Providing alternative information over caller ID

• US 9,112,968 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Cooper, Steven Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Application Number:
  US13/973,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.14, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/100.06, 379/100.13, 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.03, 379/142.09, 379/142.14, 379/142.17, 379/201.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1008 Calls without connection establishment for implicit information transfer or as a service trigger
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48

Abstract

Additional information and/or status messages are routed to a telephone 124 by a gateway device 110 via a caller identification (ID) process. The gateway device determines when a status or information message is available and distributes the message to the telephone when a user answers the telephone. In a similar fashion, a user can call a special telephone number on a plain old telephone system (POTS) 202, hang up the telephone 204 and receive a status/information message as a caller ID message upon a callback by the POTS.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus that distributes information through a communication system, the gateway apparatus comprising:

a controller coupled to a memory, the controller configured to;

access an Internet service;

detect whether a predefined code is received from a communication device;

if the predefined code is received;

disconnect the communication device from the communication system;

format information unrelated to an identification of a caller into a caller identification format, the information being received by the controller via the Internet service;

transmit the formatted information to the communication device; and

reconnect the communication device to the communication system.

2. The gateway apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to detect information for a communication device of a user.

3. The gateway apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to detect information when a trigger is received.

4. The gateway apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to detect information automatically.

5. The gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit information when a trigger is received.

6. The gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit information automatically when the controller detects a message.

7. The gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a plain old telephone system (POTS).

8. The gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit more than one message to the communication device when an amount of information is larger than can be contained in a single caller identification formatted message.

9. A method for distributing information through a communication system:

accessing, using a gateway device, an Internet service;

detecting, using the gateway device, whether a predefined code is received from a communication device;

if the predefined code is received;

disconnecting, using the gateway device, the communication device from the communication system;

formatting, using the gateway device, information unrelated to an identification of a caller into a caller identification format, the information being obtained by the gateway device via the Internet service;

sending, using the gateway device, the formatted information to a communication device; and

reconnecting, using the gateway device, the communication device to the communication system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting, using the gateway device, information for a communication device so information can be formatted.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting, using the gateway device, and sending information when a trigger is received.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, using the gateway device, status information related to the communication system.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically sending, using the gateway device, information to the communication device without user interaction.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending, using the gateway device, multiple messages to the communication device when an amount of information is greater than can be contained in a single formatted message to the communication device.

15. A system that distributes information through a communication system, comprising:

means for accessing an Internet service;

means for receiving information via the Internet service;

means for detecting whether a predefined code is received from a communication device;

means for disconnecting the communication device from the communication system, if the predefined code is received;

means for formatting the information, the information being unrelated to an identification of a caller into a caller identification format;

means for sending the formatted information to a communication device; and

means for reconnecting the communication device to the communication system.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for accepting a trigger that prompts sending of the information to the communication device.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for determining which communication device is associated with the received information.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for sending multiple messages to the communication device when an amount of information cannot be sent in a single message.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for blocking subsequent caller identification messages when a capacity limit is reached on the communication device.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a telephone configured to;

transmit a predefined number to a telephone system;

disconnect from the telephone system;

detect receipt of a call from the telephone system;

detect receipt of status information, using a caller ID circuit, from the telephone system after ringing a first time but before ringing a second time, the status information being associated with the predefined number, the status information comprising data other than caller identification data; and

render the status information on a display.

21. A method comprising:

transmitting, using a telephone, a predefined number to a telephone system;

disconnecting, using the telephone, from the telephone system;

detecting, using the telephone, receipt of a call from the telephone system;

detecting, using a caller ID circuit in the telephone, receipt of status information from the telephone system after ringing a first time but before ringing a second time, the status information being associated with the predefined number, the status information comprising data other than caller identification data; and

rendering, using the telephone, the status information on a display.