Method for processing an incoming call

• US 20070160186A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhengwei
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.150
• 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 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• 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

Abstract

A method for processing an incoming call, includes: an accessing call mark being preset in a called terminal; the called terminal, on receiving a call initiated by a calling party, determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal; if the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal, the called terminal putting through the call; otherwise, the called terminal terminating the call. The invention may solve the problems caused by various methods used in the prior art to avoid being disturbed by phone calls, such as missing important calls, extra service fee, partial protection against harassing telephone calls, and etc. The solution may ensure that the called user will not be disturbed by unimportant calls or harassing calls when the called user does not want to be disturbed, while ensuring that the called user will not miss any important call.

Claims

1. A method for processing an incoming call, comprising:

setting an accessing call mark set in a called terminal;

the called terminal, on receiving a call initiated by a calling party, determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal;

if the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal, putting through the call;

otherwise, terminating the call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accessing call mark set in the called terminal is a calling number;

correspondingly, a calling number registration list and an accessing code for allowing registering a calling number in the registration list are set in the called terminal, and the called terminal is arranged for recognizing a registration request initiated from a calling party for registering the calling number;

before determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal, the method further comprises;

a. determining whether the call is a registration request;

if the call is a registration request, further determining whether the registration request contains the accessing code;

if the registration request contains the accessing code, acquiring the calling number to be registered from the call and saving the calling number in the calling number registration list;

if the registration request does not contain the accessing code, refusing the registration and terminating the procedure;

if the call is not a registration request, determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal;

correspondingly, the step of determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal further comprises;

b. the called terminal determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the calling number registration list, if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the calling number registration list, confirming that the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal;

otherwise, confirming that the call does not contain the accessing call mark of the called terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a whitelist containing calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

in step a, before the called terminal determines whether the registration request contains the accessing code, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist, if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist, the called terminal terminating the procedure;

otherwise, the called terminal performing the step of determining whether the registration request contains the accessing code.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a blacklist saving calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

in step a, before the called terminal determines whether the call is a registration request, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, terminating the process;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the call is a registration request.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein a blacklist saving calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

in step a, before the called terminal determines whether the registration request contains the accessing code, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, refusing the registration and terminating the process;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the registration request contains the accessing code.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers and a blacklist saving calling numbers are set in the called terminal;

before the called terminal determines whether the call is a registration request in step a, the method further comprises;

c1. the called terminal determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, terminating the process;

otherwise, proceeding to Step c2;

c2. the called terminal further determining whether the calling number is contained in whitelist;

if the calling number is contained in whitelist, proceeding to Step a3;

otherwise, proceeding to step a without executing Step c3;

c3. determining whether the call is a registration request;

if the call is a registration request, terminating the procedure;

otherwise, putting through the call.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers and a blacklist saving calling numbers are set in the called terminal;

in step a, before the called terminal determines whether the call is a registration request, the method further comprises;

the called terminal determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, terminating the process;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the call is a registration request;

in Step a, before the called terminal determines whether the registration request contains the accessing code, the method further comprises;

the called terminal determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist, terminating the procedure;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the registration request contains the accessing code.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers and a blacklist saving calling numbers are set in the called terminal;

in step a, before the called terminal determines whether the registration request contains the accessing code, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist or the blacklist;

if the corresponding number of the call is contained in the whitelist, terminating the procedure;

if the corresponding number of the call is contained in the blacklist, directly terminating the call;

if the corresponding number of the call is contained in neither the whitelist nor the blacklist, performing the step of determining whether the registration request contains the preset accessing code.

9. The method according to claim 3, after a whitelist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the whitelist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the whiter list has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

10. The method according to claim 6, after a whitelist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the whitelist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the whiter list has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

11. The method according to claim 7, after a whitelist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the whitelist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the whiter list has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

12. The method according to claim 8, after a whitelist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the whitelist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the whiter list has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

13. The method according to claim 4, after a blacklist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

14. The method according to claim 5, after a blacklist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

15. The method according to claim 6, after a blacklist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

16. The method according to claim 7, after a blacklist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

17. The method according to claim 8, after a blacklist is set, further comprising:

the called terminal determining whether a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal;

if a calling number contained in the blacklist has been contained in the calling number registration list of the called terminal, deleting the calling number from the calling number registration list.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein the registration request is a short message;

in Step a, the step of determining whether the call is a registration request comprises;

determining whether the currently received call is a short message, if the received call is a short message, confirming that the call is a registration request;

otherwise, confirming that the call is not a registration request;

after the called terminal refuses the registration, and before the end of the procedure, the method further comprises;

processing the short message according to the normal procedure.

19. The method according to claim 2, wherein the registration request is a short message in which a mark of registration request is set;

in Step a, the called terminal determining whether the call is a registration request comprises;

determining whether the currently received call is a short message;

if the received call is a short message, further determining whether the mark of registration request is carried in the short message;

if the mark of registration request is carried in the short message, confirming that the call is a registration request;

if the mark of registration request is not carried in the short message, confirming that the call is not a registration request.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

before the called terminal terminates the call, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist, putting through the call, otherwise, performing the step of terminating the call.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting an accessing call mark in the called terminal comprises setting an accessing code;

the called terminal determining whether the call contains the accessing call mark of the called terminal comprises;

determining whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal itself.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the call is a short message, a multimedia short message, or user-to-user signal;

the call initiated by the calling party containing the accessing code comprises;

the contents of the call information containing the accessing code.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the call is a voice call;

the called terminal determining whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal comprises;

the called terminal putting through the call, and prompting the calling party to input the accessing code;

if the accessing code sent by the calling party is not received within a set time period, confirming that the call does not contain the accessing code;

otherwise, the called terminal acquiring the accessing code and determining whether the accessing code is the accessing code set by the called terminal.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the calling party sends the accessing code by dual tone multiple frequency signals, or frequency shift keying controlling signals, or signal, or voice;

and

the called terminal receives the accessing code via the dual multiple frequency signals, or the frequency shift keying controlling signals, or the signal, or the voice.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

before the called terminal determines whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal itself, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist, putting through the call;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal itself.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein a blacklist saving calling numbers is set in the called terminal;

before the called terminal determines whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal itself, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, terminating the call;

otherwise, performing the step of determining whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein a whitelist saving calling numbers and a blacklist saving calling numbers are set in the called terminal;

before the called terminal determines whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal itself, the method further comprises;

determining whether the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the whitelist or blacklist;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in whitelist, putting through the call;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in the blacklist, directly terminating the call;

if the corresponding calling number of the call is contained in neither the whitelist nor the blacklist, performing the step of determining whether the call contains the accessing code of the called terminal.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the call initiated by the calling is a short message, a multimedia short message, or user-to-user signal;

the called terminal terminating the current call comprises;

deleting the call information currently received.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the call initiated by the calling is a voice call, the called terminal terminating the current call comprises:

refusing to putting through the call;

or terminating the call.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the terminal is a mobile terminal, a fixed terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a portable device.