User selected caller ID override

#A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its figures contain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

#This application generally relates to field of communications. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for caller identification messaging.

#Telecommunications has experienced explosive growth, and more growth is planned as telecommunication access and numerous communications devices improve. This explosive growth is revolutionizing special services offered to subscribing customers. Of the special service offerings, the most relevant to this invention is the caller identification or Caller ID services. An individual or a user of a telephone that is served by the Caller ID service is provided with directory information of a calling party. Presently available Caller ID systems provide the calling party telephone number and a billing name associated with the calling party telephone number (if available) when an incoming caller line identification (ICLID) signal can be detected, decoded, and transmitted to the called telephone or other display device associated with the called telephone (e.g., a Caller ID device). The Caller ID services also allow a called party to receive directory information for other incoming calls while the called party phone is used (e.g., during a conversation with another party); this service is sometimes referred to as Caller ID Call Waiting service.

#These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments are better understood when the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic of a Universal Caller ID communications system illustrating a communications network connecting one of a plurality of associated calling party communications addresses with at least one called party communications address and communicating a Universal CallerID for each of the plurality of associated calling party communications addresses according to some of the exemplary embodiments;

#FIG. 2 illustrates the Universal Caller ID communications system of FIG. 1 with more detailed calling party communications devices;

#The exemplary embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The reader should recognize, however, that the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the exemplary embodiments. Moreover, all statements herein reciting exemplary embodiments, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).

#Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or processes illustrating systems and methods of the exemplary embodiments. The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing associated software. Similarly, any switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the entity implementing the exemplary embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particular named manufacturer.

#The exemplary embodiments describe methods, systems, and devices that provide universal caller identification information services, also referred to herein as “Universal Caller ID services.” The Universal Caller ID services operate with different communications devices and communications networks to generate, enable, and/or transmit a Universal Caller ID signal that supplants an incoming calling line identification (ICLID) signal associated with a communication address of a subscriber's (also referred to herein as the “calling party”) associated communications device with a Universal Caller ID signal and communicates the Universal Caller ID signal to a destination communications address (also referred to herein as the “called party” or the “receiving party”). The Universal Caller ID signal includes a universal communications address or alternate universal identifier of the calling party (e.g., a single telephone number that is associated with multiple communications addresses of the subscriber to the Universal Caller ID service, a name such as a company name or individual's name that is associated with multiple communications addresses of the subscriber, etc.). The Universal Caller ID signal is associated with multiple communications addresses and/or multiple communications devices used by the subscriber. A Universal Caller ID Module automates configuration and communication of the Universal Caller ID Signal (also referred to as a “shared Caller ID”). The Universal Caller ID Signal may be generated by a calling party communications device having the Universal Caller ID Module and/or by a communications network having the Universal Caller ID Modules (e.g., PSTN). Some advantages of Universal Caller ID service include the convenience of having a common caller identification that is shared or that is capable of being shared with a plurality of communications devices used by the subscriber such that the same caller identification is provided to the destinations address regardless of the communications device (or the location of the communications device) used to initiate the communication. Other advantages of the Universal Caller. ID service include the ability to use a conventional POTS phone with a connected communications network to generate the Universal Caller ID signal, the ability of the communications network to transmit the Universal Caller ID signal to a conventional Caller ID device (so that specialized hardware and equipment is not necessitated), the ability to transmit the Universal Caller ID to numerous communications devices associated with a called party, and the ability to identify whether the called party blocks or does not accept communications of Universal Caller ID Signals and, if so, notifying the calling party of the Universal Caller ID delivery failure.