Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20100150327?dq=5,729,594
Timestamp: 2014-09-22 11:23:21
Document Index: 350260627

Matched Legal Cases: ['arty 110', 'arty 110', 'arty 410', 'arty 420', 'arty 410', 'arty 420', 'arty 410', 'arty 420', 'arty 410', 'arty 410', 'arty 420', 'arty 420', 'arty 420']

Patent US20100150327 - Method for Indicating the Context of a Call to a Called Party - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsIn embodiments of the disclosed technology, a plurality of ratings of websites is received, wherein each rating is associated with a category and a rater and each rater is associated with at least one group. A selection of a category is received from the user, wherein the user is associated with at least...http://www.google.com/patents/US20100150327?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20100150327 - Method for Indicating the Context of a Call to a Called PartyAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20100150327 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 12/333,729Publication dateJun 17, 2010Filing dateDec 12, 2008Priority dateDec 12, 2008Also published asUS8218744, US20120250843Publication number12333729, 333729, US 2010/0150327 A1, US 2010/150327 A1, US 20100150327 A1, US 20100150327A1, US 2010150327 A1, US 2010150327A1, US-A1-20100150327, US-A1-2010150327, US2010/0150327A1, US2010/150327A1, US20100150327 A1, US20100150327A1, US2010150327 A1, US2010150327A1InventorsSteven Belz, Larry PearsonOriginal AssigneeAt&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (6), Referenced by (4), Classifications (5), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod for Indicating the Context of a Call to a Called PartyUS 20100150327 A1Abstract In embodiments of the disclosed technology, a plurality of ratings of websites is received, wherein each rating is associated with a category and a rater and each rater is associated with at least one group. A selection of a category is received from the user, wherein the user is associated with at least one group. One website location (or a plurality of website locations) is provided in the category to the user based on at least one rating of the plurality of ratings provided by at least one of the raters, wherein at least one group associated with the rater and at least one the group associated with the user are the same group.
determining a social network profile for the calling party and for the called the party; determining at least one group associated with both profiles; and sending at least a name of the group to the called party upon the calling party placing a call to the called party. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network profile is an online social network profile.
initiating, over a network, communication between the calling party and the called party. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is over a phone network.
means for determining a social network profile for the calling party and for the called the party; means for determining at least one group associated with both profiles; and means for sending at least a name of the group to the called party upon the calling party placing a call to the called party. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the social network profile is an online social network profile.
a data communication pathway between an online social network profile of each the party and a phone system; an association device which determines at least one group associated with each profile; and a communication device configured to send at least a name of the group to the called party upon the calling party placing a call to the called party. 13. The device of claim 14, further comprising:
a calling device for initiating, over a network, communication between the calling party and the called party. 14. The device of claim 14, wherein the communication is over a phone network.
Instructions to determine a social network profile for the calling party and for the called the party; Instructions to at least one group associated with both profiles; and Instructions to send at least a name of the group to the called party upon the calling party placing a call to the called party. 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the social network profile is an online social network profile.
20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for initiating, over a network, communication from the calling party to the the party. Description
FIELD The disclosed technology relates generally to online social networks and, more particularly, to methods of using information from social networks with a phone call.
BACKGROUND Online social networks allow people to create profiles with data about themselves or relevant to themselves and share content with their friends or others connected to them. Such networks, in some form, date back to the 1970s and 1980s, while other new online social networks, whether they be mailing lists or entire platforms for exchanging content, are constantly being developed. Popular networks include Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace, and MeetUp.com. Older networks typically consisted of mailing lists and the like, such as Yahoo Groups, Internet Newsgroups, Fidonet, and so forth. Sometimes, the fact that a person is a member of such a service indicates the group (i.e., a person who subscribes to the �New Jersey Lawyers Mailing List�) is a member of a group of New Jersey lawyers. Alternately, a group can be indicated within the social network platform (i.e., a member of Linkedin might join an �Animal Lovers� group and be listed amongst others who are members).
In a different technology realm�the telephone�the device predates the online social networks. However, the telephone lacks the ability to designate a group. While ANI and CallerID (Caller Identification) protocols are known, such protocols only deliver to a called party a phone number, and sometimes a name, of a calling party. The called party will not know in what context the call is being made.
SUMMARY An object of the disclosed technology is to allow a user receiving a call to receive data indicating context of the call by exhibiting to the called party a group to which both the calling party and called party belong.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a high level flowchart of devices and methods of embodiments of the disclosed technology.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the disclosed technology allow a user who is receiving a call to receive data indicating context of the call by exhibiting to the called party an online social network group to which both the calling party and called party belong. The context of a communication from a calling party to a called party is determined based on the group associations in the online social network of the parties, such as their profiles, and each party is linked to a phone number associated with each respective party. When the call is made, the group association of both parties is sent with the call, such as with the CallerID information.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the Online Social Network Database 130 comprises many entries 132. When queried with a phone number associated with a calling party 110, namely, �555-1212,� it is determined that this number is associated with a profile of calling party 110. (Alternatively, and as partially described above, such a database may be queried with any identifier linking the calling party to his profile or entry within the online social network.) The database 130 is further queried with the number to be dialed, namely, 555-2121. In embodiments of the disclosed technology, the number is first converted into a desired format. For example, if a person dials a number, �011-972-2-555-2121,� it may be desired to query the database with �02-555-2121� as, depending on where one is dialing from, the digits dialed are differently. Thus, in embodiments of the disclosed technology, even multiple queries may take place to determine either or both the profile of the calling party or called party, due to changes in the way a phone number is represented in different places or on different social network platforms.
FIG. 3 shows data which may be retrieved from an online social network in an embodiment of the disclosed technology. The online social network database 130 (also shown in FIG. 1) is generally known in the art in various embodiments. As referenced in the �Background,� common online social networks known in the art at the time of this writing include Facebook, Linkedin, Meetup.com, e-mail mailing lists (such as Yahoo Groups or Mailman, the GNU Mailing List Manager), and so forth. Substantially any electronic method or device of connecting a plurality of users based on a common interest or common topic may be used in embodiments of the disclosed technology. Such a method or device need only have the ability to be queried with a phone number, username, or other identification of a calling party and return a group name and a phone number of a called party. In the case where the social network is a mailing list, the name of the mailing list may be the group name, and a script may be used to search for a phone number of a called party within messages sent to the mailing list, to determine that both the calling party and called party are members of such a group. The calling party may, before a phone call, initiate a search of such messages, in order to pre-configure phones numbers of those in the group.
FIG. 2 shows a high level flow chart of a method of carrying out an embodiment of the disclosed technology from the perspective of a server. In step 210, a server, such as a web server and/or a provider of a phone service. receives an indication of a party to call from a calling party, such as by receiving the digits to be dialed. This may occur by way of a calling party dialing digits into his/her cellular phone, POTS phone, VoIP phone, or a �soft� phone (i.e., a computer implemented method of dialing a phone number). In step 220, data are received from a social network profile associated with the calling party, such as the data shown in FIG. 3. In step 230, data are retrieved from a social network profile of the called party. The data retrieved may be sent to a device carrying out embodiments of the disclosed technology, or may be retrieved by the social network database for purposes of providing a group name to the server in which both the calling party and called party are members. This is accomplished in step 240, wherein the intersection of the memberships of the calling party and called party are found and returned in a query. After the query information has been returned, or concurrently with the query, in step 250 a call is placed from the calling party to the called party, and in step 260 the group association of the parties which was deduced in step 240, or at least a portion thereof, is sent to at least the called party. In this manner, the called party may be notified of the context of the calling party's phone call to the called party.
FIG. 4 shows a device on which embodiments of the disclosed technology may be carried out. Calling party 410 represents a handset or other calling device used to initiate voice communications (analog or digital) with another. Called party 420 represents a handset or other calling device used to receive voice communications (analog or digital) from another. A phone switch 430, situated on a network at a location between calling party 410 and called party 420 guides the call from the calling party 410 to the called party 420. The phone switch may be at a location of, or integrated with, the calling party 410 device, or may be at a location of a phone service provider. Before or while making the call, the phone switch 420, having Internet connectivity) or being pre-loaded with group information data�not shown), sends data over a packet-switched network, such as the Internet 440, to an online social network 450. A server 460 of the online social network receives the request which comprises information about the calling party 410 and called party 420 (such as their phone numbers or other information as described above with reference to any one of FIGS. 1-3). The server 460, which may be, or is integrated with, a unitary device with the online social network database 470, queries the online social network database for further information with regard to the profiles of the parties. This result of the query may be the name of a group to which both parties belong. Such resulting data may then be sent back over the Internet 440 to the phone switch 430, which passes the group information along to the called party 420, such as in the form of CallerID information or an instant message, as described above. A called party 420 device then exhibits the group information to the called party, informing the called party of a context of the call.
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