Methods, systems, and products for recipient identification

• US 8,824,650 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daigle, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US13/745,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 591 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.03
• US Class Current: 379/142.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called 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 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products provide called party identification to a calling party. A communication is processed from a calling communications address to one of a plurality of communications addresses associated with a simultaneous ring. When an answer is detected at one of the plurality of communications addresses, an answering communications address is sent to the calling communications address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing, by a server, a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address to a destination communications address;

querying, by the server, for a profile associated with the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving, by the server, a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving, by the server from the profile, shared caller identification information that is common for each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

sending, from the server, the shared caller identification information to the each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

simultaneously ringing, by the server, the each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

detecting, at the server, an answer at an answering communications address of the plurality of communications addresses; and

sending, from the server, the answering communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a device to the answering communications address.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the profile in memory of the server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising routing the communication to the destination communications address.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising blocking the sending of the shared caller identification information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the communication.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a ring signal.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

processing a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address to a destination communications address;

querying a profile for the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving shared caller identification information from the profile that is common to each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

sending the shared caller identification information to the each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

simultaneously ringing the each one of the plurality of communications addresses to alert of the communication;

detecting an answer at an answering communications address of the plurality of communications addresses; and

sending the answering communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating a device to the shared caller identification information.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the profile in the memory.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise routing the communication to the destination communications address.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise blocking the sending of the shared caller identification information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the communication.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a ring signal.

15. A computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address to a destination communications address;

querying a profile for the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the sender'"'"'s communications address;

retrieving shared caller identification information from the profile that is common to each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

sending the shared caller identification information to the each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

simultaneously ringing the each one of the plurality of communications addresses to alert of the communication;

detecting an answer at an answering communications address of the plurality of communications addresses; and

sending the answering communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address.

16. The computer readable memory according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating a device to the shared caller identification information.

17. The computer readable memory according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing the profile in the memory.

18. The computer readable memory according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise routing the communication to the destination communications address.

19. The computer readable memory according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise blocking the sending of the shared caller identification information.

20. The computer readable memory according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending a ring signal.