Video caller identification systems and methods

• US 20020021790A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alan R. Loudermilk, Joseph C. Corbett, William I. Fletcher
• Inventors: Loudermilk, Alan R., Corbett, Joseph C., Fletcher, William I.
• Granted Patent: US 6,427,003 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Circuits and methods for determining the caller identification for an incoming call and for displaying such caller identification information on a video display device such as a television. A caller identification line modem determines the caller identification information, a control processor translates and/or inputs such caller identification information to a video circuit for displaying the caller identification information. Various methods for so displaying caller identification information are provided, including overlaying such information on an input video signal such as for a predetermined interval of time, generating a separate caller identification video signal, which may be placed, for example, on an unused television channel. The caller identification circuits and methods may be integrated or combined with various advanced television, video and/or telephony functions. An advanced remote control unit may be provided so that the user may determine from the video/television screen the identity of the caller, and then forward the call to a voice messaging system, forward the call to another line, answer the call on a video phone or answer the call on a separate telephone. The caller identification circuit may be provided with programmable intelligence so that incoming calls may not only be displayed on the video/television screen, but also may be desirably processed depending on the identity of the particular caller.

Claims

1. A video caller identification system comprising:

a television for displaying a video signal;

one or more telephone lines for receiving one or more incoming telephone calls;

a video source for providing video signals to the television;

a telephone line modem coupled to the telephone line, the line modem receiving caller identification information from incoming telephone calls on the telephone line; and

a video signal generator for generating caller identification video signals, wherein the video signal generator is coupled to receive caller identification derived from the telephone line modem, wherein the video signal generator is coupled to receive video signals from the video source, wherein in response to an incoming telephone call on the one or more telephone lines, caller identification information is displayed on the television.