Caller ID Control via Answering Service Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Professionals engaged by answering services face challenges in controlling the identifier provided during return calls, which can compromise privacy or business routing, and existing systems lack the ability to manage this effectively.
Innovation Solution
A computing device application that allows professionals to select from multiple identifiers for return calls, ensuring that the provided identifier represents a preferred contact location or business affiliation, and enables routing through an answering service for additional services like recording or notification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the professional's personal telephone number is provided as the identifier during return calls, then the client can directly contact the professional, but the professional's privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an answering service as an intermediary between the client and the professional. The answering service handles incoming calls and manages the identifier provision process, allowing the client to contact the professional through a controlled interface rather than directly exposing the professional's personal number. This mediator enables contact while protecting privacy by filtering and managing the interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the identifier parameter based on professional preferences and call context. Instead of always providing the personal telephone number, the system can switch between different identifier types (personal number, business number, or no identifier) according to pre-set professional choices, thereby controlling privacy exposure while maintaining contact capability.
2Ease of operation
If the professional's personal telephone number is provided as the identifier during return calls, then direct contact is enabled, but business routing control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The answering service acts as a routing intermediary that can direct calls to different destinations based on business rules. When a client contacts the professional, the answering service can route the call to appropriate team members, time it for optimal availability, or direct it to different business units, thereby maintaining business routing control while enabling direct contact through the professional's identifier.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the call routing dynamic and adaptable rather than static. The identifier and routing path can change based on time of day, professional availability, call type, and business rules. This allows the system to maintain control over where calls are ultimately directed while still providing the professional's identifier to the client for direct contact.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the answering service is used to manage return calls, then additional services like recording and notification are provided, but the professional has less control over the identifier
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables professionals to self-configure their identifier preferences and routing rules through the answering service platform. By providing intuitive setup interfaces, the professional can independently define which identifiers to use in different contexts, when to enable recording, and how calls should be routed, thereby maintaining control while utilizing the answering service's additional capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The answering service provides feedback mechanisms that allow professionals to monitor and adjust their identifier usage and call management settings. The system can report on call patterns, identifier effectiveness, and routing outcomes, enabling professionals to refine their preferences and maintain control based on actual usage data and service performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An application instantiated on a computing device of a professional receives a selection of a client by a professional to place a call to the client by way of an identifier of the client, and upon receiving the selection of the client, presents to the professional a number of options for an identifier of the professional to be provided with the placed call to the client. The application receives from the professional a selection of one of the options for the identifier of the professional, places the call from the professional to the client, and in doing so provides the selected identifier of the professional with the placed call. The selected and provided identifier of the professional represents a favored location at which the professional or an associate thereof may be reached. The client may ascertain the provided identifier of the professional from the placed call and employ same to place a future call toward the professional or the associate thereof.