Telephone call screening and routing device and related method

• US 20050129206A1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley J. Martin
• Original Assignee: Bradley J. Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Bradley J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.10
• 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 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method for screening and routing incoming telephone calls includes extracting caller identification information from an incoming telephone call, providing a plurality of tables including a primary ring table, a secondary ring table, a voicemail table, a block call table, and a forward call table, and determining which one of the plurality of tables includes the caller identification information. The method also includes allowing the incoming telephone call to have a primary ring tone if the primary ring table includes the caller identification information, and allowing the incoming telephone call to have a secondary ring tone if the secondary ring table includes the caller identification information. The method further includes sending the incoming telephone call directly to voicemail without having a ring tone if the voicemail table includes the caller identification information, blocking the incoming telephone call if the block call table includes the caller identification information, and forwarding the incoming telephone call if the forward call table includes the caller identification information.

Claims

1. A method for screening and routing an incoming call from a caller, comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone signal including caller identification information from a caller;

identifying an entry in a data set that matches the caller identification information;

extracting an identifier from the entry in the data set; and

based on the identifier, selecting one of a set including (1) sending a primary ring signal, (2) sending a secondary ring signal, (3) sending a voicemail signal, (4) sending a block call signal, and (5) sending a forward call signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identification information includes a name and a telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry includes a name and a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set includes a plurality of names and a plurality of telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is selected from a group consisting of a primary ring identifier, a secondary ring identifier, a voicemail identifier, a block call identifier, and a forward call identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the primary ring signal on a telephone if the identifier is the primary ring identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the secondary ring signal on a telephone if the identifier is the secondary ring identifier.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a message on a telephone indicating that a call has been sent to voicemail if the identifier is the voicemail identifier.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a message on a telephone indicating that a call has been blocked if the identifier is the block call identifier.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a message on a telephone indicating that a call has been forwarded if the identifier is the forward call identifier.

11. A method for screening and routing incoming telephone calls, comprising:

extracting caller identification information from an incoming telephone call;

providing a plurality of tables including a primary ring table, a secondary ring table, a voicemail table, a block call table, and a forward call table;

determining which one of the plurality of tables includes the caller identification information;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a primary ring tone if the primary ring table includes the caller identification information;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a secondary ring tone if the secondary ring table includes the caller identification information;

sending the incoming telephone call directly to voicemail without having a ring tone if the voicemail table includes the caller identification information;

blocking the incoming telephone call if the block call table includes the caller identification information; and

forwarding the incoming telephone call if the forward call table includes the caller identification information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the caller identification information includes a name, a telephone number, or a caller unavailable identifier.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of tables includes a name, a telephone number, a caller unavailable identifier, or an all other calls identifier.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a message to a telephone indicating that the incoming telephone call has been sent to voicemail if the voicemail table includes the caller identification information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a message to a telephone indicating that the incoming telephone call has been blocked if the block call table includes the caller identification information.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a message to a telephone indicating that the incoming telephone call has been forwarded if the forward call table includes the caller identification information.

17. A device for screening and routing incoming telephone calls, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving an incoming telephone call including caller identification information;

a memory for storing a plurality of entries where each of the plurality of entries includes an identifier selected from one of a set including (1) a primary ring, (2) a secondary ring, (3) a voicemail, (4) a block call, and (5) a forward call; and

a processor for matching the caller identification information to one of the plurality of entries and for;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a primary ring tone if the identifier of the matched entry is the primary ring;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a secondary ring tone if the identifier of the matched entry is the secondary ring;

sending the incoming telephone call directly to voicemail without having a ring tone if the identifier of the matched entry is the voicemail;

blocking the incoming telephone call if the identifier of the matched entry is the block call; and

forwarding the incoming telephone call if the identifier of the matched entry is the forward call.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the caller identification information includes a name and a telephone number.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of entries includes a name and a telephone number.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the blocking the incoming telephone call includes disconnecting the incoming telephone call.