Caller identification of recipient that answered a simultaneous or routed communication

• US 20070153999A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daigle, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification services identify an actual communications address (or other called party identifier) of an answering communications device in a simultaneous ring service. In some of the exemplary embodiments, a calling party uses a communications device that includes a computer program product—a Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification Module—that requests a Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal that includes a communications address of an answering communications device. The Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal may be associated with multiple communications devices of the answering communications address, such as a POTS phone and a computer coupled with a modem communicating with a telecommunications network from the same switch. The Simultaneous Ring Called Party Identification signal may include text, video, voice, and/or digital data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting and decoding an outgoing communication from a communications address of a calling party'"'"'s communications device to a simultaneous ring service line communications address, the simultaneous ring service line communications address comprising a plurality of different communications addresses associated with a called party;

detecting an answer to the outgoing communication from an answering communications address of the simultaneous ring service line;

creating a simultaneous ring called party identifications signal to identify the answering communications address, the answering communications address comprising a telecommunications address and a data communications address;

communicating the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a communications signal with the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications address, the communications signal enabling a communications connection of the communications address of the answering communications address with the calling party'"'"'s communications address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the simultaneous ring called party identifications signal to identify the answering communications address comprises associating a simultaneous ring called party identification profile with the answering communications address, the simultaneous ring called party identification profile comprising (i) the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, (ii) each communications address of the plurality of different communications addresses, (iii) an identifier of a called party, (iv) a communications address of the called party for a future communication, (v) the communications address of the calling party, (vi) an activation parameter, (vii) a deactivation parameter, (viii) a scheduling parameter, (ix) a parameter for handling communications of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, and (x) a delivery failure parameter for a communication error(s) of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to an alternate communications address, the alternate communications address comprising a communications address of the communication instruction, a communications address selected by a service provider, a non-answering communications address of the simultaneous ring service line, and a forwarding instruction associated with the answering communications address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to a calling party'"'"'s communications device.

6. A communications system, comprising:

a simultaneous ring called party identification application for detecting and decoding an answer to an incoming communication by an answering called party communications address of a simultaneous ring service line, the incoming communication from a communication address of a calling party communications device to the simultaneous service line, the simultaneous ring called party identification application further creating a simultaneous ring called party identifications signal to identify the answering called party communications address,

wherein the simultaneous ring service line comprises a communications address for a plurality of different communications addresses associated with a called party.

7. The communications system of claim 6, further comprising:

a communications link over a communications network, the communications link allowing the calling party communications device and an answering called party communications device of the answering called party communications address to transmit and receive communications signals;

a processor, the processor operating with the simultaneous ring called party identification application for accessing, processing, and managing the simultaneous ring called party identification signal comprising the answering called party communications address, data of a simultaneous ring called party identification profile, and the communications signals communicated among the calling party communications device and the called party communications device, the simultaneous ring called party identification profile comprising (i) the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, (ii) each communications address of a plurality of different communications addresses associated with the simultaneous ring service line, (iii) an identifier of a called party, (iv) a communications address of the called party for a future communication, (v) an activation parameter, (vi) a deactivation parameter, (vii) a scheduling parameter, (viii) a parameter for handling communications of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, and (ix) a delivery failure parameter for a communication error(s) of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal;

a communications interface for communicating the simultaneous ring called party identification signal over the communications network to the calling party communications device.

8. The system of claim 7, the communications network comprising a public switched telephone network, a mobile switching telephone communications network, and a satellite network.

9. The system of claim 7, the communications network simultaneously communicating a communications signal to establish a voice connection between the calling party communications device and the called party communications device and to communicate the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party communications device.

10. The system of claim 7, the calling party communications device comprising:

a caller identification device,

a POTS phone,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a digital recording device,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.

11. The system of claim 7, the called party communications device comprising:

a caller identification device,

a POTS phone,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a digital recording device,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.

12. The system of claim 7, the communications network further comprising a world wide electronic data communications network.

13. The system of claim 6, the simultaneous ring called party identification signal comprising text, voice, video, and electronic data.

14. The system of claim 7, the communications link comprises a voice connection and a data connection.

15. A computer program product, comprising instructions for:

detecting and decoding an outgoing communication from a communications address of a calling party'"'"'s communications device to a simultaneous ring service line communications address, the simultaneous ring service line communications address comprising a plurality of different communications addresses associated with a called party;

detecting an answer to the outgoing communication from an answering communications address of the simultaneous ring service line;

creating a simultaneous ring called party identifications signal to identify the answering communications address, the answering communications address comprising a telecommunications address and a data communications address;

communicating the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications address.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

communicating a communications signal with the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications address, the communications signal enabling a communications connection of the answering communications address with the calling party'"'"'s communications address.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instruction for creating the simultaneous ring called party identifications signal to identify the answering communications address further comprises instructions for associating a simultaneous ring called party identification profile with the answering communications address, the simultaneous ring called party identification profile comprising (i) the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, (ii) each communications address of the plurality of different communications addresses, (iii) an identifier of a called party, (iv) a communications address of the called party for a future communication, (v) the communications address of the calling party, (vi) an activation parameter, (vii) a deactivation parameter, (viii) a scheduling parameter, (ix) a parameter for handling communications of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal, and (x) a delivery failure parameter for a communication error(s) of the simultaneous ring called party identification signal.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

communicating the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to an alternate communications address, the alternate communications address comprising a communications address of the communication instruction, a communications address selected by a service provider, a non-answering communications address of the simultaneous ring service line, and a forwarding instruction associated with the answering communications address.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

presenting the simultaneous ring called party identification signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications device.