Method and system for masquerading the identity of a communication device returning a missed call

• US 7,995,730 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Santharam, Arun, Zhang, Baoquan, Weaver, Farni, McConnell, Von
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/588,703
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.09, 379/201.01, 379/201.11, 379/207.15, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/201.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48

Abstract

A method and apparatus for masquerading the identity of a first communication device returning a missed call placed by a second communication device to a third communication device. The first communication device receives a missed call notification indicating the second communication device placed a first call to the third communication device. Thereafter, the first communication device initiates a second call to the second communication device and directs a network to deliver to the second communication device caller identification information that indicates the second call originates from the third communication device. Moreover, the first communication device may include a missed call log that includes missed call notifications for missed calls placed directly to the first communication device as well as missed call notifications for missed calls originally placed to another communication device. The first communication device can present to a user missed call notifications stored in the missed call log.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a first communication device receiving a missed call notification that indicates a first call was placed by a second communication device to a third communication device; and

thereafter, the first communication device initiating a second call to the second communication device and directing a network to deliver to the second communication device caller identification information that indicates the second call originates from the third communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the second call to the second communication device and directing the network to deliver caller identification information to the second communication device includes the first communication device sending to the network a call origination request to initiate the second call and to direct the network to deliver caller identification information to the second communication device.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the call origination request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message containing the caller identification information, and

wherein the caller identification information contains an identifier associated with the third communication device.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the call origination request comprises a feature code, the caller identification information, and an identifier associated with the second communication device, and

wherein the caller identification information contains an identifier associated with the third communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier associated with the third communication device is a telephone number associated with the third communication device, and

wherein the identifier associated with the second communication device is a telephone number associated with the second communication device.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first communication device includes a missed call log,

the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the missed call notification, adding into the missed call log of the first communication device an entry that indicates the first call was missed.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first communication device includes a user interface,

the method further comprising:

after receiving the missed call notification, visually presenting the missed call notification via the user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving at the user interface a user input corresponding to the visually presented missed call notification,

wherein initiating the second call to the second communication device, and directing the network to deliver to the second communication device the caller identification information that indicates that the second call originates from the third communication device, occur in response to receiving the user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the missed call notification includes receiving a message describing the first call, wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message, (ii) a Short Message System (SMS) message, (iii) a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, (iv) an e-mail message, and (v) a private branch exchange (PBX) missed call message.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the network includes a server having access to a profile, the profile associating the first communication device with the third communication device,

the method further comprising:

at the server, determining that the first call was missed and responsively accessing the profile to determine that the missed call notification is to be sent to the first communication device, and

thereafter, sending the missed call notification from the server to the first communication device.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering, to the second communication device, the caller identification information that indicates the second call originates from the third communication device; and

the second communication device displaying, on a display of the second communication device, the caller identification information that indicates the second call originates from the third communication device.

11. A first communication device comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with a network;

a processor connected to the communication interface; and

data storage connected to the processor, the data storage containing program instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the processor receives from the communication interface via the network a missed call notification that indicates a first call was placed by a second communication device to a third communication device, and

wherein the program instructions comprise instructions that cause the processor to initiate a second call to the second communication device and to direct the network to deliver to the second communication device caller identification information that indicates the second call originates from the third communication device.

12. The first communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface to visually present the missed call notification, to receive user input corresponding to the visually presented missed call notification, and to provide the user input to the processor,

wherein the processor executes the program instructions in response to receiving the user input.

13. The first communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor directs the network to deliver the caller identification information to the second communication device by sending to the network a feature code and an identifier associated with the third communication device.

14. The first communication device of claim 13,

wherein the feature code includes a star character and a feature number, and

wherein the identifier of the third communication device is a telephone number associated with the third communication device.

15. The first communication device of claim 12, wherein the user interface further presents a visual indication of one or more missed calls placed directly to the first communication device.

16. The first communication device of claim 11,

wherein the first communication device is a wireless communication device, and

wherein the network is a wireless network.

17. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the received missed call notification comprises a message describing the first call, wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message, (ii) a Short Message System (SMS) message, (iii) a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, (iv) an e-mail message, and (v) a private branch exchange (PBX) missed call message.

18. The first communication device of claim 11,

wherein the communication interface sends to the network and receives from the network Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages, and

wherein the processor initiates the second call and directs the network to deliver the caller identification information by causing the communication interface to send to the network a SIP INVITE message containing the caller identification information.

19. A method carried out by a server operating within system comprising the server, a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the server to the first communication device, a missed call notification indicating a first call was placed by the second communication device to the third communication device;

receiving from the first communication device a first call origination request to;

(i) initiate a second call to the second communication device, and (ii) deliver to the second communication device caller identification information indicating the second call originates from the third communication device; and

in response to receiving the first call origination request, sending to the second communication device a second call origination request and the caller identification information indicating the second call originates from the third communication device.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein the second call origination request includes the caller identification information indicating the second call originates from the third communication device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

prior to transmitting the missed call notification;

(i) storing, in a computer-readable data storage device accessible by the server, a profile associated with the third communication device, wherein the profile indicates, when the third communication device misses a call, a missed call notification should be sent to the first communication device;

(ii) the server determining that the third communication device missed the first call; and

(iii) the server accessing the profile and determining that the missed call notification should be sent to the first communication device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the server determining that the first call was missed by the third communication device, wherein the server determines that the first call was missed by the third communication device by performing a function selected from the group consisting of (i) the server receiving a message indicating that the first call should be canceled, (ii) the server receiving a message indicating that the set up of the first call should be cancelled, (iii) the server receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) CANCEL message indicating that the first call should be canceled, (iv) the server receiving a SIP CANCEL message indicating that the set up of the first call should be cancelled, (v) the server determining that the third communication device did not answer the first call within a given period of time and the server executing program instructions to end the first call, and (vi) the server determining that the third communication device did not answer the first call within a given period of time and the server executing program instructions to end set up of the first call.