# US 11,445,061 B2 · Automatic caller identification translation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,061 B2 - Document ID: US11445061B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/137,016 - Filed: 2020-12-29 - Published: 2021-06-17 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-25 - Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Inventors: Thomas Wiegand; Thomas Haustein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445061B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/42042: {Notifying the called party of information on the calling party (details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72)} - H04M 1/2757: by data transmission, e.g. downloading - H04M 3/42068: {where the identifier is used to access a profile} - H04M 2201/38: Displays - H04M 2203/555: Statistics, e.g. about subscribers but not being call statistics - H04M 2203/558: Databases - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract The invention provides an interrogator for obtaining information associated with a caller identification, such as a telephone number, transmitted within an incoming telephone call including: a receiving device configured to receive the incoming telephone call and to extract the caller identification from the incoming telephone call; an interrogating device configured to receive the extracted caller identification from the receiving device and to interrogate information associated with the caller identification from an external data base, which is configured to operate independently from the user voice communication device for which the incoming telephone call is intended for; and a forwarding device configured to receive and to forward the interrogated information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interrogator for acquiring information associated with a caller identification transmitted within an incoming telephone call comprising: a receiving device configured to receive the incoming telephone call and to extract the caller identification from the incoming telephone call; an interrogating device configured to receive the extracted caller identification from the receiving device and to interrogate information associated with the caller identification from an external data base, which is configured to operate independently from the user voice communication device for which the incoming telephone call is intended for; and a forwarding device configured to receive and to forward the interrogated information; wherein the interrogator comprises a statistics module configured to gather statistics regarding telephone calls with the same caller identification and to forward the statistics. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the interrogator is configured to interrogate and forward the associated information comprising alpha numeric messages and/or image messages. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device is configured to receive the incoming telephone call over at least one first telecommunication channel, in particular at least one first packet based telecommunication channel, connecting the interrogator and user voice communication device, from which the incoming telephone call comes from. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the interrogating device is configured to interrogate the associated information over at least one second telecommunication channel, in particular over at least one second packet based telecommunication channel, connecting the interrogator and the external data base, and wherein the forwarding device is configured to receive the associated information over the at least one second telecommunication channel, in particular over at least one second packet based telecommunication channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding device is configured to forward the associated information to a remote user voice communication device for which the telephone call is intended for over at least one third communication channel, in particular over at least one third packet based communication channel, connecting the interrogator and the remote user voice communication device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A voice communication network comprising an interrogator according to claim 5 and an external data base, wherein the interrogator and the external data base are connected in such way that the interrogator may interrogate information associated with the caller identification from the external data base when receiving the incoming call. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding device is configured to forward the statistics to the remote voice communication device over the at least one third communication channel, in particular over the at least one third packet based communication channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The interrogator according to the claim 7, wherein the forwarding device is configured to forward the incoming telephone call to the remote user voice communication device over the at least one third communication channel, in particular over the at least one third packet based communication channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The interrogator according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device, the interrogating device and/or the forwarding device is a virtual device such as a software module. ### Claim 10 A user voice communication device comprising: a microphone for recording of voice signals; a loudspeaker for reproduction of voice signals; an input device configured for controlling operations of the user voice communication device by user actions; a display device configured to present information in visual form; and an interrogator for acquiring information associated with a caller identification transmitted within an incoming telephone call, the interrogator comprising: a receiving device configured to receive the incoming telephone call and to extract the caller identification from the incoming telephone call, an interrogating device configured to receive the extracted caller identification from the receiving device and to interrogate information associated with the caller identification from an external data base, which is configured to operate independently from the user voice communication device for which the incoming telephone call is intended for, and a forwarding device configured to receive and to forward the interrogated information, and a statistics module configured to gather statistics regarding telephone calls with the same caller identification and to forward the statistics; wherein the display device is configured to present the interrogated information forwarded by the interrogator when receiving the incoming telephone call. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the interrogator is configured to interrogate and forward the associated information comprising alpha numeric messages and/or image messages. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving device is configured to receive the incoming telephone call over at least one first telecommunication channel, in particular at least one first packet based telecommunication channel, connecting the interrogator and user voice communication device, from which the incoming telephone call comes from. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the interrogating device is configured to interrogate the associated information over at least one second telecommunication channel, in particular over at least one second packet based telecommunication channel, connecting the interrogator and the external data base, and wherein the forwarding device is configured to receive the associated information over the at least one second telecommunication channel, in particular over at least one second packet based telecommunication channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the user voice communication device comprises a contact list, wherein the user voice communication device is configured in such way that the interrogated information is used to update the contact list automatically or on a respective user action at the input device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the user voice communication device is configured in such way that it is selectable by a respective user action at the input device whether the interrogated information, information from the contact list related to the caller identification or a mixture of both is presented at the display device when receiving the incoming telephone call. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein the user voice communication device is configured in such way that, if information from the contact list related to the caller identification is available, the available information from the contact list is presented automatically at the display device when receiving the incoming telephone call in case that the interrogated information is not forwarded. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The user voice communication device according to claim 10, wherein statistics regarding previous telephone calls with the same caller identification forwarded by the statistics module of the interrogator are presented at the display device automatically when receiving the incoming telephone call and/or upon a respective user action at the input device. ### Claim 18 A user voice communication device comprising: a microphone for recording of voice signals; a loudspeaker for reproduction of voice signals; an input device configured for controlling operations of the user voice communication device by user actions; a display device configured to present information in visual form; and a receiving unit configured to receive the interrogated information from an interrogator for acquiring information associated with a caller identification transmitted within an incoming telephone call, and to forward the interrogated information; wherein the interrogator comprises: a receiving device configured to receive the incoming telephone call and to extract the caller identification from the incoming telephone call, an interrogating device configured to receive the extracted caller identification from the receiving device and to interrogate information associated with the caller identification from an external data base, which is configured to operate independently from the user voice communication device for which the incoming telephone call is intended for, and a forwarding device configured to receive and to forward the interrogated information; wherein the forwarding device is configured to forward the associated information to a remote user voice communication device for which the telephone call is intended for over at least one third communication channel, in particular over at least one third packet based communication channel, connecting the interrogator and the remote user voice communication device; wherein the display device is configured to present the interrogated information forwarded by the receiving unit when receiving the incoming telephone call; wherein the user voice communication device comprises a contact list, wherein the user voice communication device is configured in such way that the interrogated information is used to update the contact list automatically or on a respective user action at the input device.