User managed number privacy and call accessibility

• US 9,565,556 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sasken Communication Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Sasken Communication Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Thumparthy, Viswanatha Rao
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORMAN, JAMES Q
• Application Number:
  US13/536,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• 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

A system and method for maintaining privacy of a user'"'"'s telephone number is disclosed. The method provides a means by which a user A may prefer to exchange her contact number with another user B. The contact number is encrypted by user A and passed on to the mobile phone of user B. In the phonebook of user B, the contact number of user A is stored in encrypted format. Further, when user B initiates a call to user A, the encrypted number is sent to the network. At the MSC of user B, the number is decrypted and a call is established with user A. When user A calls user B, user A'"'"'s number is encrypted at user B'"'"'s MSC. This is transmitted to user B, where it is compared with the already encrypted number in the phonebook. The matching name of user A is then displayed.

Claims

1. A system for providing number privacy in a communication network, said system comprising at least one mobile switching center and at least two users with mobile phones, wherein said mobiles phones belong to the same service provider or different service providers, further said system comprising:

registering, by a first mobile phone, with a service provider for a number privacy service;

sending, by a first mobile phone, a name and an encrypted number with a privacy feature indication to a second mobile phone through a connectivity means, whereby the actual number of the first mobile phone is not available to the second mobile phone;

initiating a call from said second mobile phone to said first mobile phone using said name and transmitting said encrypted number with said privacy feature indication to said communication network;

initiating a call from said first mobile phone to said second mobile phone, by transmitting a privacy feature indication to said communication network, to enable said communication network to encrypt the number of the first mobile phone, before transmitting to said second mobile phone, whereby the actual number of the first mobile phone is not made available to the second mobile phone; and

wherein when a user of said second mobile phone passes said encrypted number of said first mobile phone to another user, said encrypted number of said first mobile phone is transferred, but not associated with said privacy feature indication, to a mobile phone of said another user, whereby a call initiated by said another user to the first mobile phone using the encrypted number is not established since said encrypted number of said first mobile phone is not associated with said privacy feature indication.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first mobile phone is configured to place a limit on the number of days after which said encrypted number in a phonebook of said second mobile phone is automatically deleted.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first mobile phone is configured to place a limit on the number of calls that the said second mobile phone could make to the said first mobile phone.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first mobile phone is configured to place a limit on the talk time that the said second mobile phone could use with the said first mobile phone.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein said another user is able to initiate a call to said first mobile device if the user of the first mobile phone explicitly exchanges the encrypted number of said first mobile phone along with the privacy feature indication, with said another user.

6. A method for providing number privacy in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one mobile switching center and at least two users with mobile phones, wherein said mobiles phones belong to the same service provider or different service providers, further said method comprising:

registering, by a first mobile phone, with a service provider for a number privacy service;

sending, by a first mobile phone, a name and an encrypted number with a privacy feature indication to a second mobile phone through a connectivity means, whereby the actual number of the first mobile phone is not available to the second mobile phone;

initiating a call from said second mobile phone to said first mobile phone using said name and transmitting said encrypted number with said privacy feature indication to said communication network;

initiating a call from said first mobile phone to said second mobile phone, by transmitting a privacy feature indication to said communication network, to enable said communication network to encrypt the number of the first mobile phone, before transmitting to said second mobile phone, whereby the actual number of the first mobile phone is not made available to the second mobile phone; and

wherein when a user of said second mobile phone passes said encrypted number of said first mobile phone to another user, said encrypted number of said first mobile phone is transferred, but not associated with said privacy feature indication, to a mobile phone of said another user, whereby a call initiated by said another user to the first mobile phone using the encrypted number is not established since said encrypted number of said first mobile phone is not associated with said privacy feature indication.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein said method comprising said first mobile phone placing a limit on the number of days after which said encrypted number in a phonebook of said second mobile phone is automatically deleted.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein said method comprising said first mobile phone placing a limit on the number of calls that the said second mobile phone could make to the said first mobile phone.

9. The method as in claim 6, wherein said method comprising said first mobile phone placing a limit on the talk time that the said second mobile phone could use with the said first mobile phone.

10. The method as in claim 6, wherein said another user is able to initiate a call to said first mobile device if the user of the first mobile phone explicitly exchanges the encrypted number of said first mobile phone along with the privacy feature indication, with said another user.