Anonymous interactive telephone system

• US 5,809,114 A
• Filed: 08/15/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imaginex Fund I, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Telephone Connection
• Inventors: Kimball, John, Solomon, Merrill, Goldstein, Dana L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/911,849
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 379/89, 379/88, 379/67, 379/213, 379/214, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/142, 379/246, 379/245, 379/233
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 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
• 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: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13286 Direct in-dialling in PBX, DDI
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13372 Intercepting operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

An anonymous interactive telephone system for connecting a caller to a subscriber without divulging the identity or telephone number of either unless voluntarily revealed. The subscriber publishes an advertisement together with a telephone number of a system controller station. A subscriber reference number is embedded within the telephone number of the system controller station as a DID number. The subscriber also supplies information to the system controller station related to time periods during which calls may be directly forwarded to the subscriber or intercepted by the system controller. The system controller repeatedly accesses the central switching station or local switching station of the public telephone company to activate and de-activate the call forwarding function of the switching station for controlling call forwarding to the subscriber on the basis of the subscriber'"'"'s published DID number. A call screening system having answer machine style interfacing is further provided.

Claims

1. A voice mail method for processing calls to subscribers from callers and storing messages of callers, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a list of telephone numbers of callers for each subscriber which are to be precluded from access to voice mail for a subscriber;

recognizing the telephone number of a caller at a telephone company switch when a caller dials the telephone number of a particular subscriber;

comparing the telephone number of a caller who calls the telephone company switch with entries in the list for the particular subscriber;

denying access to voice mail for the caller if the caller'"'"'s telephone number is on the list for the particular subscriber; and

allowing access to voice mail for the caller to record a message if the caller'"'"'s telephone number is not on the list for the particular subscriber.