Identifying Information Associated with an Incoming Telephone Call

Abstract

A telephone number corresponding to an incoming telephone call may be utilized to obtain information associated with the incoming call. If it is determined that the telephone number does not match records stored on the device on which the call is received, a request may be sent from the receiving device to an external device to obtain information associated with the incoming call. The request may be directed to a remote contacts application, another device listed in a data store of the receiving device, or to the calling device itself. When a response is received, the information may be displayed or otherwise utilized by the receiving device.

1 . A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a processor and comprising instructions stored thereon to cause the processor to:
 receive a telephone number associated with an incoming call at a first device, the incoming call originating from a second device;   send a request to an external device to identify information associated with the telephone number when it is determined that the telephone number does not match a record in a data store on the first device; and   receive a response from the external device comprising the information associated with the telephone number.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the request comprises the telephone number. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the external device comprises a data server that hosts a contacts application. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 3 , wherein the contacts application comprises contact information for one or more acquaintances of a user of the first device. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to send a request to an external device comprise instructions to cause the processor to send a user's access credentials for the contacts application. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to select the external device based on contact information in the data store on the first device. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to select the external device based on contact information in the data store on the first device comprise instructions to cause the processor to select the external device based, at least in part, on a relationship between the telephone number and the contact information. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to select the external device based on contact information in the data store on the first device comprise instructions to cause the processor to select the external device that is designated in the data store to receive a request from the first device. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the external device comprises the second device. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to send a request to an external device comprise instructions to cause the processor to send a request for self-identifying information to the second device. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the telephone number comprises a name of a user of the second device. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to display, on the first device, at least some of the information received in the response. 
     
     
         13 . A method to identify information associated with an incoming call, comprising:
 receiving, by a processor of a first device, a telephone number associated with an incoming call, the incoming call originating from a second device;   sending, by the processor, a request to an external device to identify information associated with the telephone number;   receiving, by the processor, a response from the external device comprising the information associated with the telephone number; and   displaying, by the processor and on the first device, at least a portion of the information received in the response.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising adding at least a portion of the information received in the response to contact information in a data store on the first device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the request comprises the telephone number. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting, by the processor, the external device based on contact information in a data store on the first device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the external device comprises the second device. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a processor and comprising instructions stored thereon to cause the processor to:
 initiate, by a first device, a telephone call to a second device;   locate, by the first device, self-identifying information in a data store on the first device; and   send, by the first device, the self-identifying information to the second device substantially contemporaneously with the initiation of the telephone call to the second device.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 18 , wherein the self-identifying information comprises a name of a user of the first device. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory program storage device of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to send the self-identifying information to the second device comprise instructions to cause the processor to:
 determine whether a telephone number of the second device is stored in the data store on the first device; and   send the self-identifying information to the second device only when it is determined that the telephone number of the second device is stored in the data store on the first device.   
     
     
         21 . A device, comprising:
 a memory;   a display element; and   a processor operatively coupled to the memory and the display element, the processor adapted to execute program code stored in the memory to—
 receive a telephone number associated with an incoming call from a second device, 
 send a request to an external device to identify information associated with the telephone number when it is determined that the telephone number does not match contact information in a data store in the memory, 
 receive a response from the external device comprising the information associated with the telephone number, and 
 display, on the display element, at least some of the information received in the response.