Methods, systems, and products for processing communications

• US 9,344,867 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daigle, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US14/340,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products provide called party identification to a calling party. A communication is processed from a calling communications address to one of a plurality of communications addresses associated with a simultaneous ring. When an answer is detected at one of the plurality of communications addresses, an answering communications address is sent to the calling communications address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing, by a server, a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address that identifies a destination communications address;

associating, by the server, the destination communications address to a profile;

retrieving, by the server, a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the destination communications address;

sending, from the server, the sender'"'"'s communications address to each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

receiving, by the server, a recipient communications address of the plurality of communications addresses that accepted the communication; and

sending, by the server, the recipient communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address;

wherein the each one of the plurality of communications addresses is notified of the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the communication to the destination communications address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising blocking the sender'"'"'s communications address to the destination communications address.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously ringing the plurality of communications addresses.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively ringing the plurality of communications addresses.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a non-recipient address of the of the plurality of communications addresses that did not accept the communication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving an alternate identifier selected by the sender'"'"'s communications address to identify the recipient communications address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending the alternate identifier to the sender'"'"'s communications address.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

processing a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address that identifies a destination communications address;

associating the destination communications address to a profile;

retrieving a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the destination communications address;

sending the sender'"'"'s communications address to each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

receiving a recipient communications address of the plurality of communications addresses that accepted the communication; and

sending the recipient communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address;

wherein the each one of the plurality of communications addresses is notified of the communication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise routing the communication to the destination communications address.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise blocking the sender'"'"'s communications address to the destination communications address.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise simultaneously ringing the plurality of communications addresses.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise selectively ringing the plurality of communications addresses.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining a non-recipient address of the of the plurality of communications addresses that did not accept the communication.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an alternate identifier selected by the sender'"'"'s communications address to identify the recipient communications address.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending the alternate identifier to the sender'"'"'s communications address.

17. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing a communication from a sender'"'"'s communications address that identifies a destination communications address;

associating the destination communications address to a profile;

retrieving a plurality of communications addresses from the profile that are associated with the destination communications address;

sending the sender'"'"'s communications address to each one of the plurality of communications addresses;

receiving a recipient communications address of the plurality of communications addresses that accepted the communication; and

sending the recipient communications address to the sender'"'"'s communications address;

wherein the each one of the plurality of communications addresses is notified of the communication.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise routing the communication to the destination communications address.

19. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise blocking the sender'"'"'s communications address to the destination communications address.

20. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise simultaneously ringing the plurality of communications addresses.