Timed ring suppressor

• US 20040266490A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

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.

Claims

1. A timed ring suppressor device, comprising:

a database of timed ring suppression profiles including at least one of (i) an identifier of reference data associated with an incoming line identification signal and (ii) a timing parameter for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives an incoming call and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert;

a processor for processing operations with a timed ring suppression program and for processing operations with a timed ring suppressor;

the timed ring suppression program for accessing, inputting, and managing a timed ring suppression profile;

memory for storing at least one of (i) the timed ring suppression program and (ii) the database of timed ring suppression profiles; and

the timed ring suppressor for suppressing the ringer of the communications device, wherein the timed ring suppressor silences subsequent audible alerts of the incoming call according to the timed ring suppression profile.

2. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit coupling the timed ring suppressor and the ringer of the communications device, the circuit responsive to the timed ring suppressor to enable timed ring suppression of the ringer, and the circuit further responsive to the timed ring suppressor to disable timed ring suppression of the ringer.

3. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

the communications device for communicating with a communications network, the communications network communicating the incoming line identification signal to at least one of the communications device and the timed ring suppressor device.

4. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises at least one of a wireless communications device, a POTS phone, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a WAP phone, an IP phone, a satellite phone, a computer, a modem, a pager, a digital music device, a digital recording device, a personal digital assistant, an interactive television, a digital signal processor, and a Global Positioning System device.

5. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a keyboard subsystem for communicating data to the timed ring suppressor device, the keyboard subsystem comprising at least one of the following;

a keyboard;

a punch button; and

a stylus.

6. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display for communicating visual data; and

an audio subsystem for communicating audio data.

7. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for visually alerting of a timed ring suppressed call.

8. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source for the timed ring suppressor device.

9. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 8, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

10. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 3, further comprising:

a system controller operating with the processor to control communications with at least one of the communications device, the timed ring suppressor device, and the communications network.

11. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, wherein the identifier of reference data associated with an incoming line identification signal comprises at least one of (i) a telephone number associated with the incoming line identification signal, (ii) a directory name associated with the incoming line identification signal, (iii) a date/time identifier associated with the incoming line identification signal, (iv) a geographical identifier associated with the incoming line identification signal, and (v) a caller control signal associated with the incoming line identification signal.

12. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, the database of timed ring suppression profiles further comprising a telephone number dialed from the communications device.

13. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, the timed ring suppression caller identification program controlling a timed ring suppression caller identification organizer, the organizer sorting data by at least one of the following (i) the telephone number associated with the incoming line identification signal, (ii) the outgoing telephone number dialed from the communications device, and (iii) a name associated with at least one of the telephone number, the outgoing telephone number, and the caller control signal.

14. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 1, wherein the timing parameter ranges from approximately six seconds to greater than six seconds to suppress one or more subsequent rings of the ringer.

15. A timed ring suppressor device, comprising:

at least one input/output processor to access, input, and output a timed ring suppression profile, the timed ring suppression profile comprising at least one of (i) an identifier of a calling party, (ii) a communications address, (iii) an identifier of a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (iv) a timing parameter for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives an incoming call and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert;

at least one communications device interface for interconnecting a timed ring suppressor circuit with at least one of a communications network and the communications device;

a memory device for storing the timed ring suppression profile; and

a processor communicating with the memory device, the processor operating with a timed ring suppression program for processing the incoming call according to the timed ring suppression profile, the timed ring suppression program residing in the memory device.

16. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 15, further comprising at least one of:

a display console;

a keyboard;

a punch button;

a stylus;

an audio recorder; and

an audio/video player.

17. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one of a wireless communications transceiver and a wired communications port for communicating with at least one of the communications network, the calling party'"'"'s communications device, and a data network.

18. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 15, further comprising:

a biometric sensor for identifying a user of the timed ring suppressor device.

19. A timed ring suppressor device, comprising:

a timed ring suppressor for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives an incoming call and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert, wherein the timed ring suppressor silences one or more subsequent audible alerts of the incoming call according to a timing parameter; and

a circuit coupling the timed ring suppressor and the ringer of the communications device, the circuit responsive to the timed ring suppressor to enable timed ring suppression of the ringer while the incoming call is in an uninterrupted on-hook state and the circuit further responsive to the timed ring suppressor to disable timed ring suppression while the incoming call is in an uninterrupted on-hook state.

20. The timed ring suppressor device of claim 19, wherein the timing parameter ranges from approximately six seconds to greater than six seconds to suppress one or more subsequent rings of the ringer.

21. A method for timed ring suppression, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming call to a communications device of a communications network, the incoming call activating a ringer of the communications device to produce an audible alert;

enabling a user to suppress the ringer such that a subsequent audible alert of the incoming call is silenced according to a timing parameter, the timing parameter ranging from approximately six seconds to greater than six seconds, the incoming call in an uninterrupted on-hook state while the ringer is suppressed.