Method and apparatus for remotely controlling telephone call-forwarding

• US 20010040954A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnie Henderson, Frederick Kenneth Jr. Schmidt, Lawrence David Jackel, Ronald J. Brachman
• Original Assignee: Donnie Henderson, Frederick Kenneth Jr. Schmidt, Lawrence David Jackel, Ronald J. Brachman
• Inventors: Henderson, Donnie, Jackel, Lawrence David, Schmidt, Frederick Kenneth Jr., Brachman, Ronald J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,501,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/546 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/548 with remote control

Abstract

A call-forwarding system can be remotely controlled in a simple and easily understood manner, thereby increasing the usage of call-forwarding. By maintaining a registry of special telephone numbers for a user'"'"'s telephone and, upon receiving a telephone call from one of the special telephone numbers, the system forwards calls to the one of the special telephone numbers. The call-forwarding system includes a registry of special telephone numbers and a call-forwarding controller which, upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers, forwards calls to the one of the special telephone numbers. In addition, the call-forwarding controller includes a caller-ID application which identifies all incoming telephone calls and passes this information to the controller. The controller then compares the incoming call to the telephone numbers in the registry and, upon obtaining a match, activates a routine for forwarding future incoming calls to the matched telephone number. The above method of controlling call-forwarding of an office telephone from a remote telephone provides the end user a very simple interface to allow remote enabling and disabling of call-forwarding.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls, comprising the steps of:

a) maintaining a list of special telephone numbers; and

b) forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the list, to said one of the special telephone numbers.

2. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the step of determining an originating telephone number upon receiving an incoming call.

3. The method according to

claim 2

, further comprising the step of comparing the originating telephone number to all of the special telephone numbers in the list.

4. The method according to

claim 3

, further comprising the step of activating the call-forwarding upon determining that the originating telephone number matches one of the special telephone numbers in the list.

5. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the step of entering a plurality of telephone numbers into the list.

6. The method according to

claim 5

, further comprising the step of entering a duration during which the call-forwarding will remain activated.

7. The method according to

claim 6

, further comprising the step of using a default duration to deactivate call-forwarding if a user fails to specify a duration.

8. The method according to

claim 7

, wherein the default duration includes one selected from the following:

an end of a workday, an end of a work week, a beginning of a workday, a beginning of a work week, midnight and five o'"'"'clock in the morning.

9. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the steps of:

c) activating a timer upon activating the call-forwarding; and

d) deactivating the call-forwarding when the timer reaches a predetermined time.

10. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the step of changing a state of the call-forwarding upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the list.

11. A system for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls comprising:

a) a memory storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

b) a controller coupled to the memory, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry, to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

12. The system according to

claim 11

, further comprising a caller-ID device determining an originating telephone number upon receiving an incoming call and sending the originating telephone number to the controller.

13. The system according to

claim 12

, wherein the controller compares the originating telephone number with the special telephone numbers in the registry.

14. The system according to

claim 13

, wherein the controller, upon determining that the originating telephone number matches one of the special telephone numbers in the registry, activates the call-forwarding to the originating telephone number.

15. The system according to

claim 11

, further comprising a user interface device to enable a user to enter at least one telephone number into the registry.

16. The system according to

claim 15

, wherein the user interface device enables the user to specify a duration of the call-forwarding.

17. The system according to

claim 16

, wherein the controller uses a default duration to deactivate call-forwarding if the user fails to specify a duration.

18. The system according to

claim 17

, wherein the duration includes one selected from the following:

an end of a workday, an end of a work week, a beginning of a workday, a beginning of a work week, midnight, and five o'"'"'clock in the morning.

19. The system according to

claim 11

, further comprising a timer activated by the controller upon activating the call-forwarding, wherein when the timer reaches a predetermined time, the timer signals the controller, which deactivates the call-forwarding.

20. An apparatus for enabling remote control of call-forwarding from a remote telephone comprising:

a) means for enabling a user to enter special telephone numbers into a registry in a database via the user'"'"'s telephone;

b) means for identifying an originating telephone number of an incoming call;

c) means for comparing the originating telephone number to the special telephone numbers in the registry;

d) means for forwarding future incoming calls upon receiving a match from said means for comparing to the originating telephone number; and

e) means for deactivating the means for forwarding upon expiration of a predetermined time interval.

21. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a caller identification device coupled to the first telephone and outputting caller identification signals;

b) a memory storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

c) a controller coupled to the memory and the caller identification device, receiving the caller identification signals from the caller identification device, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

22. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a memory disposed in a telephone network and storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

b) a controller disposed in the telephone network, coupled to the memory, receiving caller identification signals from the telephone network, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

23. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a private exchange disposed within a user'"'"'s location, coupled to the first telephone and outputting caller identification signals;

b) a memory for storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

c) a call-forwarding controller coupled to the memory and the private exchange, receiving the caller identification signals from the private exchange, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

24. The apparatus according to

claim 23

, wherein the memory and thecall-forwarding controller are disposed within the private exchange.

25. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a phone adjunct coupled to the first telephone and a telephone network, and outputting caller identification signals; and

b) a personal computer executing an application and storing a registry of special telephone numbers, wherein said personal computer receives the caller identification signals from the phone adjunct, said application determines whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and controls the adjunct, which in turn forwards all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

26. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a private exchange disposed in a user'"'"'s facility; and

b) a device coupled to the private exchange, the first telephone and the remote telephone via a telephone network, said device storing a registry of special telephone numbers, determining a telephone number of an incoming call, determining whether said telephone number of the incoming call matches one of a plurality of special telephone numbers in the registry, and controlling all future incoming calls so that they are forwarded to said remote telephone upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

27. A method for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls comprising the steps of:

a) maintaining a registry of special telephone numbers; and

b) forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry during which a special signal is received, to said one of the special telephone numbers.

28. The method according to

claim 27

, wherein the special signal includes a predetermined touch tone on a tone pad.

29. The method according to

claim 27

, wherein the special signal includes a “

#”

symbol on the telephone keypad.

30. The method according to

claim 27

, wherein the special signal includes a symbol on the telephone keypad.

31. The method according to

claim 27

, further comprising the step of enabling the call-forwarding upon receiving a predetermined first special signal, and disabling the call-forwarding upon receiving a predetermined second special signal.

32. The method according to

claim 31

, wherein the first predetermined special signal includes a “

1”

on the telephone keypad.

33. The method according to

claim 31

, wherein the second predetermined special signal includes a “

0”

on the telephone keypad.