Method and apparatus for avoiding call disturbances and facilitating urgent calls based on a caller's decision

• US 20070275697A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farhad Aminzadeh
• Original Assignee: Farhad Aminzadeh
• Inventors: Aminzadeh, Farhad
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A telecommunication system and method for notifying a calling party, via a Preventive Disturbance Announcement (PDA), that a called party is in an area where the called party would prefer not to be disturbed with non-urgent calls. The calling party is then given the opportunity to either talk to the mobile called party or to leave a message or callback number. If the calling party decides to try to talk to the user, a Home Location Register (HLR) directs the call to a Visitor Location Register (VLR), and a mobile ending call is generated via a Mobile Switching Center (MSC). For non-urgent calls, the called party is given an option to refuse a voice mail page or Caller ID page of the non-urgent calls. The HLR will direct the Short Message Service (SMS) Service Center (SMS/SC) to store, in a buffer or external source, the Caller ID of non-urgent calls that were not connected to the called party while the PDA was active. To set up the PDA, a request message, which contains an indicator that is similar to that of the setup message in the mobile originating call, is sent by the mobile station to the MSC requesting the PDA. When the MS is out of a silence-desired area, or desires to end the PDA, a message is sent to the MSC similar to that of the mobile originating call. This message signals the VLR and, eventually, the HLR that the PDA should be terminated. Subsequent calls to the called party will result in call setup taking place as normal without any Prevention Disturbance Announcement. Furthermore, the called party is paged with voice mail received page(s), a number of voice mail(s) received page and Caller ID page(s) of non-urgent calls. This disclosure includes an auxiliary unit, which might be physically separate from the Mobile Station (MS) or embedded within the MS, dictating silence communication to take place with the MSC and the MS while the MS is in a silence-desired environment. Finally, this specification describes a Preventive Disturbance Message (PDM), which will work similarly to the described PDA concept in preventing SMS text message or other SMS message disturbance avoidance and urgent SMS message facilitation based on the calling party'"'"'s decision.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

a receipt circuit to receive a message directed to the subscriber;

a state evaluation circuit to determine whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state; and

a message handling circuit to store or forward the received message to the subscriber, depending upon whether the subscriber is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message handling circuit forwards a notification message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the message handling circuit is adapted to receive a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuits are one or more appropriately programmed computers.

7. A method for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a message directed to the subscriber;

b) determining whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state; and

c) storing or forwarding the received message to the subscriber, depending upon whether the subscriber is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step c) includes forwarding a notification message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step c) includes receiving a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the steps are performed by appropriately programmed computers.

13. An apparatus for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a message directed to the subscriber;

means for determining whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state; and

means for storing, or forwarding the received message to the subscribers depending upon whether the subscriber is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for storing, or forwarding the received message includes means for forwarding a notification message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for storing, or forwarding the received message includes means for receiving a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving a message directed to the subscriber, the means for determining whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state, and the means for storing, or forwarding the received message to the subscriber are performed by appropriately programmed computers.

19. An apparatus for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

a first circuit to cause the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network;

a receipt circuit to receive the message directed to the network;

a state evaluation circuit to determine whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state; and

a message handling circuit to store the message directed to the network or forward the message to the network, depending upon whether the mobile system is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile system is physically linked to the first circuit.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile system is wirelessly linked to the first circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and the first circuit is embedded within the hardware and software of the network.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first circuit causes the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the location of the mobile system is determined by the Global Positioning System.

25. A method for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising the steps of:

a) causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network;

b) receiving the message directed to the network;

c) determining whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state; and

d) storing the message directed to the network or forwarding the message to the network, depending upon whether the mobile system is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes physically linking the mobile system and the network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes wirelessly linking the mobile system and the network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and step a) is performed by hardware and software embedded within the network.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes causing the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein step a) includes locating the mobile system by using the Global Positioning System.

31. An apparatus for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network;

means for receiving the message directed to the network;

means for determining whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state; and

means for storing the message directed to the network or forwarding the message to the network, depending upon whether the mobile system is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the mobile system is physically linked to the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the mobile system is wirelessly linked to the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message is embedded within the hardware and software of the network.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message causes the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the location of the mobile system is determined by the Global Positioning System.