Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

Ecall Inc.

James Francis Day

William Tod Gross

Richard H Janow

Ralph Carlsen

Steve Glenn

Hrair Aldermeshian

David B Menist

Herbert Mortimer Zydney

Philip Malcolm Neches

John Richard McRae

A method for establishing anonymous communication links comprises the steps of: identifying a plurality of subscribers; assigning a code to each of the plurality of subscribers; accessing a proprietary directory of the subscribers containing the code of each of the plurality of subscribers; and connecting a first subscriber of the plurality of subscribers to a second subscriber of the plurality of subscribers for communications. The first subscriber is identified by a first code so that the first subscriber can communicate with the second subscriber anonymously.

Method for establishing anonymous communication links

One communications device (called the 'impersonating' device) can selectively impersonate another communications device (called the 'impersonated' device) by arranging the impersonating device to take over and/or use the same network identification number (typically stored in an identification number memory and used to control selection of incoming calls to which the device responds) normally associated with the impersonated device. As a result of impersonation, there is a hand-off between the devices, with the impersonated device becoming dormant and the impersonating device becoming active, such that calls normally received by the impersonated device are received by the impersonating device, and such that calls originating in the impersonating device get the identical network treatment as would be accorded to calls originated by the impersonated device, all of this without any need to adjust or update profiles stored in a network database. Impersonation can be triggered automatically, as by the physical proximity of one terminal device to the other, or manually, such as by pushing a button on one of the devices.

Apparatus and method for mobile (e.g. cellular or wireless) telephone

Intelligent network telephone calls are processed by an intelligent terminal which cooperates with network elements such as a database that contains information with respect to such calls. When a call requiring intelligent network treatment is first made from an intelligent terminal, if the terminal does not have the requisite information to complete the call, the call is processed by network elements such as an originating switch and a network database which attempt to find routing information for the call. However, if the call contains an indication that (a) the calling party requests a down load, and the database record associated with the dialed number indicates that routing information stored in the database is marked for down loading, then the routing information is down loaded and stored in the intelligent terminal. When a subsequent call to the same number and therefore requiring the same treatment is again made, the intelligent terminal now contains the requisite routing information needed to complete the call. In this circumstance, the call does not have to be processed by intelligent network elements such as the network database. The routing information can be a destination number, or an indication of the particular network (e.g. wireline, cellular or CATV) that will carry the call, or other similar information.

Completion of intelligent network telephone calls

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Colts Neck, NJ, United States of America

James Francis Day