Patent Publication Number: US-2007105537-A1

Title: Network support for remote caller ID information

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The invention relates generally to telecommunications networks, and more particularly to a telecommunications network that has a caller ID (caller identification) feature.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Wireless and wired communication systems are constantly evolving. System designers are continually developing greater numbers of features for both service providers as well as for the end users. In the area of wireless phone systems, cellular based phone systems have advanced tremendously in recent years. Wireless phone systems are available based on a variety of modulation techniques and are capable of using a number of allocated frequency bands. Available modulation schemes include analog FM and digital modulation schemes using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Each scheme has inherent advantages and disadvantages relating to system architecture, frequency reuse, and communications quality. However, the features the manufacturer offers to the service provider and which the service provider offers to the consumer are similar between the different wireless systems.  
      Regardless of the modulation scheme in use, the wireless phone available to the end user has a number of important features. Nearly all wireless phones incorporate at least a keyboard for entering numbers and text, and a display that allows the user to display text, dialed numbers, pictures and incoming caller numbers. Additionally, wireless phones may incorporate electronic phonebooks, speed dialing, single button voicemail access, and messaging capabilities, such as e-mail.  
      The features described above present only a sample of features that are capable of, or have already been, implemented into wireless phone systems. Any individual feature is capable of implementation into some or all of the wireless systems using the modulation schemes mentioned above. A particularly useful feature provides caller ID in wireless telecommunication systems, as well as, wired telecommunication systems. Caller ID is a network service feature that permits the recipient of an incoming call to determine, even before answering, the number from which the incoming call is being placed.  
      Most subscribers now have some form of voice mail system, either a personal answering system or they subscribe to a voice service offered by the service provider. This allows them to find out if anyone called while they were out and if the calling party left them a message. The subscribers may also have caller ID service. A phone at home keeps a history of caller ID information thus allowing the subscribers to find the phone number of a calling party when, for example, it is difficult to decipher the phone number stated in a message or when the caller did not leave a phone number or a message. However, if the subscribers are traveling or picking up messages remotely they are unable to determine the caller ID of a calling party till they get back home.  
      Thus, there is a need in the art to provide an improved caller ID system wherein the subscriber has access to caller ID information from any location.  
     SUMMARY  
      One implementation encompasses an apparatus. This apparatus may comprise: a home terminal and a remote terminal operatively coupled to a call control system in a telecommunication system; a storage operatively coupled to the call control system; caller ID information for a plurality of calls to the home terminal, the caller ID information stored in the storage; and the remote terminal having access to the caller ID information stored in the storage.  
      One implementation encompasses a method. This embodiment of the method may comprise: storing caller ID information in a telecommunication system corresponding to a plurality of calls received at a home terminal; and accessing the stored caller ID information from a remote terminal. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Features of exemplary implementations will become apparent from the description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a representation of one implementation of an apparatus in a telecommunication network that has a caller ID feature;  
       FIG. 2  is a representation of one implementation of an apparatus in a wireless telecommunication network that has a caller ID feature;  
       FIG. 3  is a representation of another implementation of an apparatus in a wired telecommunication network that has a caller ID feature;  
       FIG. 4  is a representation of a further implementation of an apparatus in an Internet telecommunication network that has a caller ID feature; and  
       FIG. 5  is a representation of one exemplary flow diagram for providing a caller ID feature functionality in a telecommunication network. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Caller ID is an analog service offered by a central office (CO), which supplies calling party information to subscribers. Typically, the calling party number, and sometimes the name, appears on a telecommunication terminal, such as a PC telephony software application screen or the display on a telephone. Type 1 caller ID provides the calling party information while the call is ringing, and Type 2 caller ID provides the additional convenience of calling number display while the recipient is on another call.  
      Type 1 Caller ID only works when the phones are not in use (ON-HOOK). The telephone company delivers a signal (tone) between the first and second ring of an incoming call. This signal contains the Caller ID information packet.  
      This packet comes in two forms, the older Single Data Message Format (SDMF) and the Multiple Data Message Format (MDMF). The Single provides only the time, date, and the phone number of the call. Whereas, the Multiple Data Message Format also includes the name of the caller. Both of these messages are displayed on the CID box or modem, if they are so equipped. When using a modem, the associated PC must be powered on and software enabled unless the modem is stand-alone and has storage.  
      Type 2 Caller ID works the same as Standard Caller ID, but it also works when the phone line is being used (OFF-HOOK). In this case, the telephone company produces two signals. The first is the audible Call Waiting Tone to alert the person on the phone that someone is calling. This is the same tone that is used with the basic Call Waiting Service. The second is the Caller ID Query otherwise known as the CPE Alerting Signal (CAS). This is a machine tone that only the Caller ID box recognizes.  
      In one known system the caller ID is transmitted as a data parameter in the SS7 Initial Address Message from the originating end switch to the destination end switch in the process of setting up the call. Some caller ID services can also provide directory name listing information, derived separately from the LIDB data base. Caller ID information is typically transferred as a type-202-modem-compatible data signal between the first two ringing cadence cycles of the alerting tone.  
       FIG. 1  depicts a telecommunication system  100 . In the system  100  a remote caller terminal  104  and a home terminal  112  are operatively coupled to a call control system  101 . The call control system  101  may also have a remote caller ID server  106  that interfaces the call control system  101  to databases  108  and  110 . Database  110  is a subscriber database that contains information regarding subscribers and features of the telecommunication system to which they subscribe, in particular a remote caller ID feature. Database  108  is a caller ID history database that contains caller ID information for calls that arrive at the home terminal  112 . The remote caller ID server  106  stores or retrieves information in these databases  108 ,  110  in response to instructions from the call control system  101 . In particular, the remote caller ID server  106  allows access to the caller ID information in the database  108  by the validated remote terminal  104 .  
       FIG. 2  depicts a wireless communication system  200 . In the system  200  a remote mobile terminal  202  may be operatively coupled to a mobile switching center (MSC)  201 . The MSC  201  has a relatively complex task, as unlike a conventional telephone exchange, when subscribers make calls they could be anywhere within the network. The MSC  201  must ensure that calls are routed through to those subscribers, wherever they are and wherever they move to throughout the duration of each cell.  
      In order to simplify the subscriber management function, a specific service area is allocated to each MSC  201 . The MSC  201  has to control the switching of tariff to and from the subscribers within it&#39;s service area which involves the coordination of all radio resources and the inter cell hand-off activities.  
      A Home Location Register (HLR)  208  may be the central database for all the subscribers which contains details on the identity of each subscriber, the services to which they have access and the locations where the subscriber was last registered. All subscriber administration procedures are communicated to the HLR  208  where the data is stored until it is required by another part of the network.  
      The Visitor&#39;s Location Register (VLR)  207  is a database that is linked to MSC  201  and temporarily stares information about each mobile terminal  202  within the area served by that MSC  201 . The information that is temporarily stored in the VLR  207  is sufficient to allow any mobile station  202  within that MSC  201  area to make and receive calls. This includes the mobile station&#39;s identity, the area in which it was last registered and data pertaining to the subscriber and any supplementary services that have been selected by the subscriber. The MSC  201  refers to the VLR  207  each time that a mobile terminal  202  attempts to make a call in order to verify that the request can be fulfilled. This process is to establish that no call restrictions or call barring instructions are in place.  
      A storage, such as caller ID history database  206 , is operatively coupled to the MSC  201 . A caller ID history database  206  may contain caller ID information for a predetermined number of calls that were received by a home terminal  212 . The caller ID information may be stored in and retrieved from the caller ID history database  206  under control of a remote caller ID module  205  in the mobile switching center  201 . The remote caller ID server  205  stores or retrieves information in the database  206  in response to instructions from the MSC  201 . The remote caller ID server  205  may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. When the MSC terminates a call to the mobile it checks if the mobile subscriber also subscribes to the “Remote Caller ID” feature. If the call is for a “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber then the MSC informs the remote caller ID server  205  to store the Caller ID information in the Caller ID History Database  206 . At a later time the “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber can call into the remote caller ID server  205  to retrieve the caller ID information, in a manner similar to the voice mail systems.  
       FIG. 3  depicts a wired communication system  300 . In the system  300  a remote caller terminal  304  and a home terminal  312  may be operatively coupled to a central office (CO)  301 . In telephone communication in the United States, a CO  301  is an office in a locality to which subscriber home and business lines are connected on what is called a local loop. The CO  301  has switching equipment  302  that can switch calls locally or to long-distance carrier phone offices. The CO  301  may have a class 5 switch  302 . Class 5 is a classification of a switching system that is used by local telephone service providers. A class 5 switch is the last point in the network prior to the customer.  
      A storage, such as caller ID history database  308 , may be operatively coupled to the CO  301  through the Remote Caller ID Server  306 . Caller ID information may be stored in and retrieved from the caller ID history database  308  under control of a remote caller ID server  306  in the CO  301 . The remote caller ID server  306  stores information in database  308  in response to instructions from the CO  301 . The caller ID history database  308  may contain a predetermined number of previous calls up to a set maximum number that were received by the home terminal  312 . The remote caller ID server  306  may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. When the CO  301  terminates a Call to the Home Terminal  312  it checks if the subscriber also subscribes to the “Remote Caller ID” feature. If the call is for a “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber then the CO  301  informs the remote caller ID server  306  to store the Caller ID information in the Caller ID History Database  308  and provides it the Caller ID information. At a later time the “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber can call into the remote caller ID server  306  to retrieve the caller ID information, in a manner similar to the voice mail systems. When the subscriber calls into the remote caller ID server  306 , the server  306  authenticates the caller by requiring then to enter a password. After the subscriber successfully authenticates himself or herself the remote caller ID server  306  allows them to retrieve the caller ID history from Caller ID History database  308  using voice prompts.  
       FIG. 4  depicts an Internet communication system  400 . In the system  400  a remote caller terminal  404  and a home terminal  412  may be operatively coupled to a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) session controller  401 . VoIP is the transmission of a telephone call over the Internet. The Internet sends small packets of data over a network by packet switching. At the source, a large amount of data is split it up into many packets. Each packet is given an address that tells the network where to route each packet. At the destination, the packets are reassembled into the original data. Packet switching is very efficient because it minimizes the amount of time that a connection must be maintained between two sources and thus reduces the load on a network.  
      A storage, such as caller ID history database  408 , may be operatively coupled to the VoIP session controller  401  through the Remote Caller ID server  406 . Caller ID information may be stored in and retrieved from the caller ID history database  408  under control of a remote caller ID server  406  in the VoIP session controller  401 . The remote caller ID server  406  stores information in the database  408  in response to instructions from the VoIP session controller  401 . The caller ID history database  408  may contain a predetermined number of previous calls, which were received by the home terminal  412 , up to a set maximum number. The remote caller ID server  406  may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. When the VoIP session controller  401  terminates a Call to the Home Terminal  412  it checks if the subscriber also subscribes to the “Remote Caller ID” feature. If the call is for a “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber then the VoIP session controller  401  informs the remote caller ID server  406  to store the Caller ID information in the Caller ID History Database  408  and provides it the Caller ID information. At a later time the “Remote Caller ID” feature subscriber can call into the remote caller ID server  406  to retrieve the caller ID information, in a manner similar to the voice mail systems. When the subscriber calls into the remote caller ID server  406 , the server  406  authenticates the caller by requiring then to enter a password. After the subscriber successfully authenticates himself or herself the remote caller ID server  406  allows them to retrieve the caller ID history from Caller ID History database  408  using voice prompts.  
       FIG. 5  is a representation of one exemplary flow diagram for providing a caller ID feature functionality in a telecommunication network. This embodiment of the present method comprises: storing caller ID information in a telecommunication system corresponding to a plurality of calls received at a home terminal ( 501 ); requesting by a remote terminal access to the stored caller ID information ( 502 ); validating the remote terminal for access to the caller ID information stored in the storage ( 503 ); and accessing the stored caller ID information from a remote terminal ( 504 ). For a wireless network the call control system may be a mobile switching center having a remote caller ID server, for a wireline network the call control system may be a central office having remote caller ID server, and for the Internet the call control system may be a VoIP Session Controller having a remote caller ID server. The caller from the remote terminal may be validated for access to the caller ID information stored in the storage by a validation module in the remote caller ID server, and the caller ID information may be stored in a database.  
      Thus, embodiments of the present method and apparatus store caller ID information for subscribers of, for example, a remote caller ID feature provided by a service provider. This remote caller ID feature allows the subscribers to retrieve the caller information ID remotely from the storage. Embodiments of the present method and apparatus may also include the feature that the subscriber may specify the maximum number calls that are stored in the caller ID history database. Also, in the various embodiments the remote terminal may be one of a personal computer, a subscriber telephone, a pay telephone, a VoIP phone, or a mobile terminal, and the home terminal may be one of a personal computer, a subscriber telephone, a pay telephone, a VoIP phone, or a mobile terminal.  
      The present apparatus in one example may comprise a plurality of components such as one or more of electronic components, hardware components, and computer software components. A number of such components may be combined or divided in the apparatus.  
      The steps or operations described herein are just exemplary. There may be many variations to these steps or operations without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.  
      Although exemplary implementations of the invention have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.