US5590184A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Communications privacy protection system by replacing calling party number with non-assigned number
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
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Filing: 1995-03-03
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Granted: 1996-12-31
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Expires: 2015-03-03
Abstract
Abstract A telephone subscriber of a privacy communications service is allowed to use a randomly selected non-assigned telephone number--instead of the subscriber's real telephone number--as a return phone number in a telephone message left for a called party. The non-assigned, randomly selected telephone number becomes inoperative after a threshold that may be pre-imposed by the subscriber is exceeded. According to a feature of the invention, the function of randomly selecting a non-assigned telephone number may also include replacing the calling party number with the randomly selected number. Hence, when a caller-id display unit receives the telephone number of an incoming call for which the privacy communications service is used, the randomly selected telephone number--as opposed to the real telephone number--is received and recorded by the caller-id display unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas B. London
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 03:56
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/57; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/42008; H04M1/571; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42042; H04M3/42059; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04M3/48
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
51 words
In a communications system, a method of providing a communications service, said method comprising the steps of receiving information associated with a call initiated by a caller; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said communication service; and outputting a message identifying said non-assigned telephone number to said caller during said call.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
In a communications system, a method of providing a communications service, said method comprising the steps of receiving information associated with a call initiated by a caller; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said communication service; and outputting a message identifying said non-assigned telephone number to said caller during said call.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said information includes a calling party number and wherein said method further comprises the step of: replacing the calling party number with the selected non-assigned telephone number for delivery to a called party number for which said call is destined.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: incorporating the selected non-assigned telephone number in a ringing signal delivered to a called party number for which said call is destined.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: delivering a first and a second ringing signal to a called party number for which said call is destined; and outputting said selected non-assigned telephone number to said called party number between said first and second ringing signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: completing said call to a called party number for which said call is destined; and in response to a signal from an answering machine at said called party number, outputting said selected non-assigned telephone number in audible form to said answering machine.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
42 words
The method of claims 3, 4 or 5 further comprising the step of mapping said selected non-assigned telephone number to said caller's calling party number when the non-assigned telephone number is dialed for a return call directed to said calling party number.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of: permitting said non-assigned telephone number to be mapped to said calling party number to complete a return call for which said selected non-assigned telephone number was dialed only if predetermined conditions are satisfied.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said conditions is selected from a group which includes a) receiving return calls only from telephone sets associated with said called party number, b) limiting the number of calls directed to said selected non-assigned number, and c) limiting time period within which said selected non-assigned number can be used to complete calls to the calling party number.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of: completing said return call to a voice announcement system when said predetermined conditions are not satisfied.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said conditions are pre-selected by said caller.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said conditions are selected by said caller after said call to said called party has been completed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: triggering said selection of said non-assigned number by entering at least one digit on a dialpad.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
In a communications network, a method of processing a telephone call, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a destination telephone number dialed by a caller who initiated said call; determining by said network that said dialed telephone number is a non-assigned telephone number; and in response to determining that said dialed telephone number was previously used as a replacement number for a different telephone number, mapping said dialed number to said different telephone number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
75 words
In a communications network, a method of processing a telephone call, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a destination telephone number dialed by a caller who initiated said call; determining by said network that said dialed telephone number is a non-assigned telephone number; and in response to determining that said dialed telephone number was previously used as a replacement number for a different telephone number, mapping said dialed number to said different telephone number.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of: completing said call to said different telephone number when at least one condition which was pre-selected by a called party associated with said different telephone number is satisfied.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
42 words
A system for providing a communications service to a caller, said system comprising: means for receiving source information which includes a calling party number associated with said call; and means for replacing said calling party number with a selected non-assigned telephone number.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
42 words
A system for providing a communications service to a caller, said system comprising: means for receiving source information which includes a calling party number associated with said call; and means for replacing said calling party number with a selected non-assigned telephone number.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 15 further comprising: means for delivering said selected non-assigned telephone number to said caller.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 15 further comprising: means responsive to a signal from a voice messaging system at a called party number to which said call is directed, for delivering said selected non-assigned telephone number to said voice messaging system in audible form.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
71 words
A system for processing an incoming call, said system comprising: means for receiving a called party number for said call; means for determining that said called party number is a non-assigned telephone number; and in response to determining that said called party number was previously used as a replacement number for a different telephone number, means for mapping said called party number to said different telephone number to complete said call.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
71 words
A system for processing an incoming call, said system comprising: means for receiving a called party number for said call; means for determining that said called party number is a non-assigned telephone number; and in response to determining that said called party number was previously used as a replacement number for a different telephone number, means for mapping said called party number to said different telephone number to complete said call.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising: means for completing said call to a voice message system when at least one condition that is pre-selected by said called party for receiving calls at said replacement number is not satisfied.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising: means for completing said call to said different telephone number when all conditions pre-selected by said caller are satisfied.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
In a communications network, a method of providing a communications service to a caller placing a call, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a calling party number and a called party number for said call; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said call; and replacing the calling party number with the selected non-assigned telephone number.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
56 words
In a communications network, a method of providing a communications service to a caller placing a call, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a calling party number and a called party number for said call; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said call; and replacing the calling party number with the selected non-assigned telephone number.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of providing a communications service to a caller placing a call, said method comprising the steps of: determining a calling party number and a called party number for said call; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said call; associating said selected non-assigned telephone number to said calling party number such that said non-assigned telephone number can be used as a telephone number at which said caller can be called back.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of providing a communications service to a caller placing a call, said method comprising the steps of: determining a calling party number and a called party number for said call; selecting a non-assigned telephone number for said call; associating said selected non-assigned telephone number to said calling party number such that said non-assigned telephone number can be used as a telephone number at which said caller can be called back.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-12-31 | 2000-07-01 | 2000-12-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-12-31 | 2004-07-01 | 2004-12-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-12-31 | 2008-07-01 | 2008-12-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |