Patent ID: 7443964

Claim:
A communications system for providing a caller identification (ID) messaging function, the system comprising: a switch operable to receive a caller identification messaging signal from a calling party communications device having a caller identification messaging device, the caller identification messaging signal comprising a message accepted from a calling party and at least one of(i) an identifier for the calling party, (ii) an identifier of a destination communications address, or (iii) an identifier of the calling party communications device; and a communications network for associating the caller identification messaging signal with an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal, and capable of transmitting a caller identification message signal by displacing the ICLID signal associated therewith to the destination communications address, the destination communications address comprising a receiving party identification telephone number and a billing telephone number; the communications network providing a caller identification profile associating one or more caller identification messaging services with the calling party and an originating communications address, a type identifier associated with a type or category of communications device used at the destination communications address, and one or more caller identification messaging default service parameters; and providing instructions in the caller identification profile for at least one of: billing for caller identification messaging signals; enabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week; disabling caller identification messaging based upon times of day and days of the week; blocking caller identification messaging; and providing configuration and formatting preferences for each of a plurality of communication devices used at the originating communications address.