Methods and systems for improved caller name identification on a telephone network

• US 8,644,470 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transaction Network Services Incorporated (Trident Private Holdings I LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cequint Incorporated (Trident Private Holdings I LLC)
• Inventors: Gosselin, Mark H., Maliska, Thomas P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYTLE, JEFFREY P
• Application Number:
  US12/191,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20090257575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8828, 379/142.06, 379/207.02, 379/207.15
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A phone network in a wireless environment that does not perform CNAM queries when a number is already stored in the receiving handsets'"'"' caller directory. CNAM query fees are charged only to obtain caller information on a new caller. The network does not make CNAM queries when the caller information is already available, whether in the contact information stored on the receiver'"'"'s handset or through some other reliable source.

Claims

1. A method performed on a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the subscriber at a carrier network, the incoming call comprising caller information;

prior to connecting the incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device,

comparing caller information included in the incoming call to contact list information associated with the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device and stored in a networked directory database accessible from the carrier network;

performing a Caller Name (CNAM) query only if the caller information does not match an entry in the contact list information;

connecting the incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device, wherein connecting the incoming call includes transmitting the results of the CNAM query only if the CNAM query was performed; and

synchronizing the contact list information from the networked directory database with the contact list information from the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of the CNAM query include one of caller identification information or city and state information associated with the received call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically updating the contact list information in the networked directory database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically updating comprises:

if a change to the contact list information from the subscriber'"'"'s mobile occurs, generating a message at the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device;

sending the generated message to the carrier network; and

synchronizing the contact list information in the networked directory database with the contact list information from the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device based on the received message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing the contact list information in the networked directory database includes one of additions or deletions of information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the caller information included in the incoming call matches the contact list information stored in the networked directory database, connecting the incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device further includes transmitting an indicator that CNAM information associated with the incoming call is already included in the contact list information on the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device; and

presenting caller information on the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sent indicator is a Mobile Dialable Number (MDN).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically updating contact list information in the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device by making at least one CNAM query of information included in the contact list information and making any adjustments to the contact list information based on the at least one CNAM query.

9. A system comprising:

a networked database accessible from a carrier network associated with a subscriber'"'"'s mobile device configured to synchronize contact list information on the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device;

a network control point configured to;

receive an incoming call for the subscriber;

prior to delivering the incoming call to the subscriber,

compare caller information included in the incoming call to contact list information stored in the networked directory database;

if the caller information does not match an entry in the contact list information, perform a Caller Name (CNAM) query;

connect the incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device and transmit the results of the CNAM query only if the query was performed; and

synchronize the contact list information from the networked directory database with the contact list information from the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the results of the CNAM query include one of caller identification information or city and state information associated with the received call.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a mobile device comprising a client component configured to initiate an automatic synchronization of the contact list information in the networked directory database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is configured to

initiates the automatic update by generating a message at the mobile device if a change to the contact list information from the subscriber'"'"'s mobile occurs;

and

send the generated message to the network control point.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network control point synchronizes the contact list information in the networked directory database based on the received message.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the network control point is configured to synchronize the contact list information in the networked directory database by adding or deleting information.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device comprising an output device configured to present caller information based on one of the transmitted results of the CNAM query or contact list information on the subscriber'"'"'s mobile.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the transmitted results of the CNAM query is a Mobile Dialable Number (MDN).

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising a component configured to periodically updating contact list information stored in the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device by making at least one CNAM query and making any adjustments to the contact list information stored in the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device based on the at least one CNAM query.