Incoming call screening, control and prioritisation in a telephone device

• US 20060182248A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Alan Andrew, Stuart, Julie
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A circuit for a telephone such as a mobile radiotelephone. The circuit has a memory for storing phonebook items and for storing group attributes associated with phonebook items, a connection to a radiotelephone receiver for receiving telephone calls and calling party identifications, and a controller for selecting the disposition of received calls. An operating mode is selected (45) from a plurality of operating modes, e.g. “Personal”, “emergency”, “personal-plus-emergency”, “all calls”, “no calls”, etc. A received calling party identification is compared (42) with a phonebook item, and a disposition for a received call (46, 47, 48, 49) is selected dependent on a group attribute for that phonebook item and a present opersting mode.

Claims

1. A circuit for a telephone, the circuit having:

a memory for storing phonebook items and for storing group attributes associated with phonebook items;

means for receiving calling party identifications for received telephone calls; and

a controller for selecting the disposition of received calls, the controller comprising means for selecting an operating mode from a plurality of operating modes, means for comparing a received calling party identification with a phonebook item, and means for selecting a disposition for a received call dependent on a group attribute for that phonebook item and a present operating mode.

2. A circuit according to claim 1, wherein the memory is arranged to store phonebook items in the form of individual telephone numbers and to store plural group attributes for an individual telephone number.

3. A circuit according to claim 2, wherein, for a telephone number having plural group attributes, the means for selecting a disposition for a received call selects a disposition in accordance with a hierarchy of prioritized dispositions.

4. A telephone device comprising a circuit according to claim 1 in combination with a radiotelephone receiver for receiving the telephone calls and the calling party identifications.

5. A telephone device according to claim 4, further comprising an alert generator for alerting a user to an incoming call, wherein the means for selecting selectively activates the alert generator.

6. A telephone device according to claim 4, further comprising first and second alert generators for alerting a user to incoming calls, wherein the means for selecting selectively activates a selected one of the fist and second alert generators.

7. A telephone device according to claim 4, further comprising a voice recorder, wherein the means for selecting selectively activates the voice recorder.

8. A telephone device according to claim 4, further comprising a user interface capable of presenting a plurality of optional modes to a user and selection means enabling a user to select and store a mode from the optional modes.

9. A method of handling incoming calls in a telephone device, comprising:

maintaining a store of telephone numbers with associated group attributes;

receiving an incoming call with a caller identifier;

searching the store for a telephone number matching the caller identifier; and

where a matching telephone number is found, selecting a disposition of the call dependent on a group attribute for the matching telephone number and on a present operating mode.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of selecting a disposition comprises selecting a disposition from a set of alternative dispositions that includes alerting a user and switching to a message recording service.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the set of alternative dispositions includes generating an audible alert and generating a non-audible alert.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the set of alternative dispositions includes diverting the call to an alternative telephone number.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of selecting a disposition of a call comprises selecting one of a hierarchical set of dispositions when a matching telephone number has more than one group attribute.

14. A computer software product having stored thereon instructions and data which, when loaded into the memory of a processor coupled to a radiotelephone receiver, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 9.