Telephone call information delivery system

• US 20020168063A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tellagemini Communication LLC
• Original Assignee: Christopher Guy Williams
• Inventors: Williams, Christopher Guy
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/374.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

The present invention provides a caller name delivery service telecommunications system having caller screening and other options. The system includes intercepting a call from a calling subscriber to a desired called subscriber, as a first option, prompting the caller to either speak his or her name, or speak or punch a pin number as a second option, reviewing caller screen and caller pass-through lists to determine whether the intercepted call is on either list, playing a called subscriber announcement requesting voice identification of the calling subscriber, recording the voice identification on a recording medium, transmitting to the called subscriber the recorded voice message, recording the telephone number of the calling subscriber and playing the voice identification in a voice format by means of text to speech or recorded digits to speech technology, and requesting the called party to accept the call by a plurality of different options. The present invention also includes a method for telecommunications involving caller name delivery services.

Claims

1. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

answering circuitry configured to answer a telephone call incoming from a telephone service provider and to attain information input by a caller; and

an information signal provider configured to provide at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to a user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to operate in response to the telephone call.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to attain at least one of:

recognized touchtone information, recognized voice information or voice information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information signal provider is further configured to provide at least one of:

a prescribed ring signal, a prescribed audio signal or a composed audio signal.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a post-delivery recorder configured to record a message from a caller or an information recorder configured to record at least some of the attained information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the post-delivery recorder comprises message boxes.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a sound selector configured to enable the user to select a sound to represent himself.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a backfeed configured to provide a signal to deliver a sound to the caller.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a party selector configured to govern at least one signal provided by the information signal provider or to govern the providing of a signal by the information signal provider.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a stopper configured to halt the delivery of information.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an information deliverer configured to deliver information to a user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the information deliverer comprises a loudspeaker.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a two-way communication device configured to provide two-way communication, an alert signal provider to provide at least one signal to alert a user or an enabler configured to enable the user to at least one of;

engage or disengage the system.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the system, the answering circuitry or the information signal provider is configured to deliver at least some of the information a plurality of times.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the information signal provider is further configured to employ synthesized voice.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to attain voice information.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the information signal provider is further configured to provide at least one of:

a composed audio signal or a live audio signal.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a post-delivery recorder configured to record a message from a caller or an information recorder configured to record at least some of the attained information.

16. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

answering circuitry operative responsive to a telephone call incoming from a service provider and configured to answer the telephone call and to attain information input by a caller;

an alert signal provider configured to provide a signal to alert a user;

an activator configured to receive instruction from the user; and

an information signal provider operative responsive to the activator and configured to provide at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user.

20. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

an initiator configured to receive instruction from a user;

answering circuitry operative responsive to the initiator and configured to answer the telephone call and to attain information input by a caller; and

an information signal provider configured to provide at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to attain voice information.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the information signal provider is further configured to provide at least one of:

a composed audio signal or a live audio signal.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a post-delivery recorder configured to record a message from a caller or an information recorder configured to record at least some of the attained information.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to attain voice information.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a post-delivery recorder configured to record a message from a caller or an information recorder configured to record at least some of the attained information.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the answering circuitry is further configured to attain voice information.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

an information recorder configured to record at least some of the attained information or an information deliverer configured to deliver information to a user.

24. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

answering circuitry operative responsive to a telephone call incoming from a service provider and configured to answer the telephone call and to attain information input by a caller;

a delay to delay the answering circuitry; and

an information signal provider configured to provide a composed audio signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to a user.

27. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

answering circuitry operative responsive to a telephone call incoming from a service provider and configured to answer the telephone call and to attain information input by a caller;

a delay to delay the answering circuitry;

an information signal provider configured to provide a live audio signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to a user; and

wherein the system further comprises at least one of;

a repeater configured to prompt the answering circuitry to attain information a plurality of times, a post-delivery recorder configured to record a message from a caller or a stopper configured to halt the delivery of information.

30. A telephone call information delivery system, comprising:

a plurality of information delivery systems, each system configured to attain information input by a caller and to deliver at least some of the information to a user; and

an enabler configured to enable a user to at least one of;

engage or disengage at least one of the information delivery systems.

31. In a telephone call placed by a caller to a user, a method to deliver information from the caller to the user prior to the user accepting the call, the method comprising:

one of;

answering the telephone call incoming from a service provider, or intercepting the telephone call en route through a service provider;

attaining information input by the caller; and

providing at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein attaining information input by the caller comprises attaining at least one of:

recognized touchtone information, recognized voice information or voice information.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein providing at least one signal comprises providing at least one of:

a prescribed ring signal, a prescribed audio signal or a composed audio signal.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

at least one of;

recording a post-delivery message from a caller, recording at least some of the attained information or, halting delivery of information to the user.

35. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

at least one of;

engaging or disengaging the answering of the telephone call incoming from a service provider or, at least one of;

engaging and disengaging the intercepting of the telephone call en route through a service provider.

36. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

at least one of;

providing at least one signal to alert the user or delivering at least some of the attained information to the user.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein attaining information input by the caller comprises attaining voice information.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein providing at least one signal comprises providing at least one of:

a composed audio signal or a live audio signal.

40. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

at least one of;

recording a post-delivery message from a caller, recording at least some of the attained information or at least one of;

engaging or disengaging the answering of the telephone call incoming from a service provider or, at least one of;

engaging and disengaging the intercepting of the telephone call en route through a service provider.

37. In a telephone call placed by a caller to a user, a method to deliver information from the caller to the user prior to the user accepting the call, the method comprising:

receiving instruction from the user;

one of;

answering the telephone call incoming from a service provider in response to the instruction received or, intercepting the telephone call en route through a service provider in response to the received instruction;

attaining information input by the caller; and

providing at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user.

41. In a telephone call placed by a caller to a user, a method to deliver information from the caller to the user prior to the user accepting the call, the method comprising:

one of;

delaying the answering of the telephone call incoming from a service provider, or delaying the intercepting of the telephone call en route through a service provider;

one of;

answering the telephone call, or intercepting the telephone call;

attaining information input by the caller; and

providing a composed audio signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein attaining information input by the caller comprises attaining voice information.

43. The method of claim 41 further comprising:

at least one of;

recording a post-delivery message from a caller, recording at least some of the attained information, delivering at least some of the attained information to the user or, at least one of;

engaging or disengaging the answering of the telephone call incoming from a service provider or, engaging and disengaging the intercepting of the telephone call en route through a service provider.

44. In a telephone call placed by a caller to a user, a method to deliver information from the caller to the user prior to the user accepting the call, the method comprising:

one of;

delaying the answering of a telephone call incoming from a service provider or, delaying the intercepting of a telephone call en route through a telephone service provider;

one of;

answering the telephone call, or intercepting the telephone call;

attaining information input by the caller;

providing at least one signal to deliver at least some of the attained information to the user; and

at least one of;

repeating the attaining of information and the providing of a signal, recording a post-delivery message from the caller or, halting the delivery of information.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein providing at least one signal comprises providing a live audio signal.

46. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

at least one of;

recording at least some of the attained information, delivering at least some of the attained information to the user or at least one of;

engaging or disengaging the answering of the telephone call incoming from a service provider or, engaging and disengaging the intercepting of the telephone call en route through a service provider.