Masking phone numbers

• US 9,020,468 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Ur, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/497,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20130171969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/415, 455/410
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers

Abstract

In one example of masking phone numbers, a roster of changeable phone numbers may be assigned to a target phone, a presence of the target phone may be registered to a local cell site, a request for one of the changeable phone numbers that is assigned to the target phone for a current time frame may be received, and a phone call that is intended for the target phone may be facilitated using an assigned one of the changeable phone numbers that is assigned to the target phone for the current time frame.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store one or more executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

register a static phone number of a communication device with a local cell site, wherein the communication device is associated with the static phone number;

receive a roster of changeable phone numbers that are assignable to the communication device;

download the roster of changeable phone numbers to the communication device;

assign at least one of the changeable phone numbers to the communication device for a respective time frame of a predetermined duration as a current dialing number of the communication device for the respective time frame, and wherein the communication device changes the current dialing number of the communication device to that of the assigned one of the changeable phone numbers;

register the current dialing number of the communication device with the local cell site for each of the assigned changeable phone numbers for the respective time frame such that an incoming call for the static phone number is forwarded to the local cell site with which a current dialing number of the communication device at the time of the incoming call is registered;

receive a request for the current dialing number that is assigned to the communication device for a current time frame; and

facilitate a phone call intended for the communication device assigned the current dialing number for the current time frame,

wherein the phone call intended for the communication device includes a phone call that is intended for the static phone number and is forwarded to the current dialing number.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium is hosted on a target phone.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium is hosted on a cloud-based server.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the changeable phone numbers that are assignable to the static phone number rotates based on a passage of time within a particular time range.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the one or more executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to receive the request further cause the one or more processors to register the assigned one of the changeable phone numbers for the current time frame with the local cell site.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the one or more executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to facilitate the phone call further cause the one or more processors to enable the phone call in response to the assigned one of the changeable phone numbers for the current time frame is not currently being used.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the one or more executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to facilitate the phone call further cause the one or more processors to disable the phone call in response to the assigned one of the changeable phone numbers for the current time frame is currently being used.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the roster of changeable phone numbers are downloaded to one or more of a plurality of communication devices, and changeable phone numbers are assignable to the one or more of the plurality of communication devices, including the communication device.

9. A system, comprising:

a server configured to provide a plurality of changeable phone numbers for a plurality of communication devices;

an application, configured to be hosted on each of the communication devices or on the server, further configured to;

assign at least a portion of the plurality of changeable phone numbers to one or more of the communication devices on a rotating basis,

wherein the one or more of the communication devices are associated with one or more static phone numbers, and

handshake with a local cell site on a continuing basis,

wherein the handshake includes;

registering the one or more static phone numbers with the local cell site, and registering a current one of the portion of the plurality of changeable phone numbers with the local cell site for a current time frame such that an incoming call for the one or more static phone numbers is forwarded to the local cell site with which a current one of the portion of the plurality of changeable phone numbers of the communication devices at the time of the incoming call is registered; and

a communication device, to which a static phone number is assigned, configured to;

download, from the server, the plurality of changeable phone numbers, and receive calls that are intended for the static phone number and are forwarded to the current one of the plurality of changeable phone numbers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the server is integrated as part of a cloud-based service.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the server and the application are independent of a mobile telephone service provider.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication device is further configured to receive a call that is forwarded to the one of the portion of the plurality of changeable phone numbers that has been currently registered with the local cell site, by the application, for the current time frame.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the application is further configured to block the call in response to the application determining that the one of the portion of the plurality of changeable phone numbers currently registered with the local cell site has been used by another of the plurality of communication devices within a particular time frame.

14. A communication device, comprising:

a memory device configured to;

store an assigned static phone number, and

store a plurality of available dialing numbers;

a SIM module configured to change a current dialing number of the communication device among the plurality of available dialing numbers upon passage of a particular amount of time; and

a masking module configured to register the static phone number with a local cell site and further register the current dialing number of the communication device upon passage of the particular amount of time with the local cell site such that an incoming call for the static phone number is forwarded to the local cell site with which a current dialing number of the communication device at the time of the incoming call is registered,

wherein the communication device is further configured to receive calls that are intended for the static phone number and are forwarded to the current dialing number.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein a predetermined amount of time is less than 10 seconds.

16. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the SIM module is assigned a plurality of available dialing numbers by a masking service that is independent of a mobile communication service provider.