Caller identification of recipient that answered a simultaneous or routed communication

• US 7,606,357 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• 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: Daigle, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi; Maria
• Application Number:
  US11/321,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20070153999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.04, 379/142.07
• US Class Current: 379/211.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification services identify an actual communications address (or other called party identifier) of an answering communications device in a simultaneous ring service. In some of the exemplary embodiments, a calling party uses a communications device that includes a computer program product—a Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification Module—that requests a Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal that includes a communications address of an answering communications device. The Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal may be associated with multiple communications devices of the answering communications address, such as a POTS phone and a computer coupled with a modem communicating with a telecommunications network from the same switch. The Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal may include text, video, voice, and/or digital data.

Claims

1. A method for providing universal shared caller identification information comprising:

detecting and decoding an incoming communication from one of a plurality of different communications addresses to a called party communications address, the plurality of different communication addresses comprising a telecommunication address and a data communications address;

associating the communications address of the incoming communication with a universal, shared caller identification, the universal, shared caller identification comprising one incoming calling line identification signal that is common for each of the plurality of communications addresses; and

initiating a communication of the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address.

2. The method of claim 1, farther comprising:

communicating a communications signal with the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address, the communications signal enabling a communications connection of the communications address of the incoming communication with the called party communications address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the communications address of the incoming communication with the universal, shared caller identification further comprises associating a universal caller identification profile comprising at least one of (i) the common incoming calling line identification signal comprising a common communications address, a name, an identifier for a communications device of the communications address, an audio file, a text file, a video file, a picture, and a doodle, (ii) each communications address of the plurality of different communications addresses, (iii) an identifier of a called party, (iv) the called party communications address, (v) an activation parameter, (vi) a deactivation parameter, (vii) a scheduling parameter, (viii) a communications instruction for communicating the universal, shared caller identification to one of the called party communications address and an alternate communications address, and (ix) a delivery failure parameter for a communication error(s) of the universal, shared caller identification.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the universal, shared caller identification to the alternate communications address, the alternate communications address provided by one of the communication instruction, an instruction by a service provider, and a forwarding instruction communicated from the called party communications address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the universal, shared caller identification to a communications device of the called party communications address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifier of a calling party associated with the plurality of different communications address; and

using the identifier to generate the universal, shared caller identification.

7. A communications system, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

detect and decode an incoming communication from one of a plurality of different communications addresses to a called party communications address, the plurality of different communication addresses comprising a telecommunication address and a data communications address;

associate the communications address of the incoming communication with a universal, shared caller identification, the universal, shared caller identification comprising one incoming calling line identification signal that is common for each of the plurality of communications addresses; and

initiate a communication of the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address.

8. The communications system of claim 7, farther comprising code that causes the processor to establish a communications link over a communications network that allows a calling party communications device of the communications address and a called party communications device of the called party communications address to transmit and receive communications signals, wherein the communications network communicates the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address and wherein the communications link comprises a voice connection and a data connection.

9. The communications system of claim 8, further comprising code that causes the processor to communicate with a database of at least one universal caller identification profile comprising at least one of (i) the common incoming calling line identification signal, (ii) each communications address of the plurality of different communications addresses, (iii) an identifier of a called party, (iv) the called party communications address, (v) an activation parameter, (vi) a deactivation parameter, (vii) a scheduling parameter, (viii) a communications instruction for communicating the universal, shared caller identification to one of the called party communications address and an alternate communications address, and (ix) a delivery failure parameter for a communication error(s) of the universal, shared caller identification.

10. The communications system of claim 9, further comprising a communications interface for communicating the universal, shared caller identification signal from the calling party communications device to at least one of the communications network and the called party communications device.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising code that causes the process to generate the universal, shared caller identification.

12. The system of claim 8, the calling party communications device comprising:

a wireless communications device.

13. The system of claim 8, the called party communications device comprising:

a wireless communications device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the universal, shared caller identification comprises at least one of text, voice, video, and electronic data.

15. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for causing a processor to:

detect and decode an incoming communication from one of a plurality of different communications addresses to a called party communications address, the plurality of different communication addresses comprising a telecommunication address and a data communications address;

associate the communications address of the incoming communication with a universal, shared caller identification, the universal, shared caller identification comprising one incoming calling line identification signal that is common for each of the plurality of communications addresses; and

initiate a communication of the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for communicating a communications signal with the universal, shared caller identification to the called party communications address, the communications signal enabling a communications connection of the communications address of the incoming communication with the called party communications address.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for associating the communications address of the incoming communication with universal caller identification profile.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for communicating the universal, shared caller identification to the alternate communications address, the alternate communications address provided by one of the communication instruction, an instruction by a service provider, and a forwarding instruction communicated from the called party communications address.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for presenting the universal, shared caller identification to a communications device of the called party communications address.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an identifier of a calling party associated with the plurality of different communications address; and

using the identifier to generate the universal, shared caller identification.