Method and apparatus for incoming call pause notification

• US 20050227740A1
• Filed: 03/27/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Orbach, Julian James
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called telecommunication terminal. The incoming call is answered by the telecommunication terminal or a switching system to which the telecommunication terminal is connected in response to an input from the user when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call. An audio path of the answered call is muted from communication with the user. A message is transmitted to the calling party where the message is selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called telecommunication terminal, comprising the steps of:

answering the incoming call by the telecommunication terminal in response to an input from the user when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call;

muting an audio path of the answered call from communication with the user; and

transmitting a message that is selected by the user to the calling party.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of maintaining the incoming call from the calling party with the audio path muted to the user;

and

allowing audio communication by the user with calling party in response to another input from the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of terminating the incoming call after transmission of the message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is an audio message and the audio message is transmitted via the audio path to the calling party.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of inserting comprises converting the time to audio information for insertion into the predefined message.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises the step of recording the predefined message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a text message.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmission of the text message is via a text messaging link.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprises the step of entering the predefined message.

59. An apparatus for implementing the steps of claim 1.

12. A method for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called wireless handset, comprising the steps of:

answering the incoming call by the wireless handset in response to one of at least an input from the user or a predefined amount of movement of the wireless handset when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call;

muting an audio path of the answered call from communication with the user; and

transmitting a message that is selected by the user to the calling party.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises the step of maintaining the incoming call from the calling party with the audio path muted to the user;

and

allowing audio communication by the user with calling party in response to another input from the user.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprises the step of terminating the incoming call after transmission of the message.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the message is an audio message and the audio message is transmitted via the audio path to the calling party.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of inserting comprises converting the time to audio information for insertion into the predefined message.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises the step of recording the predefined message.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the message is a text message.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmission of the text message is via a text messaging link.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprises the step of entering the predefined message.

60. An apparatus for implementing the steps of claim 12.

23. A method for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called telecommunication terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message to a wireless switching system in response to the incoming call by the telecommunication terminal in response to an input from the user when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call;

transmitting by the wireless switching system a message that is selected by the user to the calling party; and

placing the incoming call on hold by the wireless switching system.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprises the step of taking the incoming call off of hold and establishing audio communication between the user and calling party in response to another input from the user.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprises the step of terminating the incoming call after transmission of the message.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the message is an audio message and the audio message is transmitted via a voice messaging system.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of inserting comprises converting the time to audio information for insertion into the predefined message.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprises the step of recording the predefined message by the user.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the message is a text message.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprises the steps of receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the transmission of the text message is via a text messaging link.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprises the step of entering the predefined message.

34. A processor-readable medium for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called wireless handset, comprising processor-executable instructions configured for:

answering the incoming call by the wireless handset in response to one of at least an input from the user or a predefined amount of movement of the wireless handset when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call;

muting an audio path of the answered call from communication with the user; and

transmitting a message that is selected by the user to the calling party.

35. The processor-readable medium of claim 34 further comprises maintaining the incoming call from the calling party with the audio path muted to the user;

and

allowing audio communication by the user with calling party in response to another input from the user.

36. The processor-readable medium of claim 34 further comprises terminating the incoming call after transmission of the message.

37. The processor-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the message is an audio message and the audio message is transmitted via the audio path to the calling party.

38. The processor-readable medium of claim 37 further comprises receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

39. The processor-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the inserting comprises converting the time to audio information for insertion into the predefined message.

40. The processor-readable medium of claim 39 further comprises recording the predefined message.

41. The processor-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the message is a text message.

42. The processor-readable medium of claim 41 further comprises receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

43. The processor-readable medium of claim 41 wherein the transmission of the text message is via a text messaging link.

44. The processor-readable medium of claim 42 further comprises entering the predefined message.

45. A processor-readable medium for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called telecommunication terminal, comprising processor-executable instructions configured for:

transmitting a message to a wireless switching system in response to the incoming call by the telecommunication terminal in response to an input from the user when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call;

transmitting by the wireless switching system a message that is selected by the user to the calling party; and

placing the incoming call on hold by the wireless switching system.

46. The processor-readable medium of claim 45 further comprises taking the incoming call off of hold and establishing audio communication between the user and calling party in response to another input from the user.

47. The processor-readable medium of claim 45 further comprises terminating the incoming call after transmission of the message.

48. The processor-readable medium of claim 45 wherein the message is an audio message and the audio message is transmitted via a voice messaging system.

49. The processor-readable medium of claim 48 further comprises receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

50. The processor-readable medium of claim 49 wherein the inserting comprises converting the time to audio information for insertion into the predefined message.

51. The processor-readable medium of claim 50 further comprises recording the predefined message by the user.

52. The processor-readable medium of claim 45 wherein the message is a text message.

53. The processor-readable medium of claim 52 further comprises receiving a time specifying the delay;

and

inserting the time into a predefined message.

54. The processor-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the transmission of the text message is via a text messaging link.

55. The processor-readable medium of claim 53 further comprises entering the predefined message.

56. An apparatus for alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a communication terminal, comprising:

means for detecting the incoming call while the communication terminal is not engaged in another call;

means for detecting movement of the communication terminal; and

means for transmitting a message to the calling party upon detection of the incoming call and movement.

57. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the means for transmitting comprises means for sending a textual message.

58. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the means for transmitting comprises means for sending a textual message.