Method and system for caller association

• US 7,602,894 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Shaffer, Shmuel, Lee, Johnny Hsienchow
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/443,630
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.02, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/142.09, 379/201.01, 379/201.11, 379/210.03, 379/212.01, 379/207.13
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• 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 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method for caller association includes receiving from a user a first request for a number that may be called to reach the user and generating a first number that may be called to reach the user. The method includes communicating the first number to the user and receiving from the user a first identifier associated with the first number. The first identifier comprises an identifier of a first party. The method includes receiving a first call for the user at the first number and communicating the first call and the first identifier to the user. The method may include storing the first identifier associated with the first number in a memory and retrieving the first identifier associated with the first number from the memory upon receipt of the first call for the user at the first number.

Claims

1. A method for caller association, comprising:

receiving from a user a first request for a number that may be called to reach the user;

generating a first number that may be called to reach the user;

communicating the first number to the user;

receiving from the user a first identifier associated with the first number, the first identifier comprising an identifier of a first party;

receiving a first call for the user at the first number;

generating a modified first identifier by augmenting or replacing caller identification information associated with the first call with the first identifier; and

communicating the first call and the modified first identifier to a communication device associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first identifier associated with the first number in a memory; and

retrieving the first identifier associated with the first number from the memory upon receipt of the first call for the user at the first number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a fee to the user for the first request for a number that may be called to reach the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the first number so that the first number may no longer be called to reach the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a request from the user to deactivate the first number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recycling the first number after a certain period of time so that the first number may be called to reach another user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user a second request for a number that may be called to reach the user;

generating a second number that may be called to reach the user;

communicating the second number to the user;

receiving from the user a second identifier associated with the second number, the second identifier comprising an identifier of a second party;

receiving a second call for the user at the second number; and

communicating the second call and the second identifier to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number is communicated to an operator, and the operator communicates the first number to the user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving from the user one or more additional requests for a number that may be called to reach the user;

generating in response to the one or more additional requests one or more additional numbers that each may be called to reach the user;

communicating the one or more additional numbers to the user;

receiving from the user one or more additional identifiers each associated with a respective number of the one or more additional numbers, wherein each one or more additional identifier comprises an identifier of a respective party;

receiving an additional call for the user at one of the one or more additional numbers; and

communicating to the user the additional call and the identifier of the one or more additional identifiers associated with the one of the one or more additional numbers at which the additional call is received.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number comprises a ten digit phone number.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising temporarily deactivating the first, second or one or more additional numbers for a specific period of time, in response to a request of the user.

12. A system for caller association, comprising:

a number renderer operable to receive from a user at an interface a first request for a number that may be called to reach the user;

a number generator coupled to the number renderer, the number generator operable to generate a first number that may be called to reach the user;

the number renderer further operable to communicate the first number to the user;

a number associator coupled to the number renderer, the number associator operable to;

receive from the user a first identifier associated with the first number, the first identifier comprising an identifier of a first party; and

store the first identifier associated with the first number in a memory coupled to the number associator;

a number mapper coupled to the memory, the number mapper operable to retrieve the first identifier associated with the first number from the memory upon receipt of a first call for the user at the first number, the number mapper further operable to generate a modified first identifier by augmenting or replacing caller identification information associated with the first call with the first identifier; and

the interface operable to communicate to a communication device associated with the user the first call and the modified first identifier.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the number renderer is operable to deactivate the first number so that the first number may no longer be called to reach the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the number renderer is operable to receive a request from the user to deactivate the first number.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a number recycler coupled to the number renderer, the number recycler operable to recycle the first number after a certain period of time so that the first number may be called to reach another user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the number renderer is further operable to receive from a user at an interface one or more additional requests for one or more additional numbers that may be called to reach the user;

the number generator is further operable to generate in response to the one or more additional requests one or more additional numbers that each may be called to reach the user;

the number renderer is further operable to communicate the one or more additional numbers to the user;

the number associator is further operable to;

receive from the user one or more additional identifiers each associated with a respective number of the one or more additional numbers, each one or more additional identifier comprising an identifier of a respective party; and

store the one or more additional identifiers in the memory;

the number mapper is further operable to, upon receipt of an additional call at one of the one or more additional numbers, retrieve the identifier of the one or more additional identifiers associated with the one of the one or more additional numbers at which the additional call is received; and

the interface further operable to communicate to the user the additional call and the retrieved identifier of the one or more additional identifiers.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first number comprises a ten digit phone number.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the number renderer is operable to communicate the first number to the user using the world wide web, and the user receives the first number at a telephony user interface.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising an authentication module operable to verify a user name and password of the user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the first number is an internal extension assigned to the user.

21. A system for caller association, comprising:

means for receiving from a user a first request for a number that may be called to reach the user;

means for generating a first number that may be called to reach the user;

means for communicating the first number to the user;

means for receiving from the user a first identifier associated with the first number, the first identifier comprising an identifier of a first party;

means for receiving a first call for the user at the first number;

means for generating a modified first identifier by augmenting or replacing caller identification information associated with the first call with the first identifier; and

means for communicating the first call and the modified first identifier to a communication device associated with the user.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for storing the first identifier associated with the first number in a memory; and

means for retrieving the first identifier associated with the first number from the memory upon receipt of the first call for the user at the first number.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for charging a fee to the user for the first request for a number that may be called to reach the user.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for deactivating the first number so that the first number may no longer be called to reach the user.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for recycling the first number after a certain period of time so that the first number may be called to reach another user.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving from the user one or more additional requests for a number that may be called to reach the user;

means for generating in response to the one or more additional requests one or more additional numbers that each may be called to reach the user;

means for communicating the one or more additional numbers to the user;

means for receiving from the user one or more additional identifiers each associated with a respective number of the one or more additional numbers, wherein each one or more additional identifier comprises an identifier of a respective party;

means for receiving an additional call for the user at one of the one or more additional numbers; and

means for communicating to the user the additional call and the identifier of the one or more additional identifiers associated with the one of the one or more additional numbers at which the additional call is received.

27. Software embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive from a user a first request for a number that may be called to reach the user;

generate a first number that may be called to reach the user;

communicate the first number to the user;

receive from the user a first identifier associated with the first number, the first identifier comprising an identifier of a first party;

receive a first call for the user at the first number;

generate a modified first identifier by augmenting or replacing caller identification information associated with the first call with the first identifier; and

communicate the first call and the modified first identifier to a communication device associated with the user.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

store the first identifier associated with the first number in a memory; and

retrieve the first identifier associated with the first number from the memory upon receipt of the first call for the user at the first number.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to charge a fee to the user for the first request for a number that may be called to reach the user.

30. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to deactivate the first number so that the first number may no longer be called to reach the user.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to receive a request from the user to deactivate the first number.

32. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to recycle the first number after a certain period of time so that the first number may be called to reach another user.

33. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive from the user one or more additional requests for a number that may be called to reach the user;

generate in response to the one or more additional requests one or more additional numbers that each may be called to reach the user;

communicate the one or more additional numbers to the user;

receive from the user one or more additional identifiers each associated with a respective number of the one or more additional numbers, wherein each one or more additional identifier comprises an identifier of a respective party;

receive an additional call for the user at one of the one or more additional numbers; and

communicate to the user the additional call and the identifier of the one or more additional identifiers associated with the one of the one or more additional numbers at which the additional call is received.

34. The medium of claim 27, wherein the first number comprises a ten digit phone number.