Audio delivery of caller identification information

• US 20040037403A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for announcing audio caller identification information to a PC or other IP communications device connected with a telecommunications network. A calling party dials a called telephone number and an incoming communications signal is detected, decoded, and used to generate a data message that associates a selection of announcement fields and/or files with the incoming communications signal in the telecommunications network. The telecommunications network transmits the data message and the incoming communications signal to the called telephone number. The PC or IP communications device associated with the called telephone number receives the data message. The data message is deciphered, associated with locally stored announcement fields and/or files, and otherwise transformed to play the audio caller identification announcement.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an incoming communications signal from an originating telephone number to a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number;

selecting an audio caller identification announcement profile for the incoming call; and

sending a data message to the communications device, the data message including information retrieved and associated with the selected audio caller identification announcement profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the incoming communications signal to a telephone associated with the called telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying for a dynamic IP address of the communications device associated with the called telephone number, the dynamic IP address comprising a currently connected IP address for accessing the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the audio caller identification announcement profile is based upon at least one of the following:

(a) an originating telephone number;

(b) a name associated with the originating telephone number;

(c) a time identifier that the incoming communication is first detected;

(d) a date identifier that provides the date that the incoming communication is received; and

(e) a geographic identifier of the originating telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the audio caller identification announcement profile includes accessing a database of audio caller identification announcement profile data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the data message includes sending the data message over a telecommunications network.

7. A system, comprising:

a database of audio caller identification announcement profiles for an incoming communications signal to a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number; and

a telecommunications switch, the telecommunications switch establishing a connection to the called telephone number, the telecommunications switch communicating the incoming communications signal and a data message to the called telephone number via the connection, the data message including a selected audio caller identification announcement profile associated with the incoming communication signal.

8. The system of claim 7, the communications device comprising at least one of the following:

a wireless phone;

a cellular phone;

a satellite phone;

a computer;

a modem;

an audio pager;

a personal digital assistant;

a digital signal processor;

a global positioning system transceiver; and

an interactive television.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a data message from a data network, the data message including information associated with a selected audio caller identification announcement for an incoming call to a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number;

retrieving the selected audio caller identification announcement from memory; and

presenting the selected audio caller identification announcement to the communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of audio caller identification announcements from the data network and storing the selection of audio caller identification announcements in memory.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

allowing a customer to associate the selection of audio caller identification announcements based upon at least one of the following;

(a) an originating telephone number;

(b) a name associated with the originating telephone number;

(c) a time identifier that the incoming communication is first detected;

(d) a date identifier that provides the date that the incoming communication is received; and

(e) a geographic identifier of the originating telephone number.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of presenting the selected audio caller identification announcement includes broadcasting the selected audio caller identification announcement over the communications device.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a data message from a data network, the data message including telephone network information associated with an incoming call to a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number;

retrieving an audio caller identification announcement from memory, the audio caller identification announcement associated with the telephone network information; and

presenting the audio caller identification announcement to the communications device to distinguish the incoming call.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a network port for receiving a data message from a data network;

a memory device for storing a selection of audio caller identification announcements to accompany an incoming call to a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number; and

a digital signal processor communicating with the memory device, the digital signal processor selecting an audio caller identification announcement stored in the memory device based upon information contained within the data message.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information contained within the data message is associated with the audio caller identification announcement, the audio caller identification announcement selected by a telecommunications system to accompany the incoming call.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information contained within the data message is associated with telephone network information provided by a telecommunications system.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a system for generating the selected audio caller identification announcement to distinguish the incoming call.

18. A system, comprising:

a first telecommunications switch connected to a first communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number in a telecommunications network;

a second telecommunications switch connected to a second communications device having an originating telephone number; and

the telecommunications network connecting the first switch to the second switch, the telecommunications network operable to access caller identification information associated with an incoming call from the second communications device and operable to process the caller identification information to communicate the incoming call and a data message to the called telephone number, the data message including a selected audio caller identification announcement.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an audio caller identification announcement application, the application integral with the first communications device and operable to process the data message to present the selected audio caller identification announcement.

20. The system of claim 18, the telecommunications network comprising a public switched telephone network.

21. The system of claim 18, the telecommunications network comprising a mobile switching network.

22. The system of claim 18, the communications device comprising at least one of the following:

a wireless phone;

a cellular phone;

a satellite phone;

a computer;

a modem;

an audio pager;

a personal digital assistant;

a digital signal processor;

a global positioning system transceiver; and

an interactive television.

23. A method for providing an audio caller identification announcement, comprising the steps of:

detecting an incoming communications signal from a switch in a telecommunications network, the incoming communications signal associated with a communications device having an Internet Protocol address associated with a called telephone number;

processing the incoming communications signal to designate an originating telephone number;

comparing the originating telephone number with data in a stored telephone number database in the telecommunications network, the telecommunications network operable to access and to manage caller identification information associated with the stored telephone number database; and

routing a data message to the Internet Protocol address of the communications device, the data message including the caller identification information for an audio caller identification announcement.

24. The method of claim 23, further including:

if the originating telephone number fails to match the data in the stored telephone number database, routing a default data message to the Internet Protocol address of the communications device, the default data message including the a default audio caller identification announcement.