Patents Examined by Binh K. Tieu
  • Patent number: 7505566
    Abstract: A method for analyzing automatic line insulation testing (ALIT) data comprising receiving an electronic version of ALIT test results and parsing the ALIT test results to extract error data. The error data is inserted into an ALIT database. A number of exceptions per wire center occurring on a selected summary date is calculated in response to receiving a summary request from a user, and the summary date is transmitted to the user in response to the calculating. User records located in the ALIT database that include a selected wire center and a selected detail date are transmitted to the user in response to receiving from the user a wire center detail request. The ALIT database is updated with repair package information in response to receiving an add repair package request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, I, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Hollis Wright, Dianna Gatson
  • Patent number: 7505573
    Abstract: A system for enabling an inmate to make a telephone call to a called party telephone located outside of a correctional facility includes a facility network having inmate and prepaid platforms associated with a PSTN. A called party provides the prepaid platform with information regarding a prepaid card purchased by the called party and the called party telephone number. The prepaid platform associates the telephone number with a prepaid account of the called party, determines value of the prepaid card based on its information, and then transfers the value to the prepaid account. An inmate uses an inmate telephone within the facility to make a telephone call to the called party telephone via the PSTN. The network completes the call if the call is authorized, the called party has a prepaid account associated with the telephone number, and the value of the prepaid account is sufficient for paying for the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
    Inventor: Rhonda Leonard
  • Patent number: 7502455
    Abstract: A telephone call is billed that originates in a primary carrier telecommunications network and terminates in a secondary telecommunications carrier network. The call is billed by generating multiple billing records in response to the telephone call, at least one billing record comprising a toll free number administered by the secondary carrier. It is determined whether the toll free number is administered by the secondary carrier; and the billing record including the toll free number administered by the secondary carrier is discarded when it is determined that the toll free number is administered by the secondary carrier. Thus, the primary carrier only bills for a portion of the call that was connected from the caller to the termination point of the primary carrier network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Susanne Marie Crockett, Nancy Ann Book, Lucy L. Murphy, Robert B. Lasken
  • Patent number: 7499526
    Abstract: A termination module for terminating TELCO wiring and subscriber wiring within a network interface enclosure at a subscriber premises includes a subscriber bridge having burglar alarm connections. The subscriber bridge includes a base, a pair of conductive contact elements disposed within the base and defining a plurality of connection terminals, and a base cap positioned over the base and the contact elements. The termination module provides a demarcation point for electrically disconnecting the subscriber wiring from the subscriber wiring and the subscriber bridge further includes burglar alarm connection points that permit a burglar alarm to be wired in series between the demarcation point and the contact elements such that the subscriber-owned equipment, including the burglar alarm, can be electrically disconnected from the TELCO wiring to fault test a telephone line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Boyd G. Brower, John J. Napiorkowski, Brad N. Grunwald
  • Patent number: 7496355
    Abstract: The operation of a mobile electronic device is controlled at least partially in accordance with operating characteristics adopted while the phone is at a first location. The operation of a mobile electronic device is controlled at least partially in accordance with a theme that how an electronic device responds to user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Dam Nielsen, Christian Kraft, Francis Djabri
  • Patent number: 7496185
    Abstract: Systems and methods for collecting, correlating, and storing telecom data as call detail records (CDRs) are described. A computer system collects real-time call data from a plurality of sources and stores the data in different memory locations. A real-time buffer is used to correlate the data into a CDR. A separate process collects reference data from one or more third-party sources to supplement each CDR and stores this data in different memory locations. A reference data buffer is then used to correlate the reference data into existing CDRs. A data manager layer then inserts each enhanced CDR into a plurality of distributed database systems. CDRs may be separated among multiple database systems, may be inserted into more than one database depending on application use, and may be partitioned to optimize access and retrieval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Mantas, Inc.
    Inventors: Franco Primavesi, Mario Margolis
  • Patent number: 7496184
    Abstract: To facilitate real-time pricing, an embodiment of the invention retrieves multiple quotes from multiple databases associated with multiple service providers. Information regarding a customer's location, and the locations of multiple service providers are used to determine the cost of services associated with each of the multiple service providers in real-time. The retrieved quotes are compared, and quotes below a pre-determined price threshold are provided to a user in real-time (e.g., via the Internet). The user can select a desired quote from the quotes provided, and purchase or request more information regarding the desired quote online.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Telarus, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick K. Oborn, Aaron J. Lieberman
  • Patent number: 7492728
    Abstract: An improved system and method is disclosed for call handling in a packet network such as a CDMA, UMTS, GSM, and other networks similarly configured. The system may include an anchor media gateway that remains in a communication path even if the call has been handed off to another media gateway. The anchor media gateway includes first and second ports for establishing first and second links to transfer packet communications to and from the first and second entities, respectively. First and second packet connections are provided for interconnecting the first and second links, respectively, to an audio server. A third link connected to the audio server and is provided for transferring packet communications to and from the third entity. The audio server manipulates the packet communications received from the first, second, and third entities and provides the manipulated packet communications to the first, second, and third entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Gary Stephens, Steve Craycraft
  • Patent number: 7489938
    Abstract: An apparatus and method provides information associated with a location of a target user in a location service arrangement including a plurality of location service entities. The method includes the steps of sending a request for information associated with a location of a target user from a first location service entity to a second location service entity. The method includes the step of informing the second location service entity of a role performed by the second location service entity when processing the request. The method also includes the step of processing the request at the second location service entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Flynn, Metin Barut, Mark Cotherman
  • Patent number: 7486784
    Abstract: A method for processing the payment of a bill in the bill payment service can include detecting within a PSTN an attempt to establish a telephone call between a caller and a call center configured to process bill payments. An identity for the calling party can be resolved externally to the call center. Also, a telephonic connection can be established between the caller and the call center. Finally, the resolved identity can be forwarded to the call center over a data communications link which is separate and apart from the established telephonic connection. Preferably, the resolving step can include querying a LIDB through a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN for identifying information for the caller. Moreover, the resolving step can be performed responsive to receiving an SS7 message in an SCP to set up the telephonic connection between the caller and the call center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Creamer, Peeyush Jaiswal, Victor S. Moore, Scott Winters
  • Patent number: 7486783
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for processing bill payments in a PSTN. The method of the invention can include, responsive to answering a telephone call from a caller over the PSTN, identifying the caller from a data communications source external to the telephone call and retrieving billing information for the identified caller. Once the billing information has been retrieved for the identified caller, the payment of a bill can be processed based upon the billing information. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the identifying step can include identifying the caller based upon identifying information for the caller received through a data communications link from a name resolution adapter disposed within the PSTN. For instance, the identifying step can include identifying the caller based upon identifying information retrieved from a LIDB and transmitted by the name resolution adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Creamer, Peeyush Jaiswal, Victor S. Moore, Scott L. Winters
  • Patent number: 7480631
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting and processing fraud and credit abuse is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a method for detecting and processing fraud and credit abuse. The method may comprise: receiving a telephone call from a caller concerning a credit account; identifying one or more potential fraud-related problems by searching the credit account data for conditions that match one or more predetermined qualifiers and quantifiers; presenting the caller with a series of questions and soliciting, from the caller, responses to the series of questions, wherein each question in the series is generated based on the one or more potential fraud-related problems and further based on the caller's responses to earlier questions in the series; and determining a fraud status associated with the credit account based on a computerized analysis of the solicited responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Angel Merced, Timothy A. Webb, SueAnne Senz, Chakravarthi S. Bathula, Lou Ann Hoffman, Anthony E. Rita, Kevin D. Buckner
  • Patent number: 7480372
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for division of revenue of communication among different proprietors is provided in this invention, where the division of revenue among the different proprietors is performed by a gateway office, wherein the gateway office will set a source parameter and a destination parameter respectively from the source and the destination when a call goes through the gateway office; Judge the two parameters to get a revenue zone index; Judge the value of the revenue zone index, and modulate the revenue zone index to get a revenue class index; The gateway office generates contents related to the revenue class index; A central memory receives all these contents, adds an increment of each counter of the revenue class memory related to the revenue class index to a corresponding counter and carries out multiple safety mechanisms; Output the information in the revenue class memory to a storage medium for storing, then output it to a billing center for revenue sorting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: ShuGuang Jin, Yan Chen, PeiLiang Xu
  • Patent number: 7477731
    Abstract: A transaction processing platform capable of facilitating the distribution to consumers of various types of prepaid products is disclosed. The transaction processing platform is configured to interface with one or more providers of such prepaid products in order to facilitate the procurement or activation of the products. The platform includes a conduit interface through which service request messages are received and respectively utilized to generate transaction requests for corresponding types of prepaid services. A supply interface arrangement, operatively coupled to the conduit interface, is configured to route a first of the transaction requests through a first supply interface associated with a first type of prepaid service. The supply interface arrangement also routes a second transaction request through a second supply interface associated with a second type of prepaid service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: EWI Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Roni Dolev Tamari, Larry Herbinaux, Darren New, Miles Paschini, Patrick K. Hazel, Marshall Rose
  • Patent number: 7474745
    Abstract: A method and system provides for notification of a called party of an incoming voice phone call intended for the called party even while the called party is engaged in data communications via a dial-up modem. In response to a calling party placing a call, a telecommunications network determining whether the called number is busy. If the called number is busy, the telecommunications network determines whether the called number is engaged in data communications. If the called number is engaged in data communications, the telecommunications network further: determines a data communication protocol being used by the called party to access the data network via a modem device, retrieves from a user profile of the called party one or more user notification addresses associated with the data communication protocol, and transmits an incoming call notification message to the one or more user notification addresses of the called party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Massimiliano Celli, Luigi Pichetti, Marcello Velati, Marco Secchi
  • Patent number: 7474896
    Abstract: A mobile controller unit has a radio positioning system and a two-way communication system and a rover unit also has a radio positioning system and a two-way radio communication system. The controller unit can query the rover unit to send its location data so that the rover unit can be located and if desired, found, such as in the case of a lost child or items. Relative position between the controller and the rover can be displayed on the controller along with an arrow showing where the rover is, as well as how fast it is moving, a track of its movement and other data. The system can also operate in conjunction with a network system that has a PDE and an application server that perform some of the communications and calculation functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Inventors: Norman Mohi, Kevin Judge, James R. Hume, Mark Scislowski
  • Patent number: 7471946
    Abstract: Methods of providing messages for a user can include accepting entry of a message for the user, and accepting entry of a location criteria associated with the message. Physical location information for a wireless communications device associated with the user can be obtained, and the message for the user can be transmitted when the physical location information for the wireless communications device matches the location criteria associated with the message. Related systems are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: AT&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Maria Adamczyk, Edward Michael Silver
  • Patent number: 7471771
    Abstract: A diagnostic tool is adapted to include the capability of initiating one or more diagnostic tests, collecting the raw data from the diagnostic test(s) and transporting the raw diagnostic data to an OSS. The OSS interprets the raw diagnostic data and stores the results in a database. The stored results can be searched, sorted, manipulated, analyzed, and the like. The results of any of these operations can then be, for example, displayed to one or more entities such as customer support, network operators, network planners, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Aware, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Wahl, Michael Lund
  • Patent number: 7471945
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for preventing a third party from listening to a conversation between at least two participants on a telephone. The telephone generates an audio stimulus signal that is presented through a secondary speaker. The audio stimulus signal may be, for example, pseudorandom noise or a cancellation signal. According to one aspect of the invention, the telephone ensures that the audio stimulus signal does not significantly impair the conversation for the at least two participants. To prevent the third party from listening to the local portion of the conversation, the audio stimulus signal is subtracted from the received signal prior to presenting the received signal to the user. To prevent the third party from listening to the remote portion of the conversation, the audio stimulus signal is subtracted from the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Thaddeus Gabara, Vladimir Prodanov
  • Patent number: 7471772
    Abstract: This invention generally relates to the arrangements for testing subscriber loops. The invention is based on a solution wherein a test head is behind the high-pass filter of the splitter. In order that this solution is possible, the splitter, i.e. the splitter box has to contain a relay and a relay control element. When a subscriber line is to be tested the test head sends a DC pulse to the relay control element, which directs the relay to connect the subscriber loop to bypass wirings through which the test head can perform necessary testing measurements. When the testing is over the relay control element directs the relay to switch back for connecting the subscriber loop to the common port of the filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Wi-LAN, Inc.
    Inventor: Ari Valve