Method and system for providing to a second party, computer-network related information about a first party

• US 9,124,689 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lund, Arnold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US14/572,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20150098558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/201.04, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/207.02, 379/219, 379/142.01, 709/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• 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 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method and system for providing computer-network related information about a second party. First, the second party receives a telephone number of a first party. The second party'"'"'s customer premises equipment (CPE) or elements in a telephone network then use the telephone number to index a database, which contains combinations of telephone numbers and computer-network addresses. Once the first party'"'"'s computer-network address is retrieved, first-party-customized information present at the computer-network location specified by the computer-network address can be sent to and displayed on the second party'"'"'s CPE. Also the first party'"'"'s telephone number can be sent to an application in the computer network, causing the first-party-customized information to be automatically displayed on the second party'"'"'s CPE.

Claims

1. A method for automatically sending information relating to a calling party to a phone of a called party, the method comprising:

initiating a telephone call between a first phone of the calling party and a second phone of the called party over a communication network;

determining what type of service is available in response to the phone call;

transmitting information associated with the calling party to the called party, based on said determination of available service;

displaying the information on the second phone of the called party;

wherein said first phone and said second phone comprise a processor, a keypad and a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determination is made based on a switching configuration of a central office.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein based on the determination, the central office transmits a query to a signal transfer point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the query instructs the signal transfer point to retrieve a computer network address from a database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determination is performed by a service control point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a signal switching point formulates and transmits a query to the service control point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said query includes a telephone number of the calling party.

8. A system for automatically sending information relating to a calling party to a phone of a called party, the system comprising:

a first phone, a second phone, and a communication network;

wherein the first phone and the second phone are each in communication with the communication network;

wherein the communication network is configured to determine what type of service is available in response to a phone call placed from the first phone to the second phone;

wherein the communication network is configured to transmit information associated with the calling party to the called party, based on said determination of available service;

wherein said second phone is configured to display the transmitted information; and

wherein said first phone and said second phone comprise a processor, a keypad and a display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said determination is made based on a switching configuration of a central office.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein based on the determination, the central office transmits a query to a signal transfer point.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the query instructs the signal transfer point to retrieve a computer network address from a database.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said determination is performed by a service control point.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a signal switching point formulates and transmits a query to the service control point.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said query includes a telephone number of the calling party.