Patent ID: 7103162

Claim:
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 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 list of privileged calling parties for the called party; means, if the calling party is on the list, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party without the name identification; means for receiving from the called party prior to the call being placed by the calling party an on-list reference for the calling party and at least one complete telephone number of the calling party wherein the on-list reference and the at least one complete telephone number are stored in association; and means, if the calling party is on the list, for allowing the call to be put through to the called party without the name identification but with the on-list reference and with the complete telephone number of the calling party that is associated with the on-list reference, the called party thereby being able to review the on-list reference and the complete telephone number to determine whether to answer the call.