IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,158,623
Granted Patent B1
US 7,158,623 · App. 10/084,002 · Granted Jan 2, 2007

Method and apparatus for dial stream analysis

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,158,623
App. No.
10/084,002
Granted
Jan 2, 2007
Kind
B1
Abstract

Interests of a person may be analyzed based on the dial stream to/from the person. When a call is being made to/from a person, signaling information from the dial stream is routed to an analysis server. Information in the signaling information, such as called party identifier and caller-id data, is retrieved and archived by the analysis server. Based on the information in the dial stream, a person's interests may then be analyzed and provided to a recipient, such as a business. The person may be compensated in exchange for allowing their dial stream to be analyzed. In addition, businesses may also register with the analysis server.

Claims (62)

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least one analysis request from a requesting party;

receiving a request for a call connection from a calling party that differs from the requesting party to a called party, the call connection request being associated with the at least one analysis request;

recording dial stream information derived from the call connection request;

determining whether to establish the call connection;

recording dial stream information derived from the call connection while the call connection is established;

analyzing the recorded dial stream information derived from at least one of the call connection request and the call connection to generate a result for the at least one analysis request; and

providing the result to the requesting party.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one analysis request is associated with at least one product or service.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the result for the analysis request determines a level of interest in the at least one product or service.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to providing the result to the requesting party, requesting permission to provide the result to the requesting party.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

billing the requesting party for the result.

6. A system comprising:

means for receiving at least one analysis request from a requesting party;

means for receiving a request for a call connection from a calling party that differs from the requesting party to a called party, the call connection request being associated with the at least one analysis request;

means for recording dial stream information derived from the call connection request;

means for determining whether to establish the call connection;

means for recording dial stream information derived from the call connection while the call connection is established;

means for analyzing the recorded dial stream information derived from at least one of the call connection request and the call connection to generate a result for the at least one analysis request; and

means for providing the result to the requesting party.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one analysis request is associated with at least one product or service.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the result for the analysis request determines a level of interest in the at least one product or service.

9. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising:

means for requesting permission to provide the result to the requesting party prior to providing the result to the requesting party.

10. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising:

means for billing the requesting party for the result.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a request for a call connection from a calling party to a called party, the call connection request being associated with at least one analysis request;

a processor for determining whether to establish the call connection;

a recorder for recording dial stream information derived from the call connection request and for recording dial stream information derived from the call connection while the call connection is established;

an analyzer for analyzing the recorded dial stream information derived from at least one of the call connection request and the call connection to generate a result for the analysis request; and

a transmitter for providing the result to a requesting party that differs from the calling party.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a requester for requesting permission to provide the result to the requesting party prior to providing the result to the requesting party.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a billing system for billing the receiving party for the result.

14. A system for processing calls, comprising:

means for receiving a request to initiate a call from a calling party, including information sufficient to identify a device associated with a called party;

means for associating at least one analysis request with the call request;

means for recording dial stream information associated with the call;

means for analyzing the recorded dial stream information and producing a result of the analysis;

means for requesting permission to provide the result of the analysis to a recipient that differs from the calling party,

such that the result of the analysis is provided to the recipient in response to the analysis request.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one analysis request is received as data transmitted over a data network.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dial stream information includes a calling party number, a called party number, and a duration of the call connection.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dial stream information includes a calling party identifier, a called party identifier, whether the call connection was established, and a duration of the call connection.

18. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

19. A method comprising:

receiving a call connection request, the call connection request for a call connection between a first party and a second party, the first party permitting dial stream recording;

recording dial stream information associated with the call connection request in a record associated with the first party;

determining whether to establish the call connection;

recording dial stream information associated with the call connection in the record associated with the first party;

performing dial stream analysis using the record associated with the first party.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:

providing a result of the dial stream analysis to a requesting party.

21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:

requesting permission of the first party to provide the result to the requesting party prior to providing the result to the requesting party.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the dial stream information includes a number of the first party, a number of the second party, and a duration of the call connection.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the dial stream information includes a first party identifier, a second party identifier, whether the call connection was established, and a duration of the call connection.

24. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 19 .