Method and apparatus for controlling calling-party identification
The present invention provides a system, method, and apparatus for managing the calling-party identification information offered to called parties. Accordingly, a caller can designate the Caller ID information to the called party based on the context of the call (e.g. the role of the caller) rather than the terminal used. Typically the calling party does this by selecting which of multiple values they wish to have sent with the call request. It is beneficial to implement such a mechanism in a secure manner—the ability to employ a different calling-number or calling-name ID should be restricted to properly-authorized and authenticated persons—in order to ensure the quality of this information. Accordingly, preferred embodiments include an authentication mechanism for verifying the calling party information is authentic.
1. A method of enabling a caller to select caller identification information to be associated with a communication session, the method comprising:
storing plural respective caller identification options in association with at least one user identity at a server coupled to a communication network;
enabling an authenticated user of a communication terminal to access respective caller identification options stored at the server in association with a user identity associated with the authenticated user;
enabling the authenticated user of the communication terminal to select one of the respective caller identification options stored at the server in association with the user identity for use in a prospective communication session over the communication network to be requested by the communication terminal;
providing a default caller identification option based on a current location of the caller in the absence of a selection of one of the respective caller identification options by the authenticated user; and
providing an indication of the selected one of the respective caller identification options to the communication network for use in the prospective communication session.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the user of the communication terminal before enabling the authenticated user to select one of the respective caller identification options.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the user of the communication terminal before enabling the authenticated user to access the respective caller identification options.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the authenticated user to access respective caller identification options comprises presenting the respective caller identification options to the authenticated user via a respective user interface associated with the authenticated user.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the respective user interface is provided at the communication terminal.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the caller identification options presented to the user of the communication terminal are based on the authentication of the user.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein enabling the authenticated user of the communication terminal to select one of the respective caller identification options comprises enabling the authenticated user of the communication terminal to select one of the respective caller identification options using the user interface associated with the authenticated user.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the selected one of the respective caller identification options is provided to the communication network for use in the prospective communication session on initiation of the communication session.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication network comprises a packet switched network.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication session comprises a voice-over-packet call.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a call server.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the caller identification options are pre-authenticated.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the caller identification options are pre-authorized.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of communication terminals and each communication terminal is associated with a respective default caller identification option.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default caller identification option depends, at least in part, on a current time.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the respective caller identification options are associated with different callers.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of caller identification options are associated with different roles of a caller.