Caller control system

• US 20020114431A1
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David J. Harris, Lee Maples, Mark A. Mcbride
• Original Assignee: David J. Harris, Lee Maples, Mark A. Mcbride
• Inventors: Harris, David J., Maples, Lee, McBride, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/920,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20020114431A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• 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 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip

Abstract

A Caller Control System designed to give a person with a telephone full control of their phone calls by providing, in addition to Caller I.D. the ability to send unwanted calls directly to a Voice Mail system without causing the phone to ring.

Claims

1. An improved Caller Control System for a receiving telephone line, comprising:

a Caller I.D. system for the telephone line;

a voice mail system for the receiving line; and

a Caller Control System coupled to the receiving line and the Caller I.D. and voice mail systems which provide password controlled protection against incoming telephone calls to the receiving line and which shunts incoming calls to a voice mail system or releases the call without ringing, unless the incoming caller properly accesses the Caller Control System with an appropriate password or is on an approved caller list.