Obtaining information about a called telecommunications party

In a telecommunications network, a method for obtaining information about a telecommunications user, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of a called directory number from a calling party, sending a query to a database, said database for storing data for the called directory number;
• responsive to receipt of said query, reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• responsive to receipt of an indication from said calling party, completing a call to a called telephone station identified by said called directory number;
• wherein said called directory number is for alerting a plurality of telecommunications stations, each having a different telephone number and said data is reported for said plurality of stations.

In a telecommunications network, a method for obtaining information about a telecommunications user, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of a called directory number from a calling party, sending a query to a database, said database for storing data for the called directory number;
• responsive to receipt of said query, reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• responsive to an indication from said calling party, completing a call to a called telephone station identified by said called directory number;
• wherein said called directory number is for alerting a plurality of telecommunications stations, and said data is reported for a first of said plurality of telecommunication stations to answer said call.

In a telecommunications network, a method for obtaining information about a telecommunications user, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of a called wireline directory number from a calling party, sending a query to a database, said database for storing data for the called directory number;
• responsive to receipt of said query, reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• responsive to an indication from said calling party, completing a call to a called party identified by said called directory number;
• wherein the step of sending a query comprises the step of said calling party controlling whether or not to send said query;
• wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of said calling party supplying a request for a class of service specifying types of calls for which said query should be made;
• wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of:
• said calling party supplying a list of a group of telephone numbers for which said query should be made or should not be made.

In a telecommunications network, apparatus comprising:

• a telecommunication switching system comprising:
• apparatus for obtaining information about a telecommunications user comprising:
• means, responsive to receipt of a called directory number from a calling party, for sending a query to a database;
• means, responsive to receipt of a response to said query, for reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• means, responsive to an indication from said calling party, for completing a call to a called party identified by said called directory number;
• said network further comprising:
• data network means for interconnecting said telecommunications switching system with said database means;
• and
• database means for storing said data for said called directory number;
• said database means for responsive to receipt of said query for generating said response comprising said data for said called directory number;
• and
• transmitting said response over said data network means to said telecommunications switching system;
• wherein said data about a called directory number comprises data for a plurality of telephone stations having different telephone numbers alerted when said called directory number is received.

In a telecommunications network, apparatus comprising:

• a telecommunication switching system comprising:
• apparatus for obtaining information about a telecommunications user comprising:
• means, responsive to receipt of a called directory number from a calling party, for sending a query to a database;
• means, responsive to receipt of a response to said query, for reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• means, responsive to an indication from said calling party, for completing a call to a called party identified by said called directory number;
• said network further comprising:
• data network means for interconnecting said telecommunications switching system with said database means;
• and
• database means for storing said data for said called directory number;
• said database means for responsive to receipt of said query for generating said response comprising said data for said called directory number;
• and
• transmitting said response over said data network means to said telecommunications switching system;
• wherein data for a first of said plurality of telephone stations to answer a call is reported.

In a telecommunications network, a method for obtaining information about a telecommunications user, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of a called directory number from a calling party, sending a query to a database of said network, said database for storing data for the called directory number;
• responsive to receipt of said query, reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• responsive to receipt of an indication from said calling party, completing a call to a called telephone station identified by said called directory number;
• wherein the reporting step comprises accessing data for said called directory number in said database;
• transmitting a message comprising said selected portions of said data from said database to a switch serving said calling party;
• and
• reporting said selected portions of said data to said calling party;
• wherein said step of accessing said data for said called directory number in said database can be selectively suppressed for pre-selected callers under the control of a called party.

In a telecommunications network, a method for obtaining information about a telecommunications user, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of a called wireline directory number from a calling party, sending a query to a database, said database for storing data for the called directory number;
• responsive to receipt of said query, reporting selected portions of said data for said called directory number to said calling party;
• and
• responsive to an indication from said calling party, completing a call to a called party identified by said called directory number;
• wherein the step of sending a query comprises the step of said calling party controlling whether or not to send said query;
• wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of said calling party supplying a request for a class of service specifying types of calls for which said query should be made;
• wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of:
• said called party supplying a list of a group of telephone numbers for which said query should be responded to or should not be responded to.