System and method of enhanced caller-ID display using a personal address book

• US 9,219,823 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearson, Larry B., Bruening, Matthew Strand
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/151,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.08, 379/93.25, 37914201-14207, 379/142.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• 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: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64753 directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at an analog telephony adapter unit, a voice over internet protocol call signal including a caller identifier. The caller identifier includes a calling number and a billing name associated with the calling number. The method further includes retrieving an alias (or display name) associated with the calling number from a personal address book. The method further includes transmitting a modified caller identifier including the calling number and the alias to an output device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an analog telephony adapter unit, a voice over internet protocol call signal including a caller identifier, the caller identifier including a calling number and a billing name associated with the calling number; and

in response to the voice over internet protocol call signal;

retrieving a display name associated with the calling number from a personal address book; and

transmitting a modified caller identifier including the calling number and the display name to an output device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device corresponds to a voice over internet protocol phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device corresponds to a set-top box adapted to transmit the modified caller identifier to a display device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing a user interface to receive inputs to configure the analog telephony adapter unit to access a second personal address book.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing calling numbers and associated display name information in the second personal address book; and

synchronizing, during a period of call inactivity, the personal address book to the second personal address book in a memory coupled to the set-top box.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface to configure locations of one or more personal address books and to specify a search order for retrieving the display name from the one or more personal address books according to the search order.

7. A multi-function unit comprising:

a memory to store a personal address book; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to be coupled to a public switched telephone network, wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive a voice over internet protocol call signal including a calling number and a billing name from the public switched telephone network; and

in response to the voice over internet protocol call signal;

retrieve, from the personal address book, a display name corresponding to the calling number; and

transmit the calling number and the display name to an output device when the calling number matches a number of the personal address book.

8. The multi-function unit of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a broadcast signal from a broadcast network, the broadcast signal including video data and audio data; and

transmit the video data, the audio data, the calling number, and the display name to a display device.

9. The multi-function unit of claim 7, further comprising a user interface to configure the instructions to cause the processor to access one or more personal address books in a particular order.

10. The multi-function unit of claim 9, further comprising a web server to host the user interface.

11. The multi-function unit of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to synchronize the personal address book to a second personal address book during a period of call inactivity.

12. The multi-function unit of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a missed call notification to a user via a network interface, the missed call notification including the calling number and the display name.

13. The multi-function unit of claim 7, further comprising logic to record a voicemail message from a caller.

14. A computer readable storage device storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

searching a personal address book for a display name associated with a calling number, wherein the calling number and a billing name are included in a caller identifier included in a voice over internet protocol call signal received at an analog telephony adapter unit; and

in response to locating the display name associated with the calling number, transmitting a modified caller identifier including the calling number and the display name to an output device.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to not locating the display name associated with the calling number, transmitting the caller identifier including the calling number and the billing name to the output device.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the output device corresponds to a caller ID device.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the output device corresponds to a set-top box adapted to transmit the modified caller identifier to a display device.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise providing a user interface to receive inputs to configure the analog telephony adapter unit to access a second personal address book.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing calling numbers and associated display name information in the second personal address book; and

synchronizing, during a period of call inactivity, the personal address book to the second personal address book in a memory coupled to the set-top box.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise providing a user interface to configure locations of one or more personal address books and to specify a search order for retrieving the display name from the one or more personal address books according to the search order.