Enhanced caller identification

• US 6,826,271 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sands, Phillip Michael, Kanabar, Paresh Chhabildas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/568,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.21, 379/93.23, 379/142.01, 379/207.15, 379/212.01, 379/221.08, 379/230, 379/142.06, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/213.01, 379/214.01
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Apparatus and a method for providing accurate caller identification to a called party. If a call is transferred to a called party, the called party receives the identification of the caller, not of the intermediate station. Advantageously, the caller is identified to the called party, even if the call is transferred.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network, a method for providing caller identification on a call comprising the steps of:

generating caller identification information for identifying an originating caller station in an originating switching system;

transmitting a call comprising said caller identification information to an initially selected terminating first switching system for serving a destination number provided by a caller of said call;

in said initially selected terminating switching system, transferring said call to a second switching system, different from said first system, serving a transferred-to number for calls transferred from said destination number provided by said caller of said call, without completing said call to said different transferred-to number provided by said caller of said call;

providing said caller identification information for identifying said originating caller station to said second switching system; and

transmitting data, based on the provided caller identification information, to the transferred-to station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing, comprises the step of transmitting said caller identification information by means of a Common Channel Signaling Message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said caller identification information comprises a caller'"'"'s telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said caller identification information comprises a name associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing said caller identification information in a switching system serving a telephone station having call transfer features when a call to that station is received.

6. Apparatus for providing caller identification information, comprising:

means for generating caller identification information for identifying an originating caller station in an originating switching system;

means for transmitting a call to an original destination number, comprising said caller identification information, to an initially selected first terminating switching system, said original destination number being for a telephone station which has requested call transfer service to a transferred-to telephone number served by a second switching system different from said first system;

means for receiving the originating caller station identification information of said call in said first switching system serving a transferring telephone station;

means for transmitting said call to said second switching system serving said transferred-to telephone station without completing said call to the transferring telephone station; and

means for transmitting data representing said caller identification information to said second switching system for transmission to said transferred-to telephone station.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for transmitting data are connected to a Common Channel Signaling Network.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means, responsive to receipt of said call, for storing said caller identification information in said switching system serving said transferring telephone station.