System and method for providing a public/private telephone number system

• US 9,118,754 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Page2Cell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Page2Cell Inc.
• Inventors: Nagel, Robert H., Jones, Phillip, Wener, Clifford, Readick, Jodd
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US11/549,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,238 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.14, 37921101-21102, 379/210.02, 379/207.02, 379/207.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity

Abstract

This invention shows a method for operating a voice communications network that comprises dynamically associating a private number with at least one public number of a circuit-switched voice communication network, authenticating a user of a private number without reliance on a static reproducible data code, receiving an incoming call to the public number and routing the incoming call from a caller to the private number. The method also shows the generation of an outgoing call from the private number and passing the outgoing call through the public number while generating calling party information to a target which preserves the privacy of the caller, and altering an associating of the private number and at least one public number. The system therefore acts as a proxy with authentication by means of dynamic code security. The caller and the user of the private number share seamless round-trip telephone communications while preserving the anonymity of the user of the private number. The system functionality is advantageously presented as a restricted option space defined by a “skin”, which provides a consistent and purposeful set of functionality useful for a predetermined population of users.

Claims

1. A method for operating a voice communications network by a voice communications system having a database, comprising:

storing on the database in a private public number table a first association between a private number of a user and a plurality of public numbers of a voice communication network, wherein the private number is controlled by the user, and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system;

creating a second association between a first telephone number with a first public number of said plurality of public numbers;

authenticating the user of the private number without reliance on a static reproducible data code;

receiving an incoming call to the first public number from the first telephone number of a calling party, and routing the incoming call to the private number;

receiving an outgoing call from the private number to an outgoing number, wherein the outgoing number is associated with the voice communications system;

validating the outgoing call by identifying the private number and using the identified private number to query the private public number table stored on the database for the first association;

upon validation of the outgoing call, receiving from the user of the private number a selection of the first public number from the plurality of public numbers;

receiving from the user an input of the first telephone number to call;

routing the outgoing call to the first telephone number;

transmitting the first public number as calling party information to a communication device associated with the first telephone number; and

altering the second association between the first telephone number and the first public number.

2. A method for operating a voice communications network by a voice communications system having a database, comprising:

dynamically associating and storing on the database in a private public number table as a first association at least one private number of a user with a plurality of public numbers of a voice communication network, according to a predetermined algorithm, wherein the private number is controlled by the user, and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system;

storing a second association between a first telephone number and a first public number of said plurality of public numbers;

receiving an incoming call to said first public number from a communication device associated with the first telephone number of a calling party, and routing the incoming call to at least one of said private numbers;

receiving an outgoing call from said at least one private number to an outgoing number, wherein said outgoing number is associated with said voice communications system;

validating the outgoing call by identifying the at least one private number and using the identified at least one private number to query the private public number table stored on the database for the first association;

upon validation of the outgoing call, receiving from the user of the at least one private number a selection of the first public number from the plurality of public numbers;

receiving from the user an input of the first telephone number to call;

passing the outgoing call to said communication device associated with the first telephone number;

transmitting calling party information of said first public number to said communication device; and

altering said second association of said first telephone number and said first public number.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein an outcome of said predetermined algorithm is sensitive to at least one of a time, a communication status, an external status, accounting information, system congestion, communication cost, and a location.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of verifying a validity of an association of a public number and a private number.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of receiving a user input to influence said dynamic association.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of determining a status of at least one of said private numbers, and associating in dependence on said determined status.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of providing an automated storage facility as at least one of said at least one private number.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a user interface facilitating receipt of configuration information from a second communication device associated with said at least one private number, said configuration information influencing said dynamic association.

9. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing an interactive voice response interface for at least one of a user at a public number and a user at a private number.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of authenticating a user.

11. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of authenticating a user without reliance on a static reproducible data code.

12. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of authenticating a user biometrically.

13. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of authenticating a user based on a cryptographic key which changes over time or after use.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of logging communications involving at least one private number.

15. A method for operating a voice communications system, comprising:

providing a first option set for dynamically associating a plurality of private numbers with a plurality of public numbers of a voice communication network, according to a first predetermined algorithm, for connecting with at least one of a plurality of first communication devices of a user, wherein the plurality of private numbers are controlled by the user, and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system, wherein each private number of the plurality of private numbers is associated with a sequence number indicating in which sequence the voice communications system should contact the user at the plurality of private numbers;

providing a second option set for dynamically associating a first public number of said plurality of public numbers with a telephone number associated with a second communication device of a voice communication network, according to a second predetermined algorithm, for permitting at least one of the plurality of first communication devices of the user to contact the second communication device, wherein the first public number is transmitted as calling party information to the second communication device;

providing a third option set for defining functions available if a call to at least one of the first communication devices of the user is not completed, wherein said third option set comprises sending the call to a next available private number of the plurality of private numbers based on the sequence number if the call to the at least one of the first communication devices is not completed; and

defining a restricted option space within each of the first option set, second option set, and third option set, for controlling system behavior, the restricted option space having at least two option sets, each option set differently controlling the system, and being selectively applied to the first communication device.

16. A voice communications system, comprising:

an input receiving an incoming call from a communication device of an external party to a first public number of a plurality of public numbers of a user;

an output generating an outgoing call from a private number of the user, wherein the private number is controlled by the user and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system; and

a processor routing said incoming call from the first public number to a communication device of the user associated with the private number and transmitting for display on the communication device of user as calling party information a telephone number associated with the communication device of the external party with an added tag identifying the first public number, and passing said outgoing call from said private number to a telephone number of said communication device of said external party through an outgoing number, wherein said outgoing number is associated with said voice communications system, transmitting for display on the communication device of the external party as calling party information said first public number, creating a first association between the private number with the plurality of public numbers of a voice communication network, and creating a second association between the telephone number associated with said communication device of said external party with said first public number of the plurality of public numbers, according to a predetermined algorithm, and altering said first association of said private number and said first public number.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein an outcome of said predetermined algorithm is sensitive to at least one of a time, a communication status, an external status, accounting information, system congestion, communication cost, and a location.

18. The system according to claim 16, said processor verifies a validity of said first and said second associations.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said processor receives a user input to influence each of said first and said second association.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein said processor determines a status of said at least one of said private numbers, and creates the first association in dependence on said determined status.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one private number is stored in an automated storage facility.

22. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a user interface for facilitating receipt of configuration information from a second communication device associated with said at least one private number, said configuration information influencing at least one of said first or said second associations.

23. The system according to claim 16, further comprising an interactive voice response interface for receiving voice input from at least one of a user at a public number and a user at a private number.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein a user associated with said system is authenticated.

25. The system according to claim 16, wherein a user is authenticated without reliance on a static reproducible data code.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein a user is authenticated biometrically.

27. The system according to claim 16, wherein a user is authenticated based on a cryptographic key which changes over time or after use.

28. The system according to claim 16, wherein a communication for said at least one private number is logged.

29. A method for operating a voice communications network by a voice communications system, comprising:

dynamically associating and storing as a first association a private number associated with a first communication device with a plurality of public numbers of a voice communication network, wherein the private number is controlled by a user and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system;

storing a second association between a telephone number associated with a second communication device and a first public number of said plurality of public numbers;

receiving an incoming call to the first public number from the second communication device, routing the incoming call to of said first communication device associated with the private number, and transmitting to the first communication device as calling party information the telephone number associated with the second communication device with an added tag identifying the first public number for display by the first communication device;

receiving an outgoing call from said private number to an outgoing number, wherein said outgoing number is associated with said voice communications system, receiving from the user an input of the telephone number associated with the second communication device to call, passing the outgoing call to said second communication device, and transmitting as calling party information said first public number to said second communication device for display by the second communication device.

30. A method for operating a voice communications network by a voice communications system, comprising:

storing a first association between a private number associated with a first communication device and a plurality of public numbers, wherein the private number is controlled by a user and wherein the plurality of public numbers are provided by the voice communications system;

receiving an incoming call to a first public number of the plurality of public numbers from a second communication device, routing the incoming call to the first communication device, and transmitting to the first communication device for display as calling party information a telephone number associated with the second communication device with an added tag identifying the first public number; and

receiving an outgoing call from the private number to an outgoing number, wherein said outgoing number is associated with said voice communications system, receiving a first selection from the first communication device of a public number from the plurality of public numbers, receiving a second selection from the first communication device of a telephone number to call, associating the selected public number with the telephone number to call, routing the outgoing call to the telephone number to call, and transmitting for display the selected public number as a calling party information to a communication device associated with the telephone number to call.