Audible Announcement for Calling Party Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current telephone networks fail to effectively provide called party information to calling parties, especially those without display screens or who are visually impaired, leading to incorrect connections and potential fraud, as they cannot verify the identity or billing rate of the dialed number before establishing a call.

Innovation Solution

A called number information service that plays an audible announcement of the called party's name, number, and billing rate to the calling party before call establishment, utilizing an intelligent peripheral and service control point to direct calls and access a database for this information, allowing the calling party to cancel the call if unexpected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If called number information is provided via display screen on customer premise equipment, then calling parties can view the called party information, but users with phones lacking display screens or visually impaired calling parties cannot receive the information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalled party information deliveryVSAvoidcompatibility with different phone types

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the visual display mechanism with an auditory announcement system. The intelligent peripheral plays audible announcements containing called party information (name, number, rate) to the calling party through the telephone audio channel, substituting the visual display screen mechanism with an acoustic information delivery mechanism that works across all telephone types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If the system waits until call establishment to provide information, then the call connection is already made, but the calling party loses the opportunity to prevent incorrect or fraudulent calls

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecall connection accuracyVSAvoidcall establishment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the information delivery action before the call establishment is complete. The intelligent peripheral plays the audible announcement of called party information during the call setup phase, before the two-party stable call is established, allowing the calling party to verify information and cancel if needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the calling party about the called party's identity and billing rate before the call is fully established. This feedback loop allows the calling party to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the call, improving call connection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If the system provides detailed called party information before call establishment, then the calling party can verify identity and rate, but the call setup process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation transparencyVSAvoidcall setup process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intelligent peripheral as an intermediary component in the call setup process. This intermediary plays audible announcements to the calling party during call establishment, serving as a mediator that provides information without requiring complex changes to the core telephone switching system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7548614B2Audible announcement played to calling party before establishment of two party stable call

Publication Date: 2009.06.16 RPX CORP

AI summary

An audible announcement is played to a calling party, upon initiation of a call to a called party, before establishment of the call as a two party stable call between the calling party and the called party. The audible announcement comprises one or more of: a number of the called party; a name of the called party; and/or a rate for the call between the calling party and the called party.