Private routing control numbers

• US 7,751,855 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cai, Yigang
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/133,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20060281458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/445, 455/417, 455/415, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for permitting different treatment of calls from different callers. Favored callers who receive preferred treatment, the preferred treatment including the ability to complete calls, are provided with a private number. If the callers use the private number, they are subject to an incoming class of service to the called party that is substituted for the class of service provided to callers who use the public telephone number of the called station. Advantageously, at the discretion of the called party different callers may be provided with different private numbers and their calls may be blocked or completed with special alerting tones.

Claims

1. A method of providing differentiated incoming service to callers of a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

providing a private identification of said mobile station to callers who are to receive differentiated incoming service to said mobile station said private identification different from a main telephone number of said mobile station;

populating a database with said private identification and with a class of service for incoming calls to said mobile station identified said private identification;

responsive to receipt of an incoming call to said mobile station identified by said private identification, substituting said stored class of service for the class of incoming service provided to callers who call a main telephone number of said mobile station, wherein the step of providing a private identification comprises the step of providing a private identification that is not an E.164 number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said private identification is readily differentiable from a main telephone number of any mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile station can transmit messages to request an alteration of contents of said database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a user of said mobile station provides a personal identification number (PIN) to permit a change of said database entry;

and

wherein unauthorized users who do not know said PIN are prevented from changing said database contents.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein calls from callers using said private identification use a special alerting (ringing) tone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is part of a telecommunications network for serving said mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said stored class of service requests a routing of said incoming call that is different from a routing of a call if said main number is called.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said private identification comprises a header, different from a header of a mobile telephone number, and a group of numerical characters, wherein said private identification can be keyed from a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone station.

9. A method of providing differentiated incoming service to callers of a land based telephone station, comprising the steps of:

providing a private identification of said land based telephone station to callers who are to receive differentiated incoming service to said land based telephone station;

said private identification different from a main telephone number of said land based telephone station;

populating a database with said private identification and with a class of service for incoming calls to said land based telephone station identified by said private identification;

responsive to receipt of an incoming call to said land based telephone station identified by said private identification, substituting said stored class of service for the class of incoming service provided to callers who call a main number of said land based telephone station,

wherein the step of providing a private identification comprises the step of providing a private identification that is not an E.164 number.