Exempting certain incoming callers from screening by a privacy system
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorJames C. Cesario, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A privacy system determines in connection with a call from a particular calling party whether a name identification thereof is available, and if so allows the call to be put through to the called party with the name identification. The called party thus can review the name identification of the calling party prior to determining whether to answer the call. The privacy system includes a list of privileged calling parties with respect to and as specified by the called party, and if the name identification is not available, the privacy system determines whether the calling party is on such list. If so, the privacy system allows the call to be put through to the called party without the name identification.
Claims20
A privacy system implemented as a service to a called party by a telephone service provider of the called party, the called party wishing to have a name identification of each calling party making a call to such called party prior to determining to answer such call subscribing to a name identification service as provided by the telephone service provider, the name identification service for obtaining the name identification if available and displaying such name identification to the called party, the name identification of particular ones of each calling party not being available, the privacy system including:
- means in connection with a call from a particular calling party for determining whether the name identification of the calling party is available;
- means, if the name identification is available, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party with the name identification, the called party thereby being able to review the name identification of the calling party prior to determining whether to answer the call;
- a predetermined list of privileged calling parties and at least one telephone number with respect to and as specified by the called party;
- means, if the name identification is not available, for determining whether the calling party is on the predetermined list of privileged calling parties for the called party;
- means, if the calling party is on the predetermined list, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party without the name identification but with an on-list reference that is associated with the on-list reference, the called party thereby being able to review the on-list reference and the telephone number of the calling party to determine whether to answer the call;
- and
- means, if the name identification is not available, for prompting the calling party to present a name identification.
A method of processing a call from a calling party to a called party subscribing to a privacy system, the method comprising the privacy system:
- receiving the call from the calling party;
- determining whether the call includes a name identification of the calling party;
- if the call does not include the name identification of the calling party;
- referencing a predetermined list of privileged calling parties and at least one telephone number with respect to and as specified by the called party;
- determining whether the calling party is on the predetermined list;
- if the calling party is on the predetermined list, putting the call through to the called party without the name identification but with an on-list reference, the called party thereby being able to review the on-list reference to determine whether to answer the call;
- and
- if the calling party is not on the predetermined list, giving the calling party an opportunity to present a name identification.
A privacy system implemented as a service to a called party by a telephone service provider of the called party, the called party wishing to have a name identification of each calling party making a call to such called party prior to determining to answer such call subscribing to a name identification service as provided by the telephone service provider, the name identification service for obtaining the name identification if available and displaying such name identification to the called party, the name identification of particular ones of each calling party not being available, the privacy system including:
- means in connection with a call from a particular calling party for determining whether the name identification of the calling party is available;
- means, if the name identification is available, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party with the name identification, the called party thereby being able to review the name identification of the calling party prior to determining whether to answer the call;
- a predetermined list of privileged calling parties with respect to and as specified by the called party;
- means, if the name identification is not available, for determining whether the calling party is on the predetermined list of privileged calling parties for the called party;
- means, if the name identification is not available, for prompting the calling party to present a name identification;
- and
- means, if the calling party is on the predetermined list, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party without the name identification but with an on-list reference of the calling party that is associated with the on-list reference, the called party thereby being able to review the on-list reference of the calling party to determine whether to answer the call, wherein the means for prompting the calling party to give a spoken identification prompts the calling party only if the calling party is also not on the predetermined list.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.