US 6,748,068 B1Granted

Method and system for providing enhanced caller identification information

AssigneeSBC Properties, L.P.

InventorsPatrick J. Walsh, Theodore J. Myers, Jose M. Cruz, Bruce E. Stuckman, John G. Rauch

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Abstract

A method and apparatus permit handling of unwanted calls from callers such as telemarketers, when caller identification is provided. In one embodiment, the called party adds the caller identification information for the telemarketer to a personal list after receiving the unwanted call. Subsequent calls from the telemarketer are intercepted. In a second embodiment, the called party identifies the telemarketer by detecting the caller identification information before answering the call. By providing a screen listing indication, the caller identification information is added to the called party's personal list before the call is completed, permitting the call to be intercepted and while future calls from the telemarketer to be intercepted.

A method for processing calls in a communications system, the method comprising:

(a) at a service control point (SCP) of the communications system, detecting a Termination Attempt query from a terminating switch processing a received call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station;
(b) in response to the Termination Attempt query, determining at the SCP if standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station;
(c) if standard caller identification information cannot be provided, communicating a Forward Call message to a service node, the Forward Call message including an identifier for the called communication station and a presentation indicator and
(c1) at the service node, in response to the Forward Call message, transmitting a request for spoken caller identification information to the calling communication station,
(c2) at the service node, storing the spoken caller identification information when provided,
(c3) at the service node, playing the spoken caller identification information to the called party, and
(c4) completing the received call only if the called party accepts the call;
and
(d) if standard caller identification information can be provided,
(d1) obtaining the standard caller identification information,
(d2) comparing the standard caller identification information to a stored intercept list for the called communication station, and
(d3) communicating a Termination Attempt response message from the SCP to the terminating switch to complete the received call to the called party only if the standard caller identification information does not match an entry on the intercept list;
(e) if the standard caller identification was provided and the call was completed, detecting signaling from the called communication station indicating the standard caller identification for the calling communication station should be added to the intercept list for the called communication station;
and
(f) if the signaling is detected, adding the standard caller identification for the calling communication station to the intercept list for the called communication station.

12 more elements

Facts

Application

09/535,333Filed 27 Mar 2000

Granted

8 Jun 2004

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04M 3/42059
Calling party identification service: making use of the calling party identifier
H04M 1/663
With means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling: preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
H04M 3/436
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics…
H04M 1/57
Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers: arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called…

Abstract

Claims8