System and method for identifying a caller using associated sounds

• US 8,331,551 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heimbecher Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: Heimbecher Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Heimbecher, Reed
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARIFZADEH, IBRAHAM KALEL
• Application Number:
  US12/211,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 379372-37602
• US Class Current: 379/374.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A system 10 and method for identifying a caller using associated voice or sound announcements is disclosed. An associated voice announcement or announcements may be in calling party'"'"'s own voice. The system 10 is capable of playing a different announcement in place of each ring. The different announcements may be played sequentially, randomly, or pseudo-randomly. Alternatively, a single announcement may be played in lieu of a single selected ring or in lieu of all rings after a specified ring.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

(1) identifying an assigned telephone number from which a telephone call originates;

(2) checking a storage location for a plurality of announcements associated with said assigned telephone number, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is also associated with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone number; and

(3) selecting and playing, during a single telephone call, at least two associated announcements from said plurality of announcements, wherein said at least two associated announcements includes a first associated announcement and a second associated announcement, wherein said first associated announcement is different from said second associated announcement, and wherein, after said first associated announcement is played via a speaker in lieu of a first ring, said second associated announcement is played via said speaker in lieu of a second ring.

2. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

storing a plurality of announcements in a first memory location;

associating said plurality of announcements with a particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

associating said plurality of announcements with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line;

monitoring said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line for an incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

selecting, upon receipt of the incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number at said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line, a first announcement from said plurality of announcements;

playing said first announcement via a speaker in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a first time;

selecting a second announcement seriatim from said plurality of announcements; and

playing said second announcement via said speaker in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a second time.

3. A method of identifying a telephone caller to a call-receiving party, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying a telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

searching a memory location for at least three aural announcements associated with said identified telephone number and associated with the call-receiving party;

selecting a first aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said first aural announcement from said memory location;

playing said first aural announcement on a speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a first ring tone;

selecting a second aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements, wherein said second aural announcement is selected seriatim from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said second aural announcement from said memory location; and

playing said second aural announcement on said speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a second ring tone.

4. A system for announcing a particular communication sender of an incoming communication to a particular communication recipient, the system comprising the following:

a first storage device adapted to store parameters indicative of the particular communication sender;

a second storage device adapted to store a plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient;

a receiver adapted to receive the incoming communication;

an identifier adapted to identify an identified parameter of the incoming communication;

a comparator adapted to compare the identified parameter of the incoming communication to said stored parameters in said first storage device and to thereby identify the particular communication sender;

a selector adapted to select both a first selected outgoing announcement and a second selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements, wherein said first selected outgoing announcement is different from said second outgoing announcement; and

an output device adapted to sequentially output said first and second selected outgoing announcements during a single attempt by said particular communication sender to reach said particular communication recipient to identify the particular communication sender.

5. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

(1) identifying an assigned telephone number from which a telephone call originates;

(2) checking a storage location for a plurality of announcements associated with said assigned telephone number, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is also associated with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone number;

(3) randomly selecting and playing, during a single telephone call, at least two associated announcements from said plurality of announcements, wherein said at least two associated announcements includes a first associated announcement and a second associated announcement, wherein said first associated announcement is different from said second associated announcement, and wherein, after said first associated announcement is played via a speaker in lieu of a first ring, said second associated announcement is played via said speaker in lieu of a second ring.

6. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

(1) identifying an assigned telephone number from which a telephone call originates;

(2) checking a storage location for a plurality of announcements associated with said assigned telephone number, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is also associated with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone number;

(3) pseudo-randomly selecting and playing, during a single telephone call, at least two associated announcements from said plurality of announcements, wherein said at least two associated announcements includes a first associated announcement and a second associated announcement, and wherein, after said first associated announcement is played via a speaker in lieu of a first ring, said second associated announcement is played via said speaker in lieu of a second ring.

7. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

storing a plurality of announcements in a first memory location;

associating said plurality of announcements with a particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

associating said plurality of announcements with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line;

monitoring said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line for an incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

randomly selecting, upon receipt of the incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number at said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line, a first announcement from said plurality of announcements;

playing said first announcement in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a first time;

randomly selecting a second announcement from said plurality of announcements; and

playing said second announcement in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a second time, wherein said first announcement and said second announcement are both played via a speaker.

8. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

storing a plurality of announcements in a first memory location;

associating said plurality of announcements with a particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

associating said plurality of announcements with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line;

monitoring said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line for an incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

pseudo-randomly selecting, upon receipt of the incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number at said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line, a first announcement from said plurality of announcements;

playing said first announcement in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a first time;

pseudo-randomly selecting a second announcement from said plurality of announcements; and

playing said second announcement in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing a second time, wherein said first announcement and said second announcement are both played via a speaker.

9. A method of identifying a telephone caller to a call-receiving party, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying a telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

searching a memory location for at least three aural announcements associated with said identified telephone number and associated with the call-receiving party;

randomly selecting a first aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said first aural announcement from said memory location;

playing said first aural announcement on a speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a first ring tone;

randomly selecting a second aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said second aural announcement from said memory location; and

playing said second aural announcement on said speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a second ring tone.

10. A system for announcing a particular communication sender of an incoming communication to a particular communication recipient, the system comprising the following:

a first storage device adapted to store parameters indicative of the particular communication sender;

a second storage device adapted to store a plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient;

a receiver adapted to receive the incoming communication;

an identifier adapted to identify an identified parameter of the incoming communication;

a comparator adapted to compare the identified parameter of the incoming communication to said stored parameters in said first storage device and to thereby identify the particular communication sender;

a selector adapted to pseudo-randomly select both a first selected outgoing announcement and a second selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements; and

an output device adapted to sequentially output said first and second selected outgoing announcements during a single attempt by said particular communication sender to reach said particular communication recipient to identify the particular communication sender.

15. The system of any one of claims 4 and 10-12, wherein said parameters indicative of the particular communication sender are selected from the group consisting of a name of the particular communication sender, a telephone number of the particular communication sender, and an email address of the particular communication sender.

16. The system of any one of claims 4 and 10-12, wherein said first storage device is the same as said second storage device.

11. A system for announcing a particular communication sender of an incoming communication to a particular communication recipient, the system comprising the following:

a first storage device adapted to store parameters indicative of the particular communication sender;

a second storage device adapted to store a plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient;

a receiver adapted to receive the incoming communication;

an identifier adapted to identify an identified parameter of the incoming communication;

a comparator adapted to compare the identified parameter of the incoming communication to said stored parameters in said first storage device and to thereby identify the particular communication sender;

a selector adapted to randomly select both a first selected outgoing announcement and a second selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements; and

an output device adapted to sequentially output said first and second selected outgoing announcements during a single attempt by said particular communication sender to reach said particular communication recipient to identify the particular communication sender.

12. A system for announcing a particular communication sender of an incoming communication to a particular communication recipient, the system comprising the following:

a first storage device adapted to store parameters indicative of the particular communication sender;

a second storage device adapted to store a plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient;

a receiver adapted to receive the incoming communication;

an identifier adapted to identify an identified parameter of the incoming communication;

a comparator adapted to compare the identified parameter of the incoming communication to said stored parameters in said first storage device and to thereby identify the particular communication sender;

a selector adapted to select both a first selected outgoing announcement and a second selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements, wherein said selector is adapted to select said first and second selected outgoing announcements seriatim from said plurality of outgoing announcements; and

an output device adapted to sequentially output said first and second selected outgoing announcements during a single attempt by said particular communication sender to reach said particular communication recipient to identify the particular communication sender.

13. A method of identifying a telephone caller to a call-receiving party, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying a telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

searching a memory location for at least three aural announcements associated with said identified telephone number and associated with the call-receiving party;

pseudo-randomly selecting a first aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said first aural announcement from said memory location;

playing said first aural announcement on a speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a first ring tone;

pseudo-randomly selecting a second aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving, said second aural announcement from said memory location; and

playing said second aural announcement on said speaker for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a second ring tone.

14. The method of any one of claims 2, 3, 5, 9, and 13, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is recorded in the incoming caller'"'"'own voice.