213.01, 379/201.11, 370/259, 709/202, 455/417
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• 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 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/74 Identification of subscriber calling from a party-line

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for audibly announcing information associated with a calling party in an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point, a service control point and a services node. The service switching point is adapted to suspend calls directed to an audio caller identification service and to forward information concerning the calling and called parties to the service control point. The service control point is adapted to direct the call to a selected services node. The services node sends a query to retrieve information concerning the calling party from the service control point. If necessary, other service control points may be queried for the information. While the aforementioned processing is occurring, the calling party continues to hear a ringing signal. When the aforementioned information is retrieved, the service directs a second call to the called party. When an operator from the called party station answers the phone, the service audibly announces information concerning the calling party and the called party is provided an opportunity to accept or reject the call.

Claims

1. A method for providing audible and visual caller information for calls routed from a first telephone station to a second telephone station via a switching network, comprising:

placing a first telephone call from the first telephone station directed to the second telephone station via a first service switching point of the switching network;

placing a second telephone call from a services node to the second telephone station via a second service switching point, the second call transmitting an audible message to the second telephone station;

replacing a telephone directory number associated with the services node with a telephone directory number associated with the first telephone station;

determining information associated with the first telephone station from a database stored at a services control point;

audibly communicating the information associated with the first telephone station to the second telephone station; and

visually communicating the telephone directory number of the first telephone station that replaced the telephone directory number associated with the services node to the second telephone station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an audible message to the second telephone station requesting a response identifying whether to accept or reject the call.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the second telephone station a signal identifying whether to accept or reject the call.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

connecting the first telephone station and the second telephone station if the second telephone station accepts the call; and

terminating the call if the second telephone station rejects the call.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein terminating the call comprises:

connecting the first telephone station with the voice mailbox of the second telephone station.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein terminating the call comprises:

continuing to send a ringing signal to the first telephone station until a ring timer expires.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a telephone call from the first telephone station directed to the second telephone station comprises:

receiving information associated, with the first telephone station and the second telephone station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining information associated with the first telephone station from a database stored at a service control point, comprises:

receiving at least 50 characters of data from said database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the first telephone station from the service control point comprises:

retrieving a name associated with the first telephone station.

10. A method for providing audible and visual caller information for calls routed from a first telephone station to a second telephone station via a switching network, comprising:

placing a first telephone call from the first telephone station directed to the second telephone station via a first service switching point of the switching network;

placing a second telephone call from a services node to the second telephone station via a second service switching point;

replacing a telephone directory number associated with the services node with a telephone directory number associated with the first telephone station;

determining information associated with the first telephone station from a database stored at a services control point;

audibly communicating the information associated with the first telephone station to the second telephone station; and

visually communicating the telephone directory number of the first telephone station that replaced the telephone directory number associated with the services node to the second telephone station, wherein retrieving information associated with the first telephone station from the service control point comprises;

at the service control point, quelying a second service control point for the information associated with the first telephone station; and

receiving the information associated with the first telephone station from the second service control point.

11. In an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point connected to a first telephone station, a plurality of services nodes each having interactive data systems, a service control point containing a database, and a second telephone station, a method of audibly and visually providing information concerning the first telephone, comprising:

at a first service switching point, placing a first call from the first telephone station to the second telephone station;

at the first service switching point, forwarding a request to the service control point to identify one of the plurality of services nodes to place a second call to the second telephone station;

at the service control point, identifying one of the plurality of services nodes to place the second call to the second telephone station and replacing a telephone directory number associated with the identified services node with a telephone directory number associated with the first telephone station;

at the services node identified by the service control point, forwarding a request to the service control point to provide information associated with the first telephone station;

at the service control point, identifying information associated with the first telephone station from a database on said service control point;

at the services node identified by the service control point, receiving the information associated with the first telephone station from the service control point;

at the services node, placing the second call to the second telephone station and audibly announcing the information associated with the first telephone station to the second telephone station; and

visually communicating the telephone directory number associated with the first telephone station that replaced the telephone directory number associated with the identified services node to the second telephone station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying information associated with the first telephone station comprises:

retrieving at least more than 15 characters of data from said database.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the request to the service control point to identify one of the plurality of services nodes comprises information identifying the second telephone station.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying one of the plurality of services nodes to handle a call comprises querying a database using information identifying the second telephone station.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving at the services node identified by the service control point a request from the second telephone station to accept the call from the first telephone station.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving at the services node identified by the service control point a request from the second telephone station to reject the call from the first telephone station.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the information associated with the first telephone station comprises:

querying a database at the services control point for the information associated with the first telephone station; and

if no information is found in the database at the service control point, querying at least another service control point for the information associated with the first telephone station; and

at the service control point transmitting the information associated with the first telephone station to the services node.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein audibly announcing the information associated with the first telephone station to the second telephone station comprises:

converting textual information to audible signals.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein converting textual information to audible signals comprises:

converting textual information to audible signals by means of computer-generated sounds.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein converting textual information to audible signals comprises:

playing pre-recorded sound files.

21. A system for audibly and visually announcing information associated with a first telephone station to a second telephone station, comprising:

a first service switching point in communication with the first telephone station, the first service switching point adapted to place a first call from the first telephone station to the second telephone station;

a services node communicating with the first service switching point, the services node adapted to place a second call to the second telephone station and audibly announce information associated with the first telephone station to the second telephone station; and

a service control point communicating with said first service switching point, a second service switching point and said services node, said service control point replacing a telephone directory number associated with said services node with a telephone directory number associated with the first telephone station, said service control point having a database including information associated with the first telephone station wherein said services node receives said information associated with the first telephone station from said service control point, and communicates an audible announcement of said information to said second telephone station and visually communicates said telephone directory number associated with said first telephone station that replaced said telephone directory number associated with said serviced node via said second service switching point.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the service control point, upon receipt of a request from the first service switching point, queries a database and identifies a services node adapted to connect the first telephone station and the second telephone station.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein a signal is detected at the first service switching point to initiate a request for audio information associated with the first telephone station to be sent to the second telephone station.

24. The system of. claim 21, wherein the identified services node sends a message to the service control point requesting information concerning the first telephone station.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the service control point queries the database and returns information concerning the first telephone station to the services node.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said database including information associated with the first telephone station on said service control point comprises at least more than 50 characters of data.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein said service control point queries at least a second service control point for information associated with the first telephone station.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said service control point sends information associated with the first telephone station to the services node.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the services node converts the information associated with the first telephone station to an audible message.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the audible message is computer-generated.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer-generated message includes pre-recorded speech files.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the services node requests the second telephone station to identify if the second telephone station will accept or reject the call from the first telephone system.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the second telephone station accepts the call from the first telephone station and the services node connects the first telephone station and the second telephone station.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the second telephone station rejects the call from the first telephone station and the services node terminates the call from the first telephone station.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the services node directs the call from the first telephone station to the second telephone station to the voice mailbox of the second telephone station.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the services node continues to transmit a ringing signal to the first telephone station until a ring timer expires.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein said services node upon receipt of a request from the second telephone station to accept the call from the first telephone station connects the first telephone station and the second telephone station.