Method and system for providing information for identifying callers
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present invention include a caller identification system and method for identifying a caller with a partial phone number look-up table. The caller identification system comprises a database that stores received calls and can be personalized to include information specific to partial phone numbers. In one embodiment, the caller identification system disclosed can be integrated into a cellular phone. In this embodiment, an incoming call initiates a search in a database to retrieve information about the caller. If a match is found, the identity of the caller is displayed. When an exact match is not found, a search for a partial match is executed with wild card values and information about the partial match is displayed. Information for a partial match can be personalized or pre-programmed into the caller ID system such as the city associated with a particular area code or prefix.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, at least a portion of a phone number of an incoming call;
retrieving an entry from a user customizable database stored in the computing device, wherein the entry is identified by at least the portion of the phone number, wherein the entry includes at least a partial phone number and a geographic location, and wherein the partial phone number is associated with the geographic location; and
displaying the geographic location on a display of the computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entry is one entry of a plurality of entries of the database, and wherein each of the plurality of entries includes at least one of a geographic location, a name, and user customized information.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entry further includes at least one of a name and user customized information, the method further comprising:
displaying the at least one of the name and the user customized information.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location comprises one of a city and state pair, or a state and country pair.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of ring tones based on the phone number; and
outputting, by the computing device, the selected ring tone in response to the incoming call.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phone number is received using a wireless communication channel.
7. A system comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium configured to store a user customizable database comprising an entry that includes at least a at least a partial phone number and a geographic location, wherein the partial phone number is associated with the geographic location;
a caller identification circuit configured to receive at least a portion of a phone number of an incoming call;
a processor configured to retrieve the entry from the user customizable database, wherein the entry is identified by at least the portion of the phone number; and
a display configured to display the geographic location.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the entry is one entry of a plurality of entries of the database, and wherein each of the plurality of entries includes at least one of a geographic location, a name, and user customized information.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the entry further includes at least one of a name and user customized information, and wherein the display is configured to display the at least one of the name and the user customized information.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the geographic location comprises one of a city and state pair, or a state and country pair.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium is configured to store a plurality of ring tones, wherein the processor is configured to select a ring tone of the plurality of ring tones based on the phone number, the system further comprising:
an audio output device configured to output the selected ring tone.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the phone number is received using a wireless communication channel.
13. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for causing a processor of a computing device to:
receive at least a portion of a phone number of an incoming call;
retrieve an entry from a user customizable database, wherein the entry is identified by at least the portion of the phone number, wherein the entry includes at least a partial phone number and a geographic location, and wherein the partial phone number is associated with the geographic location; and
cause a display of the computing device to display the geographic location.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the entry is one entry of a plurality of entries of the database, and wherein each of the plurality of entries includes at least one of a geographic location, a name, and user customized information.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the entry further includes at least one of a name and user customized information, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium is further encoded with instructions that cause the programmable processor to:
cause the display of the computing device to display the at least one of the name and the user customized information on the display.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the geographic location comprises one of a city and state pair, or a state and country pair.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , further encoded with instructions for causing the programmable processor to:
select one of a plurality of ring tones based on the phone number; and
cause an audio output element of the computing device to output the selected ring tone in response to the incoming call.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the phone number is received using a wireless communication channel.