WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH CALL SCREENING

• US 20010051534A1
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: AMIN, UMESH J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,567,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A cellular telephone maintains a screening list of calling party numbers, and specifies call handling therefor. A mobile switching center is responsive to selected types of the specified call handling. The call handling can depend on whether the call is local or non-local, which is affected by the location of the cellular telephone. The call handling can also depend on the time at which the call is made. A subscriber updates his or her screening list via personal computer, and transmits via a communication network the updated screening list to a message center which sends the updated screening list to the cellular telephone via wireless communication. A calling party number can be specified as a wildcard.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone including:

a memory for storing a screening list specifying calling party numbers and associated call handling; and

a processor for responding to an incoming call in accordance with the screening list.

2. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling depends on the location of the cellular telephone.

3. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling depends on the calling party name.

4. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling depends on the calling party telephone number.

5. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling depends on the time of day at which the incoming call is received.

6. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling depends on the day of the week at which the incoming call is received.

7. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling is specified to be on a call-by-call basis.

8. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling includes instructing a mobile switching center to play a charge acceptance announcement to a calling party.

9. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling includes instructing a mobile switching center to bill a calling party for the call.

10. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the call handling includes instructing a mobile switching center to forward an incoming call to a designated number.

11. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein a portion of the calling party number is specified in the screening list as a wildcard.

12. The cellular telephone of

claim 1

, wherein the screening list is generated by a subscriber using a personal computer and is delivered to the cellular telephone via a wireless communication channel.

13. A method for providing a screening list for a cellular telephone specifying calling party numbers and associated call handling, comprising the steps of:

receiving the screening list from a communication network; and

delivering the screening list to the cellular telephone via a wireless communication channel.

14. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising the step of generating the screening list using a personal computer.

15. A method for operation of a cellular telephone, comprising the steps of:

receiving incoming call information relating to an incoming call;

comparing the incoming call information with a screening list stored in the cellular telephone; and

automatically responding to the incoming call in accordance with the stored screening list.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of automatically responding includes instructing a mobile switching center to refuse the incoming call.

17. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of automatically responding includes instructing a mobile switching center to establish a call path for the incoming call.

18. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of automatically responding includes instructing a mobile switching center to forward the incoming call to a designated number.

19. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of automatically responding includes instructing a mobile switching center to play a charge acceptance announcement to a calling party.

20. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of automatically responding includes instructing a mobile switching center to bill a calling party for the call.

21. A mobile switching center (MSC) for use in a cellular communication network, comprising:

a first communication interface for receiving instructions from a cellular telephone; and

a second communication interface for playing an announcement to a calling party in accordance with the instructions received from the cellular telephone.

22. The MSC of

claim 21

, wherein the first communication interface is also for receiving instructions from the cellular telephone to bill the calling party for a call, and further comprising a processor for billing the calling party for the call in accordance with the instructions received from the cellular telephone.

23. A telecommunications network, comprising:

a database for receiving instructions entered by a subscriber through an automated interface, and for storing the subscriber instructions; and

a network element for operation in accordance with the stored subscriber instructions.

24. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the network element is a stored program control switch.

25. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the network element is a network database.

26. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the network element is a service control point.

27. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the network element is an adjunct processor.

28. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the network element is an intelligent peripheral.

29. The telecommunications network of

claim 23

, wherein the automated interface includes a personal computer located at the subscriber premises.