Telephone system with emergency override for caller to bypass telephone answering device and cause phone of called party to ring

• US 20060078105A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayley Korn, Jon Korn
• Original Assignee: Hayley Korn, Jon Korn
• Inventors: Korn, Hayley, Korn, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/210.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A telephone system allowing a caller whose call is intercepted by a telephone answering machine (TAD) to hear an alternate outgoing message from the TAD with instructions allowing the caller, who feels his/her call is an emergency, to override the TAD and cause the user'"'"'s phone to ring anyway. This invention being applicable to wired and cellular phones and to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and cable system phones.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing incoming telephone calls for subscribers of a carrier providing telephone service over a network, comprising:

a. receiving a signal associated with a call-blocking feature from a subscriber;

b. in response to receiving said call-blocking signal, providing an outgoing priority call message for playback to callers calling said subscriber, said priority call message providing instructions for changing a current call to the subscriber into a priority call to the subscriber; and

c. routing a priority call from a caller to the subscriber over the network in response to receiving indication from the caller that a current incoming call is said priority call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a signal associated with the call blocking feature comprises, receiving a packetized signal from a telephone of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority call message further comprises at least one of an instruction how to leave a message in voice mail and an instruction how to terminate the current call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said routing a priority call from a caller to the subscriber comprises:

monitoring whether said routed priority call to said subscriber is unanswered by said subscriber, and if so, selecting a normal outgoing greeting message for playback to the caller after a predetermined metric that the call continues in an unanswered state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an incoming message from the caller for playback by the subscriber at a later time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said routing a priority call from a caller to the subscriber over the network comprises routing said priority call over one of a cellular telephone network and a packet switched network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a. providing an outgoing greeting message for playback to callers to a subscriber in response to receiving a signal associated with normal telephone operation from said subscriber, said outgoing greeting message providing instructions for leaving a message for the subscriber; and

b. recording a caller message in response to an incoming call from a caller being routed to the subscriber and going unanswered after a predetermined metric.

8. An apparatus for prioritizing incoming telephone calls for subscribers of a carrier providing telephone service over a network including at least one router for routing packetized telephone calls over the network, said apparatus comprising:

a. a voice mail system communicating with said router for storing (1) incoming messages for a subscriber from at least one caller, and (2) outgoing messages from the subscriber for any caller making a call to said subscriber, said outgoing messages including a normal greeting and a priority call message; and

b. a controller communicating with said router and said voice mail system, said controller operable to;

(1) to select the outgoing normal greeting for playback to a caller in one of a default mode of operation and in response to receiving a normal mode of operation signal from the subscriber;

(2) to select the outgoing priority message for playback to a caller in response to receiving a call block mode of operation signal from the subscriber;

(3) to override said call block mode of operation in response to receiving a designated signal that a current incoming call from a caller is a priority call; and

(4) to enable the priority call to be routed to the subscriber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said network includes a packet switch network.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said router is facilitated at a mobile switching center (MSC) of a cellular network.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said normal mode of operation signal is sent to said controller from a telephone of the subscriber.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said subscriber telephone comprises one of a cellular telephone and computer having voice-over IP capabilities.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said controller is further operable to monitor calls to said subscriber that go unanswered for a predetermined metric, and select the normal greeting to instruct the caller to leave an incoming message for the subscriber.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said controller further comprises a caller identification feature for identifying a caller to the subscriber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said controller further comprises a database for storing a list of callers authorized to make a priority call to the subscriber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said controller routs callers listed as authorized to make a priority call directly to a subscriber without said authorized callers having to respond to said priority message.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said controller further comprises a database for storing a list of callers unauthorized to make a priority call to the subscriber.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said controller prohibits said callers listed as unauthorized from making a priority call to a subscriber, and selects the outgoing normal greeting for playback to the unauthorized caller.

19. An apparatus for prioritizing incoming telephone calls for subscribers of a carrier providing telephone service over a network, comprising:

a. a router for routing packetized telephone calls over the network;

b. a voice mail system communicating with said router for storing (1) incoming messages for a subscriber from at least one caller, and (2) outgoing messages from the subscriber for any caller making a call to said subscriber, said outgoing messages including a normal greeting and a priority call message; and

c. a controller communicating with said router and said voice mail system, said controller operable;

(1) to select the outgoing normal greeting for playback to a caller in one of a default mode of operation and in response to receiving a normal mode of operation signal from the subscriber;

(2) to select the outgoing priority message for playback to a caller in response to receiving a “

call block mode of operation”

signal from the subscriber;

(3) to override said “

call block mode of operation”

in response to receiving a designated signal that a current incoming call from a caller is a priority call; and

(4) to enable the priority call to be routed to the subscriber.

20. A mobile station adapted for sending at least one mode of operation signal for prioritizing incoming telephone calls for a subscriber receiving telephone service from a service provider over a communications network, said mobile station comprising:

a. a memory for storing information associated with at least two modes of operation of said telephone, said at least two modes of operation comprising a normal mode of operation and a call-blocking and prioritizing mode of operation;

b. a selector for selecting each of said modes of operation by said subscriber;

c. a transmitter for transmitting a selected mode of operation to said service provider; and

d. a controller for controlling operation of said telephone in response to receiving a mode of operation signal from said selector, and operable to instruct said transmitter to transmit the selected mode of operation signal to said service provider.

21. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said selector is one of a button and a switch.

22. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said telephone is a cellular telephone.

23. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said communications network includes a packet switched network.

24. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said memory includes a list of authorized callers.

25. The mobile station of claim 24, wherein incoming calls from an authorized caller on said list are routed directly to said subscriber during said call-blocking and prioritization mode of operation.

26. The mobile station of claim 20, wherein said memory includes a list of unauthorized callers.

27. The mobile station of claim 26, wherein incoming calls from an unauthorized caller on said list are sent directly to voice mail during said call-blocking and prioritization mode of operation, and without an opportunity to make a priority call to said subscriber.

28. A mobile station adapted for prioritizing incoming telephone calls, said mobile station comprising:

a. a memory for storing information associated with at least two modes of operation of said mobile station, said at least two modes of operation comprising a normal mode of operation and a call-blocking and prioritizing mode of operation, said memory for further storing a normal outgoing message and an outgoing priority message;

b. a selector adapted for selecting each of said modes of operation by a user;

c. a transmitter for transmitting an outgoing priority message in response to selection of said call-blocking and prioritizing mode of operation;

d. a controller for controlling operation of said mobile station in response to receiving a mode of operation signal from said selector, and being operable to direct said transmitter to transmit the normal outgoing message to a caller during the normal mode of operation and transmit the outgoing priority message to a caller during the call-blocking and prioritizing mode of operation; and

e. an incoming call alert device electrically coupled to said selector, said alert device being activated during said normal mode of operation and deactivated during said call-blocking and prioritizing mode of operation, wherein said outgoing priority message provides instructions to a caller how to allow the caller to send a signal to the user'"'"'s mobile station to override the deactivation of the alert device.