Dynamic Caller ID messaging

• US 7,280,646 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forsberg, Kevin, Dickens, James E., White, Isaac D. M., Urban, Blake R., Sawyer, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/418,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20040208301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.07, 379/142.08, 379/142.1, 379/142.13, 379/142.16, 379/142.17, 379/93.23, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 455/414.1, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• 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 3/436 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: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for caller identification messaging are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a calling party uses a Caller ID Messaging Device that supplants the incoming calling line identification (ICLID) signal with a Caller ID Messaging Signal and transmits the Caller ID Messaging Signal to a destination communications address. An alternate embodiment provides that the calling party may use a conventional telephone to access a communications network, activate Caller ID Messaging Services, compose or retrieve a stored Caller ID Message of the Caller ID Messaging Signal, and transmit the Caller ID Messaging Signal to the destination communications address. The Caller ID Message and Caller ID Messaging Signal may include text, video, voice, and/or digital data.

Claims

1. A method for caller identification messaging, comprising:

establishing a communications connection between a calling party communications device and a receiving party communications device, the communications connection comprising a voice connection and a data connection;

communicating a caller identification messaging signal, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a caller identification message and at least one of (i) an identifier of a calling party, (ii) a communications address of the calling party communications device, (iii) an identifier of a receiving party, (iv) a communications address of the receiving party communications device, (v) an identifier of a third party, and (vi) an identifier of a communications address of the third party, the caller identification message comprising data retrieved from the caller identification messaging device, the data comprising a user specified text message, a user specified visual message, a user specified visual doodle, pre-selected user-specified data stored in a database of caller identification messaging profiles of the caller identification messaging device, and real-time data input into the caller identification messaging device, wherein the caller identification messaging signal is communicated via a communications network to at least one of a receiving party communications device, a calling party communications device, and a third party communications device; and

communicating a response caller identification messaging signal, the response caller identification messaging signal comprising a response caller identification message comprising response data retrieved from another caller identification messaging device, the response data comprising a user specified response text message, a user specified response visual message, a user specified response visual doodle, pre-selected user-specified response data stared in a database of caller identification messaging profiles of the other caller identification messaging device, and real-time data input into the other caller identification messaging device, wherein the response caller identification messaging signal is communicated via a communications network to at least one of a receiving party communications device, a calling party communications device, and a third party communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection is established when at least one of (1) an incoming communications signal of the calling party communications device is answered by the receiving party communications device and (2) the caller identification messaging signal of the caller identification messaging device is communicated to at least one of the calling party communications device, the receiving party communications device, and the third party communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, the communications network comprising at least one of a public switched telephone network and a mobile switching telephone communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, the calling party communications device comprising at least one of:

the caller identification messaging device,

a caller identification device,

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.

5. The method of claim 1, the receiving party communications device comprising at least one of:

a caller identification device,

the caller identification messaging device,

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.

6. The method of claim 1, the third party communications device comprising at least one of:

the caller identification messaging device,

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.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications network further comprises a world wide electronic data communications network having a caller identification messaging interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, or an extranet, the caller identification messaging interface accessible via at least one of a caller identification messaging program of the caller identification messaging device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications network further comprises a world wide electronic data communications network having a caller identification messaging interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, or an extranet, the caller identification messaging interface accessible via at least one of a caller identification messaging program interface residing in memory of at least one of the calling party communications device, the receiving party communications device, and the third party communications device and a caller identification messaging program interface residing in memory of the receiving party communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identification message further comprising at least one of text, voice, video, and electronic data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the calling party communications device displays a conventional incoming line identification signal, then substituting the caller identification message for the incoming line identification signal and communicating the caller identification message to the destinations communications address; and

if the calling party communications device comprises a caller identification messaging device to enhance display, then communicating the caller identification messaging signal to the destinations communications address.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the receiving party communications device displays the conventional incoming line identification signal, then substituting the caller identification message for the incoming line identification signal and communicating the caller identification message to the destinations communications address,

if the receiving party communications device comprises a caller identification messaging device to enhance display, then communicating the caller identification messaging signal to the destinations communications address.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing a response caller identification messaging signal, the response caller identification messaging signal comprising a response caller identification message, wherein the response caller identification message comprises at least one of text, voice, video, and electronic data; and

routing the response caller identification messaging signal to an origination communications address, the origination communications address comprising at least one of the calling party communications device, the receiving party communications device, and the third party communications device and the origination communications address associated with originating the caller identification messaging signal; and

processing the caller identification messaging signal to the origination communications address.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identification messaging signal further comprises (vii) a caller identification messaging services associated with at least one of the receiving party and the communications address of the receiving party, (viii) the identifier of the third party, (ix) a caller identification messaging default service parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, the caller identification messaging services providing instructions for at least one of (i) billing for caller identification messaging signals, (ii) a parameter that enables caller identification messaging, (iii) a parameter that disables caller identification messaging, (iv) a parameter to block caller identification messaging, (v) identification and authentication parameter, (vi) a parameter to bypass the disable parameter, (vii) memory services for data stored with caller identification messaging signals, and (viii) configuration and formatting preferences for at least one of the calling party communications device, the receiving party communications device, and the third party communications device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing the third party for the communications link, the communications link comprising at least one of a voice connection between the calling party communications device and the receiving party communications device and a caller identification messaging connection for transmitting the caller identification message.