Apparatus and method for sharing and assigning multiple numbers to a communication device

• US 8,620,264 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Mary Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US11/846,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,316 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 379/114.22, 379/114.26, 379/114.28
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to associate two or more phone numbers with two or more phone bills, where the controller is adapted to send outgoing phone calls and receive incoming phone calls on multiple telephone numbers assigned to the mobile communication device in accordance with at least one user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A media server, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, the controller operable to:

store at least two user profiles associated with a shared communication device, each of the at least two user profiles including at least one of a phone number and an instant message identifier;

activate an account associated with one user profile responsive to a selection of the one user profile from the at least two user profiles;

provide services to the shared communication device in accordance with the one user profile;

identify from an outgoing call from the shared communication device a caller placing the outgoing call and a corresponding user profile of the caller;

determine a call type for the outgoing call based at least in part on the corresponding user profile;

bill an account of the corresponding user profile associated with the call type;

compare the outgoing call to a list of business contacts and personal contacts in the corresponding user profile; and

determine whether the outgoing call is a business call or a personal call based on the comparing.

2. The media server of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to from the caller and call-type identify the account associated with the outgoing call.

3. The media server of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to, for an incoming call to the shared communication device, determine a callee and a call type from a list of user profiles, and receive from a presence server information for contacting the callee on the shared communication device.

4. The media server of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a notification to the shared communication device that identifies a callee and a call-type for activating the shared communication device according to a user profile of the callee for the call-type.

5. The media server of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a notification that informs the shared communication device to display a custom screen or audibly play a ring-tone according to a user profile of a callee for distinguishing the callee among a group of users.

6. The media server of claim 1, wherein the user profile identifies telephone numbers for a business contact list and telephone numbers for a personal contact list.

7. A method, comprising:

storing at least two user profiles associated with a communication device, each of the at least two user profiles including at least one of a phone number and an instant message identifier;

activating an account associated with one user profile responsive to a selection of the one user profile from the at least two user profiles;

providing services to the communication device in accordance with the one user profile;

identifying from an outgoing call from the communication device a user placing the outgoing call and a corresponding user profile of the user;

determining a call type for the outgoing call based at least in part on the corresponding user profile;

billing an account of the corresponding user profile associated with the call type;

comparing the outgoing call to a list of business contacts and personal contacts in the corresponding user profile; and

determining whether the outgoing call is a business call or a personal call based on the comparing.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

assigning multiple phone numbers to the communication device in accordance with the one user profile; and

billing accounts of the user profile separately for charges associated with use of the multiple phone numbers.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

storing the at least two user profiles on a media server; and

utilizing the media server to direct incoming calls to the communication device and direct outgoing calls from the communication device based on the at least two user profiles.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising:

authenticating the user based at least in part on one or more access codes or biometric identifiers associated with the user; and

activating services for the one user profile based on the authentication.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising:

displaying a custom screen or audibly playing a ring-tone according to the user profile of the user for distinguishing the user among a group of users and notifying the user of an incoming call directed to the user.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising:

itemizing calls for separate accounts; and

displaying service histories for the separate accounts on the communication device.