Caller ID messaging

• US 7,443,964 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forsberg, Kevin, Dickens, James E., White, Isaac D. M., Urban, Blake R., Sawyer, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US10/418,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20040209605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 379/85, 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/88.23, 379/142.04, 379/142.08, 379/142.1, 379/142.11, 379/142.17, 455/412.1, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for caller identification messaging are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a calling party uses a Caller ID Messaging Device that supplants the incoming calling line identification (ICLID) signal with a Caller ID Messaging Signal and transmits the Caller ID Messaging Signal to a destination communications address. An alternate embodiment provides that the calling party may use a conventional telephone to access a communications network, activate Caller ID Messaging Services, compose or retrieve a stored Caller ID Message of the Caller ID Messaging Signal, and transmit the Caller ID Messaging Signal to the destination communications address. The Caller ID Message and Caller ID Messaging Signal may include text, video, voice, and/or digital data.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing a caller identification (ID) messaging function, the system comprising:

a switch operable to receive a caller identification messaging signal from a calling party communications device having a caller identification messaging device, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a message accepted from a calling party and at least one of(i) an identifier for the calling party, (ii) an identifier of a destination communications address, or (iii) an identifier of the calling party communications device; and

a communications network for associating the caller identification messaging signal with an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal, and capable of transmitting a caller identification message signal by displacing the ICLID signal associated therewith to the destination communications address, the destination communications address comprising a receiving party identification telephone number and a billing telephone number;

the communications network providing a caller identification profile associating one or more caller identification messaging services with the calling party and an originating communications address, a type identifier associated with a type or category of communications device used at the destination communications address, and one or more caller identification messaging default service parameters; and

providing instructions in the caller identification profile for at least one of;

billing for caller identification messaging signals;

enabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

disabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

blocking caller identification messaging; and

providing configuration and formatting preferences for each of a plurality of communication devices used at the originating communications address.

2. A communications system for providing a caller ID messaging functionality, the system comprising:

a switch operable to receive a caller identification messaging signal from a calling party communications device having a caller identification messaging device, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a message accepted from a calling party and at least one of (i) an identifier for the calling party, (ii) an identifier of a destination communications address, or (iii) an identifier of the calling party communications device; and

a communications network for associating the caller identification messaging signal with an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal, and capable of transmitting the caller identification messaging signal by displacing the ICLID signal to the destination communications address;

wherein the destination communications address is associated with a destination communications messaging device, the destination communications messaging device transmitting a response caller identification messaging signal comprising at least one of (i) a response caller identification message, (ii) an identifier of a receiving party, (iii) an identifier of a response communications address, or (iv) an identifier of the destination communications messaging device;

the communications network providing a caller identification profile associating one or more caller identification messaging services with the calling party and an originating communications address, a type identifier associated with a type or category of communications device used at the destination communications address, and one or more caller identification messaging default service parameters; and

providing instructions in the caller identification profile for at least one of;

billing for caller identification messaging signals;

enabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

disabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

blocking caller identification messaging; and

providing configuration and formatting preferences for each of a plurality of communication devices used at the originating communications address.

3. A method for caller identification messaging, comprising:

receiving a caller identification messaging signal from an intelligent communications switch in a communications network, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a message received from a calling party and at least one of a (i) an identifier for the calling party, (ii) an identifier of a destination communications address, or (iii) an identifier of an originating communications address;

associating an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal with the caller identification messaging signal;

determining whether to supplant the ICLID signal with the caller identification messaging signal to the destination communications address such that a database of stored communications addresses is accessed and compared with the destination communications address to determine at least one of the following (i) whether the destination communications address accepts the caller identification messaging signal, or (ii) presentation capabilities associated with at least one of the destination communications address and a destination communications device;

if transmission of the caller identification messaging signal is initiated, then formatting the caller identification messaging signal for presentation to the destination communications address, and transmitting the caller identification messaging signal to the destination communications address,

if transmission of the caller identification message is not initiated, then retrieving a caller identification messaging delivery failure notification and transmitting the message delivery failure notification to a communications address of the calling party,

providing a caller identification profile associating one or more caller identification messaging services with at the calling party and an originating communications address, a type identifier associated with a type or category of communications device used at the destination communications address, and one or more caller identification messaging default service parameters; and

providing instructions in the caller identification profile for at least one of;

billing for caller identification messaging signals;

enabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

disabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

blocking caller identification messaging; and

providing configuration and formatting preferences for each of a plurality of communication devices used at the originating communications address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the destination communications device comprises at least one of the following:

a caller identification device,

a caller identification messaging device,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a wide area protocol phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a digital recording device,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting the caller identification messaging signal to the destination communications device.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting the caller identification messaging delivery failure notification to the originating communications address.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a response caller identification messaging signal from a second intelligent communications switch in communication with the communications network, the response caller identification messaging signal comprising a response caller identification message, wherein the response caller identification message comprises at least one of text, voice, video, and electronic data; and

determining whether to format the response caller identification message for delivery to a response communications device such that a database of stored communications addresses is accessed and compared with at least one of (i) the identifier of the calling party and (ii) the identifier of the originating communications address in order to determine presentation capabilities associated with the response communications device,

if formatting of the response caller identification message is required, then formatting the response caller identification message for presentation to a response communications address, and transmitting the response caller identification message to the response communications address,

if formatting of the response caller identification message is not required, then transmitting the response caller identification message to the response communications address.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a forwarding signal to forward the caller identification messaging signal, the forwarding signal comprising a forwarded communications address transmitted from a second intelligent communications switch communicating with the destinations communications device;

determining whether to format the caller identification messaging signal for delivery to a forwarded communications device of the forwarded communications address such that a database of stored communications addresses is accessed and compared with at least one of (i) an identifier of a forwarded party, (ii) an identifier of the forwarded communications address, (iii) an identifier of the forwarded communications device, and (iv) the caller identification messaging signal to determine presentation capabilities associated with the forwarded communications device,

if formatting of the forwarded caller identification messaging signal is required, then formatting the forwarded caller identification messaging signal for presentation to the forwarded communications address, and transmitting the forwarded caller identification messaging signal to the forwarded communications address,

if formatting of the forwarded caller identification messaging signal is not required, then transmitting the forwarded caller identification messaging signal to the forwarded communications address.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising

assigning financial allocations to bill for caller identification messaging communications of at least one of the caller identification messaging signal, the response caller identification messaging signal, and the forwarded caller identification signal, wherein the financial allocations include at least one of the following:

local communications fees,

long distance communications fees,

toll-free communications fees,

shared fees between at least two of the calling party, the destinations communications address, and the forwarded party, and

fees sponsored by a third party; and

billing at least one of the calling party, the destinations communications address, the forwarded party, and the third party for the caller identification messaging services.

10. A method of configuring a caller identification message, the method comprising:

receiving a caller identification messaging signal from an intelligent communications switch in a communications network, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a message received from a calling party and at least one of a an identifier for the calling party, (ii) an identifier of a destination communications address, or (iii) an identifier of an originating communications address;

associating an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal with the caller identification messaging signal;

determining whether to supplant the ICLID signal with the caller identification messaging signal to the destination communications address such that a database of stored communications addresses is accessed and compared with the destination communications address to determine at least one of the following U) whether the destination communications address accepts the caller identification messaging signal, or (ii) presentation capabilities associated with at least one of the destination communications address and a destination communications device;

providing a caller identification profile associating one or more caller identification messaging services with at the calling party and an originating communications address, a type identifier associated with a type or category of communications device used at the destination communications address, and one or more caller identification messaging default service parameters; and

providing instructions in the caller identification profile for at least one of;

billing for caller identification messaging signals;

enabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

disabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week;

blocking caller identification messaging; and

providing configuration and formatting preferences for each of a plurality of communication devices used at the originating communications address.

identifying one or more capabilities of a receiving device for receiving the caller identification message;

formatting the caller identification message for presentation by the receiving device wherein, if transmission of the caller identification messaging signal is initiated, then formatting the caller identification messaging signal for presentation to the destination communications address, and transmitting the caller identification messaging signal to the destination communications address, and

if transmission of the caller identification message is not initiated, then retrieving a caller identification messaging delivery failure notification and transmitting the message delivery failure notification to a communications address of the calling party.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party communications device at a third party sponsor access address; and

receiving a destination communications address for a receiving party communications device from the calling party communications device at the third party sponsor access address,

the third party sponsor access address initiating establishment of a communications link between the calling party communications device and the receiving party communications device,

the third party sponsor access address transmitting a caller identification message to the receiving party communications device, and

wherein the caller identification message includes an advertisement, wherein the communications link is established for a predetermined amount of time after which the communications link is terminated, and wherein the communications link is billed to the third party sponsor access address.