Network-based timed ring suppression

• US 20070121921A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/376.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

After a communications device receives an incoming communication and an alert is activated to produce an initial incoming communications alert, the alert of the communications device may selectively be deactivated for subsequent alerts until the initiating party terminates the incoming communication or until the incoming communication is further processed.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing timed ring suppression, the system comprising:

a timed ring suppression application communicating with a receiving party'"'"'s communications device via a communications network, the timed ring suppression application accessing a timed ring suppression profile comprising (i) an identifier of timed ring suppression reference data and (ii) a timing parameter for suppressing an incoming communications alert of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the incoming communications alert to produce an initial alert of the incoming communications signal, and the timed ring suppression application further generating a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal for silencing subsequent alerts of the incoming communications signal according to the timed ring suppression profile,

wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated by the communications network to a communications address associated with the receiving party'"'"'s communications device such that the incoming communications alert of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device produces the initial alert and such that subsequent audible alerts are silenced according to the timing parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network, a mobile switching telephone communications network, and a satellite communications network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving party'"'"'s communications device comprises:

a POTS phone,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.

4. The system of claim 1, the communications network further comprising a data network having a timed ring suppression interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, or an extranet.

5. The system of claim 1, the communications network further comprising a speech-to-text interface with the timed ring suppression application, the speech-to-text interface operable to configure an audio format of timed ring suppression parameters for the timed ring suppression profile to a text format of timed ring suppression parameters for the timed ring suppression profile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the timed ring suppression application controls timed ring suppression services comprising (i) billing for communication of the timed ring suppression signal over the communications network, (ii) a schedule parameter that enables timed ring suppression for times of day and days of week, (iii) a deactivate schedule parameter that disables timed ring suppression for times of day and days of week, (iv) an identification and authentication parameter associated with the receiving party communications device, (v) memory services for data stored with timed ring suppression signals, and (vi) configuration and formatting preferences for each receiving party communications device communicating with the communications network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier of timed ring suppression reference data comprises (i) a telephone number, (ii) a directory name, (iii) a date/time identifier, (iv) a geographical identifier, (v) a caller control signal, (vi) a data communications network address, and (vii) a Voice over Internet Protocol communications address and wherein the incoming communications alert comprises at least one of (i) an audible indicator, (ii) a vibrator, (iii) a visual indicator, and (iv) a sensory indicator.

8. The system of claim 7, the timed ring suppression reference data is associated with at least one of the incoming communications signal and an outgoing communications signal.

9. A timed ring suppression system, comprising:

a communications server in communication with a communications network, the communications server processing an incoming communication, the incoming communication from an originating communications address to a destination communications address associated with a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the incoming communication comprising an incoming communications address identification signal, the communications server also processing a timed ring suppression signal for the destination communications address, the timed ring suppression signal for suppressing an incoming communications alert of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the incoming communications alert to produce an initial alert of the incoming communication such that subsequent alerts are deactivated according to a timing parameter,

wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated by the communications network to the destinations communications address associated with the receiving party'"'"'s communications device such that the incoming communications alert of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device produces the initial alert and such that subsequent alerts are silenced according to the timing parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the timing parameter ranges from approximately one second to approximately two minutes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the timing parameter is greater than two minutes.

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

processing a communications signal, the communications signal from an originating party communications device to a destination party communications device via a communications network;

associating an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal with the communications signal;

associating a timed ring suppression profile with the ICLID signal, the timed ring suppression profile comprising (i) an identifier of a originating party, (ii) a communications address, (iii) an identifier of a originating party'"'"'s communications device, (iv) a timing parameter for suppressing an incoming communications alert of a communications device after the communications device receives the incoming communications signal and after the communications device activates the alert to produce an initial alert; and

generating a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal silencing subsequent alerts of the incoming communication according to the timing parameter, the timed ring suppression signal reactivates the alert to produce subsequent unsuppressed alerts according to the timing parameter,

wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated via the communications network to the destination party communications device such that the timed ring suppression signal silences subsequent alerts of the incoming communication according to the timing parameter, and such that the timed ring suppression signal reactivates the alert to produce subsequent unsuppressed alerts according to the timing parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

communicating at least one of the communications signal and the timed ring suppression signal to the destination party communications device;

allowing the alert of the communications device to produce an initial alert; and

suppressing subsequent alerts of the alert according to the timing parameter.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

presenting data associated with at least one of the communications signal and the timed ring suppression signal to the communications device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating the timed ring suppression signal comprises generating the timed ring suppression signal according to the timing parameter, the timing parameter ranging from approximately one second to approximately two minutes.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating the timed ring suppression signal comprises generating the timed ring suppression signal according to the timing parameter, the timing parameter greater than two minutes.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

reactivating the alert to produce subsequent unsuppressed alerts of the alert according to the timing parameter.