Method and apparatus for communicating information about a called party to a calling party

• US 7,792,261 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lund, Arnold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US12/618,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.09, 379/142.17, 37920101-20104, 379/207.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/218.01, 379/218.02, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/230, 4554141-4143, 707/10, 707/104.1, 709/201, 709/238
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/354 Reverse directory service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• 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 3/42076 where the identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42119 where the identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 : Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for automatically retrieving and displaying supplemental information about a called party on the CPE of a calling party. When a caller places a call, the number called is used to look up and return to the caller the Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the called party. Application software resident in the caller'"'"'s CPE uses the URL to retrieve the home page of the called party from the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for communicating called party information to a calling party, the system comprising:

an identification module configured to gather a called party identifier associated with a called party contacted by a calling party;

a called party database in communication with the identification module, the called party database configured to store address data for locating a customized file associated with the called party;

a switch configured to provide the address data for the file to the calling party and configured to establish a communication between the calling party and the called party; and

wherein the address data is usable by the calling party to retrieve and display the file of the called party.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the address data comprises a URL address.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the file comprises a World Wide Web page for the called party.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch is further configured to establish the communication between a wireless device of the calling party and a called party device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the called party database comprises a database within a telephone network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the called party database comprises a database outside of a telephone network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the called party database comprises a database accessible via an Internet connection.

8. A system for providing information about a called party to a calling party, the system comprising:

identification means for gathering a called party identifier associated with a called party contacted by a calling party;

a called party database in communication with the identification means, the called party database configured to store address data for locating a customized file associated with the called party;

a switch configured to provide the address data for the file to the calling party and configured to establish a communication between the calling party and the called party; and

wherein the address data is usable by the calling party to retrieve and display the file of the called party.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the address data comprises a URL address.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the customized file comprises a World Wide Web page for the called party.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the switch is further configured to establish the communication between a wireless device of the calling party and a called party device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the called party database comprises a database within a telephone network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the called party database comprises a database outside of a telephone network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the called party database comprises a database accessible via an Internet connection.