Attaching multiple phone lines to a single mobile or landline phone

• US 9,736,296 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callyo 2009 Corp. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: World Emergency Network-Nevada Limited
• Inventors: Bennett, Christopher Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zenati, Amal
• Application Number:
  US13/539,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 379 70, 37926504
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/66 user interface aspects for indicating selection options for a communication line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services

Abstract

Agencies issue multiple devices to personnel for maintaining distinct identities over the course of assigned investigations. To provide flexible capabilities to agencies, a phone is converted for use with multiple attached telephone numbers. Accordingly, a single phone may be used to manage multiple identities over the course of one or more investigations. Using a multiple attached number, a given device can place and receive calls over the network to and from contacts. In addition to providing multiple attached numbers, calls using the multiple attached numbers may be monitored live and recorded to establish evidence.

Claims

1. A computer based method comprising:

receiving first number information in response to a request from a first telephonic device to connect to a virtual number, the virtual number associated with an operator device and the first number information including a transmitting number corresponding to the first telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the first telephonic device as a first contact device based on a lack of a match between the transmitting number of the first telephonic device and an authorized transmitting number stored in association with the virtual number in a mapping table;

in response to identifying the first telephonic device as the first contact device, transmitting instructions for connecting the first contact device with the operator device associated with the virtual number;

receiving second number information in response to a request from a second telephonic device to connect to the virtual number, the second number information including a transmitting number corresponding to the second telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the second telephonic device as the operator device based on a match between the transmitting number of the second telephone device and the authorized transmitting number stored in association with the virtual number in the mapping table; and

in response to identifying the second telephonic device as the operator device, receiving a transmitting number corresponding to a second contact device and transmitting instructions for connecting the operator device with the second contact device through the virtual number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the first contact device with the operator device establishes audio communications between the first contact device and the operator device, the method further comprising transmitting instructions for recording audio transmitted between the first contact device and the operator device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting instructions for storing the recorded audio in association with the virtual number in a database.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting a notification to a monitoring device that audio associated with the virtual number is being recorded.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the second telephonic device as the operator device based on a comparison of key-in information received from the second telephonic device with key-in information stored in associated with the virtual number in the mapping table.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting instructions for connecting the first telephonic device to the virtual number as the operator device in response to the authentication of the received key-in information corresponding to the request from the telephonic device to connect to the virtual number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a module to the operator device for interfacing with features of the operator device and performing at least one of:

a step for obtaining information corresponding to the second contact device and the virtual number associated with the operator device; and

a step for providing the transmitting number corresponding to the second contact device for connecting the operator device with the second contact device through the virtual number.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

provisioning the virtual number based on number information received for the virtual number;

receiving mapping information for the virtual number, the mapping information including the authorized transmitting number, where the authorized transmitting number is a transmitting number of the operator device; and

storing the virtual number in the mapping table and storing the transmitting number of the operator device as the authorized transmitting number in association with the virtual number in the mapping table.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the first contact device with the operator device associated with the virtual number comprises providing the operator device with at least one of number information specified for the virtual number and the transmitting number of the first contact device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the operator device with the second contact device through the virtual number comprises requesting a connection with the second contact device through the virtual number, the connection request comprising number information specified for the virtual number such that the connection request appears to originate from a third telephonic device different from the operator device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second telephonic device is a mobile phone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second telephonic device is a land-line phone.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third number information in response to a connection request from a third telephonic device to a second virtual number associated with the first virtual number in the mapping table, the third number information including a transmitting number corresponding to the third telephonic device and the second virtual number;

identifying the third telephonic device as a monitoring device permitted to monitor communications associated with the operator device based on a match of the transmitting number corresponding to the third telephonic device with an authorized monitoring number stored in association with the second virtual number in the mapping table and the association of the first virtual number with the second virtual number in the mapping table; and

transmitting instructions for permitting the monitoring device to receive audio communications between the operator device and one of the first or second contact devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instructions permitting the monitoring device to receive the audio communications between the operator device and the one of the first or second contact devices include instructions for connecting the monitoring device with the second virtual number and passing audio associated with a connection established through the first virtual number to the second virtual number.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contact device and the second contact device are a same telephonic device, the transmitting number of the first telephonic device matching the transmitting number received for the second contact device.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the operator device with the second contact device establishes audio communications between the second contact device and the operator device, the method further comprising transmitting instructions for recording audio transmitted between the second contact device and the operator device.

15. A system for attaching multiple numbers to an operator device, the system comprising:

a server comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code, the computer program code when executed by a processor performing steps comprising;

receiving first number information in response to a request from a first telephonic device to communicate with a virtual number, the virtual number associated with an operator device and the first number information including a transmitting number corresponding to the first telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the first telephonic device as a first contact device based on a lack of a match between the transmitting number of the first telephonic device and an authorized transmitting number stored in association with the virtual number in a mapping table;

in response to identifying the first telephonic device as the first contact device, transmitting instructions for connecting the first contact device with the operator device associated with the virtual number or transmitting data received from the first contact device to the operator device from the virtual number;

receiving second number information in response to a request from a second telephonic device to communicate with the virtual number, the second number information including a transmitting number corresponding to the second telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the second telephonic device as the operator device based on a match between the transmitting number of the second telephone device and the authorized transmitting number stored in association with the virtual number in the mapping table; and

in response to identifying the second telephonic device as the operator device, receiving a transmitting number corresponding to a second contact device and transmitting instructions for at least one of connecting the operator device with the second contact device through the virtual number or transmitting data received from the operator device to the second contact device from the virtual number.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server further comprises program code for:

provisioning the virtual number based on number information received for the virtual number;

receiving mapping information for the virtual number, the mapping information including the authorized transmitting number, where the authorized transmitting number is a transmitting number of the operator device; and

storing the virtual number in the mapping table and storing the transmitting number of the operator device as the authorized transmitting number in association with the virtual number in the mapping table.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mapping information received for the virtual number includes a key-in for authenticating operator devices requesting to connect to the virtual number, the server further comprising program code for authenticating the second telephonic device as the operator device responsive to key-in information received from the second telephonic device.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second server comprising one or more processors and a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code, the computer program code when executed performing steps comprising;

identifying a connection request from a given telephonic device to the virtual number;

receiving instructions for dialing out to a target telephonic device;

establishing a connection through the virtual number between the given telephonic device and the target telephonic device; and

recording audio communications between the given telephonic device and the target telephonic device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein connecting the first contact device with the operator device associated with the virtual number comprises providing the operator device with at least one of number information specified for the virtual number and the transmitting number of the first contact device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein connecting the operator device with the second contact device through the virtual number comprises requesting a connection with the second contact device through the virtual number, the connection request comprising number information specified for the virtual number such that the connection request appears to originate from a third telephonic device different from the operator device.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the data received at the virtual number from the first contact device or the data transmitted to the second contact device from the virtual number is a message on a short message service (SMS), multimedia message service (MMS) or proprietary service.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising transmitting instructions for recording audio transmitted between the first contact device and the operator device.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising transmitting instructions for storing the recorded audio in association with the virtual number in a database.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the first contact device and the second contact device are a same telephonic device, the transmitting number of the first telephonic device matching the transmitting number received for the second contact device.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein connecting the operator device with the second contact device establishes audio communications between the second contact device and the operator device, the system further comprising transmitting instructions for recording audio transmitted between the second contact device and the operator device.