Caller controlled network-based timed ring suppression
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- receiving an incoming communications signal in a communications network, the incoming communications signal including an interrupt code to disable timed ring suppression of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device;
verifying the interrupt code; and
if the interrupt code is verified, disabling the timed ring suppression, wherein the timed ring suppression suppresses a ringer of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert of the incoming communications signal such that subsequent audible alerts of the incoming communications signal are silenced according to a timing parameter and wherein the timed ring suppression further reactivates the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts according to the timing parameter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for timed ring suppression are disclosed. After a communications device receives an incoming call and the ringer is activated to produce an initial audible alert, the ringer of the communications device may be silenced for subsequent audible alerts until the calling party hangs up or until the call is further processed.
51 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an incoming communications signal in a communications network, the incoming communications signal including an interrupt code to disable timed ring suppression of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device;
verifying the interrupt code; and
if the interrupt code is verified, disabling the timed ring suppression, wherein the timed ring suppression suppresses a ringer of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert of the incoming communications signal such that subsequent audible alerts of the incoming communications signal are silenced according to a timing parameter and wherein the timed ring suppression further reactivates the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts according to the timing parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an incoming communications signal in a communications network, the incoming communications signal including an interrupt code to interrupt timed ring suppression of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device;
verifying the interrupt code by accessing a database of timed ring suppression profiles to determine whether the interrupt code corresponds to a caller control parameter of a timed ring suppression profile associated with the incoming communications signal; and
if the interrupt code is verified, interrupting timed ring suppression such that when the incoming communications signal is communicated to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the receiving party'"'"'s communications device presents a continuous indicator of the incoming communications signal while the receiving party'"'"'s communications device is in an on-hook state, wherein the timed ring suppression suppresses a communications indicator of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the indicator to produce an initial alert of the incoming communications signal such that subsequent alerts of the incoming communications signal are suppressed according to a timing parameter. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A system, comprising:
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a communications dataserver communicating with a communications network for detecting, decoding, and communicating an incoming communications signal on a communications link from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the communications dataserver further storing a timed ring suppression profile comprising at least one of (i) a telephone number, (ii) a directory name, (iii) a date/time identifier, (iv) a geographical identifier, (v) a caller control interrupt code, and (vi) a timing parameter for suppressing a communications indicator of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the communications indicator to produce an initial alert of the incoming communications signal; and
a timed ring suppression application communicating with at least one of the communications network, the communications dataserver, and the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the timed ring suppression application generating a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal for suppressing subsequent alerts by the communications indicator of the incoming communications signal according to the timed ring suppression profile, the timed ring suppression application further generating an interrupt timed ring suppression signal in response to receiving the caller control interrupt code, the interrupt timed ring suppression signal for temporarily disabling the timed ring suppression signal such that the communications indicator maintains a continuous, uninterrupted alert of the uninterrupted, on-hook incoming communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A caller controlled network based timed ring suppression system, comprising:
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a first switch communicating with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, the calling party'"'"'s communications device transmitting an incoming communications signal to a communications network;
the communications network operable to process an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal of the incoming communications signal to generate an interrupt timed ring suppression signal and operable to transmit the incoming communications signal and the interrupt timed ring suppression signal to a second switch; and
a second switch communicating the incoming communications signal and the interrupt timed ring suppression signal to a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the interrupt timed ring suppression signal overriding a timed ring suppressor of a timed ring suppression device such that when the incoming communications signal is communicated to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the receiving party'"'"'s communications device presents a continuous indicator of the incoming communications signal while the communications signal is in an uninterrupted, on-hook state. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification