Techniques for providing caller name announcement
AssigneesGenuity Inc., Verizon Corporate Services Group Inc.
InventorSteven Richard Winnett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a system and technique for obtaining calling party information where existing “caller-id” techniques do not provide calling party information. Described is a service for a subscriber of a communication medium service for handling incoming calls when the subscriber is connected to the Internet. The techniques give a calling party a chance to provide information to the called party in the form of a voice recording in described circumstances, such as where caller identification information is unavailable if there is an unlisted phone number of a calling party.
Claims40
A method of providing calling party information to a called party comprising:
- connecting the called party to a computer network through a first communication connection using a first communication port;
- establishing a routing of subsequent incoming communications from the called party's first communication port to a server;
- sending a communication from a calling party to the called party at the first communication port, said communication being routed to said server;
- relaying a message to the calling party requesting calling party information;
- and
- relaying said calling party information associated with said communication to said called party prior to routing said communication from said calling party to said called party.
A system that provides calling party information to a called party comprising:
- a computer network to which a called party connects through a first communication connection using a first communication port;
- a server system;
- a communication router that establishes a routing of incoming communications from the called party's first communication port to said server system when said called party is connected to said computer network;
- communication lines through which communications are sent between the calling party and the called party;
- first relaying means for relaying a message to the calling party requesting calling party information;
- and
- second relaying means for relaying said calling party information associated with said communication to said called party prior to routing said communication from said calling party to said called party.
An apparatus for providing calling party information to a called party comprising:
- means for connecting the called party to a computer network through a first communication connection using a first communication port;
- means for establishing a routing of subsequent incoming communications from the called party's first communication port to a server;
- means for sending a communication from a calling party to the called party at the first communication port, said communication being routed to said server;
- means for relaying a message to the calling party requesting calling party information;
- and
- means for relaying said calling party information associated with said communication to said called party prior to routing said communication from said calling party to said called party.
A program product for providing calling party information to a called party in a communications system when the called party is coupled to the Internet, said communication system having a server, said program product comprising:
- computer readable data storage for storing program product instructions;
- machine readable routing instructions establishing a routing of incoming communications from the called party to said server;
- machine readable sending instructions for sending a communication from the calling party to the called party, and to said server;
- machine readable requesting instructions for relaying a message to the calling party requesting calling party information;
- and
- machine readable relaying instructions for relaying said calling party information to said called party prior to routing said communication from said calling party to said called party.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.