System and method for modifying communication information (MCI)

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/728,717, filed Oct. 20, 2005, entitled System and Method for Modifying Communication Information (MCI), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] In certain forms of communication, the party being contacted (the “Target”) may have the opportunity to know information about the party attempting to originate a communication (the “Originator”) before the Target interacts with the Originator. Two notable forms of communication where this is true are telephone and e-mail. In each of those forms of communication, the Target may learn some information about the Originator, such as the Originator's telephone number or email address, before the Target agrees to accept data or create a two-way communication, i.e. a conversation. The information the Target receives may also be used to allow the Target to identify or contact the Originator.

[0003] When an Originator, such as a telemarketing firm, wishes to contact a Target, such as an individual, via telephone, the Originator may insert into the caller ID field a telephone number where the Originator may be contacted. When making a call, the Originator inserts a telephone number used at the location from which the call originated, e.g. a call center. However, the Originator may call a Target in an area distant from the Originator. As a result, if the Target wishes to call back the Originator at the telephone number listed, e.g. to be put on a Do Not Call List (DNC) or to receive other information, the Target may have to pay long distance charges to do so. However, the Originator may operate telephone numbers that are a local call from the Target, or are at least closer to the Target, and therefore less expensive to call, than the Originator's telephone number that appears on the Target's caller ID.

[0004] Therefore, it would be desirable to implement a system to modify a communication from an Originator to provide a callback number or other contact information to the Target that may be closer to or local to the Target, in order to reduce or eliminate the payment of long distance toll charges in the event the Target dials the callback number.

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a method for processing a communication between a first party and a second party. A communication is received from the first party, the communication having first party information, and second party information. An entry in a database is identified that matches at least one of the first party information and the second party information and for which a predetermined rule is satisfied. A telephone number associated with the matching database entry is selected. The selected telephone number is transmitted to the second party.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a view of an end-to-end telecommunication connection according to an aspect of the system and method of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a view of an end-to-end telecommunication connection found in related art.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a process flow of communication traveling from Originator to Target according to an aspect of the system and method of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a process flow of communication traveling from Target to Originator according to an aspect of the system and method of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a example of a routing table according to an aspect of the system and method of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a view of an end-to-end contact as would occur during standard communication between Originator 100 (e.g. call center, person or organization) and Target 140 (e.g. a person or organization) using Carrier Network 130 (e.g. telecommunication provider). Information, such as Target 140 telephone number, may be transmitted from Originator 100 to Carrier Network 130 via physical/virtual connection 110 (e.g. phone line, voice T1, voice DS3) for an outbound call. Carrier Network 130 routes the call to Target 140 using, for example, a circuit switch, softswitch, or other routing intelligent system (not shown).

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of the system of the present disclosure and includes Originator 100 which may transmit a call (including, e.g. sound and other data) through physical/virtual connection 110 to Target 140 through Carrier Network 130. Originator 100 may transmit data including signaling messages of telecommunication protocols (e.g., SS7, C7, ISDN, SIP, H.323, MGCP, MEGACO, IAX, IAX2) that may be used to identify or contact Originator 100. This may include caller ID information such as telephone number and subscriber name associated with Originator 100 telephone number.

[0013] Originator 100 may transmit Target Identifying Information, including Target 140 telephone number and other information via physical/virtual connection 110 to Carrier Network 130 for outbound calls. Target Identifying Information may include geographic location information about Target 140, which may be determined based on Caller ID of Target 140 in conjunction with telephone subscriber database information.

[0014] Carrier Network 130 may route the call to Distribution System 131 which may check each call for a trigger, such as information in the call or where the call originated from, such as which physical/virtual connection 110. Distribution System 131 may be a circuit switch, softswitch, or other routing intelligent system. Distribution System 131 may communicate with a table of data, such as, MCI Table 132, based on the trigger for the call. MCI Table 132 may be stored in a computer, server, database, flash memory or other computing storage device. Target 140 may receive information from the MCI Table 132 in the Caller ID field on received call via physical/virtual connection 120.

[0015] In one aspect, the system and method of the present disclosure may operate within or may be connected to Carrier Network 130. In other aspects, the system and method may operate in Originator's 100 PBX (e.g. corporate phone system, predictive dialer, call distribution system) or may be attached to or embedded within Originator's 100 communication device (e.g. telephone, VoIP phone, VoIP soft phone).

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the process flow where in Step S100 a communication is received by Carrier Network 130 from Originator 100. In one aspect, the system of the present invention may receive from Originator 100 Target Identifying Information and a trigger. As described above, Target Identifying Information may include the telephone number of Target 140. A trigger may be one or more predetermined numbers in the Caller ID field, one or more predetermined numbers appended to the telephone number of Target 140 when transmitted by Originator 100, or may be another predetermined communication between Originator 100 and the system.

[0017] In Step S200, the system checks the communication for the existence of trigger information and Target Identifying Information, and, based on this information, the system may modify the communication. Rules and data used to modify the communication may be stored in a table database, such as MCI Table 132 shown in FIG. 5.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, MCI Table 132 column A is a list of triggers, column B is a list of Target Identifying Information, and column C is a list of modified information that may be displayed to Target 140.

[0019] When the system of the present disclosure receives a call from Originator 100, the system may check for one of the triggers located in column A to determine whether this communication may be modified. In one aspect, the system may be initiated manually, e.g. using a website, and may be used to process communications originating from a specific physical or virtual area, e.g. one or more telephone lines, so that any communication originating from one of these areas will be processed by the system. If the system does not receive a trigger or is not initiated manually, then the system may pass the communication on to Target 140 without modifying data.

[0020] If the system has been manually initiated or finds the communication contains a trigger listed in column A, the system may then search column B for one or more entries associated with the trigger in column A based on the Target Identifying Information included in the communication. Column B entries may be telephone numbers, portions of telephone numbers, street addresses or geographic designations, such as country, state, city, or township. Column B entries may also include rules indicating how or when they may be applied, for example, days of the week and/or times of day.

[0021] In one aspect, the system may search a telephone number in column B that matches Target 140 telephone number. In another aspect, if multiple column B entries for a given trigger match the area code of the Target 140 telephone number, the system may select the column B entry based on prefix. If there are no acceptable column B entries for a trigger, the system may pass the communication without alterations thereto.

[0022] In other aspects, column B entries may be selected based on predetermined Originator 100 preference, by geographic proximity to Target 140.

[0023] Based on the results of the search in column B, information in the communication may be modified to appear as what is shown in the corresponding entry in column C, i.e. the telephone number in column C may be displayed in the Caller ID field in the call to Target 140.

[0024] Using information in MCI Table 132 in FIG. 5, suppose for example, the system encounters a telephone call coming from Originator 100 telephone number 954-444-0001 that is made to Target 140 having telephone number 212-333-1234 on a weekday. The system may note the incoming caller ID field 954-444-0001 and attempt to match this to a trigger entry in column A. In this case, the number 954-444-0001 has five matches in column A, corresponding to table index entries A1 through A5. Once one or more acceptable entries are found in column A, the system may then compare Target ID information, in this case 212-333-1234, with one or more entries in column B corresponding to the one or more acceptable entries in column A.

[0025] In one aspect, the “x” character may be used as a wildcard to signify any character or number. Although not shown, such a wildcard character may also be used in elsewhere in the table.

[0026] In one aspect, the system may compare the Target ID information with the entries in column B by area code, prefix, and other rules, such as time of day. It will be clear to one of ordinary skill that the type, order and priority of such data comparison may be configurable.

[0027] Continuing the example, of the presently eligible entries 1-5 in column B, only entries 2, 3, and 4 match the area code “212” of the Target ID information, and of those, entries 3 and 4 match both the area code “212” and prefix “333” of the Target ID information. Column B entries 3 and 4 each contain a rule relating to the day of the week the call is made. In this example, because the call is placed on a weekday, column B entry 3 is the closest match to the Target ID information, and all rules of that entry are satisfied.

[0028] Based on this match in column B, the system may modify the communication to send an outbound Caller ID to Target 140 having the contents of entry 3 in column C, here 212-333-0001. Therefore, Target 140 may then make a return call to a local telephone number 212-333-0001 at a local area code (212), rather than potentially incurring long distance charges by making a return call to Originator 100 at a non-local number 954-444-0001 at a non-local area code (954).

[0029] In Step S300 the system then establishes the communication with Target 140 containing modified information.

[0030] Originator 100 may receive calls made to the telephone numbers listed in column C. Originator 100 may operate the telephone numbers listed in column C and/or calls to the telephone numbers in column C may be directed to telephone numbers used by Originator 100, in a manner described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the process flow, according to an aspect of the invention, when a communication is initiated by Target 140 to Originator 100. The system may receive the communication from Target 140 in Step S100. In Step S200, based on a set of rules, Target Identifying Information and the telephone number Target 140 is calling, the system may modify and/or route the communication to Originator 100. Originator 100 may receive the communication at an inbound customer service center or voice recording, at a predetermined telephone number. When routing and/or modifying Target 140 call, the system may use a table.

[0032] In Step S300, the system sends the communication to the appropriate party. When the system routes a call from Target 140 to Originator 100, the system may pass any one of the following information to Originator 100: the telephone number of Target 140, the “trigger” number in column A associated with that telephone number, or other identifier correlated to the Target 140, such as geographic location of the Target 140. In addition, the system can forward the call from Target 140 to a telephone number, trunk line, IP address as a VOIP call, or any other form of return communication as predetermined rules dictate.

[0033] Although illustrative embodiments have been described herein in detail, it should be noted and will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations may be made within the scope of this invention without departing from the principle of this invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

[0034] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the terms and expressions have been used herein as terms of description and not terms of limitation. There is no intention to use the terms or expressions to exclude any equivalents of features shown and described or portions thereof and this invention should be defined in accordance with the claims that follow.