Caller identification using communication network information

• US 9,680,990 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walkin, Brandon Marshall, Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US15/216,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 455415, 455410, 455411, 455463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• 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 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

In one embodiment, a social networking system determines a user identifier of a caller placing a call to a receiving user based on the call'"'"'s phone number, accesses one or more data stores for information associated with the caller, and present to the receiving user the information associated with the caller.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a client computing device of a receiving user, receiving an incoming communication from an initiating user;

by the client computing device, receiving, in connection with the incoming communication, information associated with the initiating user, the information accessed from a network comprising a database comprising a plurality of profiles, at least one first profile corresponding to the initiating user and at least one second profile corresponding to the receiving user;

by the client computing device, presenting to the receiving user;

a notification of the incoming communication; and

the information associated with the initiating user;

by the client computing device, determining, based on a degree of separation between the initiating user and the receiving user, whether to cache on the client device at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user; and

by the client computing device, in response to a determination that the information is to be cached, caching on the client computing device the information of the initiating user determined to be cached.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is:

an incoming call;

a short message service (SMS) message;

or

an incoming video call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the initiating user is accessed from the database based on a user identifier maintained in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computing device comprises a mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises current-status information of the initiating user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the current-status information comprises one or more of:

a current location of the initiating user;

or

a status message posted by the initiating user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an indication of one or more connections within the network between the initiating and receiving users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to cache on the client device of the receiving user the at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user and causing the at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user to be cached on the client device of the receiving user are carried out concurrently with the incoming communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to cache on the client device of the receiving user the at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user and causing the at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user to be cached on the client device of the receiving user are carried out independent of and at a different time from the incoming communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the network comprises a social network comprising a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges; and

the information associated with the incoming user comprises social-network information associated with that user.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive an incoming communication from an initiating user;

receive, in connection with the incoming communication, information associated with the initiating user, the information accessed from a network comprising a database comprising a plurality of profiles, at least one first profile corresponding to the initiating user and at least one second profile corresponding to the receiving user;

provide for presentation to the receiving user;

a notification of the incoming communication; and

the information associated with the initiating user;

determine, based on a degree of separation between the initiating user and the receiving user, whether to cache on the client device at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user; and

in response to a determination that the information is to be cached, cause to be cached on the client computing device the information of the initiating user determined to be cached.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the incoming communication is:

an incoming call;

a short message service (SMS) message;

or

an incoming video call.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the information comprises current-status information of the initiating user.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the current-status information comprises one or more of:

a current location of the initiating user;

or

a status message posted by the initiating user.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein:

the network comprises a social network comprising a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges; and

the information associated with the incoming user comprises social-network information associated with that user.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, wherein the processors are operable when executing the instructions to;

receive an incoming communication from an initiating user;

receive, in connection with the incoming communication, information associated with the initiating user, the information accessed from a network comprising a database comprising a plurality of profiles, at least one first profile corresponding to the initiating user and at least one second profile corresponding to the receiving user;

provide for presentation to the receiving user;

a notification of the incoming communication; and

the information associated with the initiating user;

determine, based on a degree of separation between the initiating user and the receiving user, whether to cache on the client device at least a portion of the information associated with the initiating user; and

in response to a determination that the information is to be cached, cache on the client computing device the information of the initiating user determined to be cached.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the incoming communication is:

an incoming call;

a short message service (SMS) message;

or

an incoming video call.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the information comprises current-status information of the initiating user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the current-status information comprises one or more of:

a current location of the initiating user;

or

a status message posted by the initiating user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the network comprises a social network comprising a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges; and

the information associated with the incoming user comprises social-network information associated with that user.