Method of Responding to an Incoming Call
First Claim
1. A method of responding to an incoming call destined for a personal voice communication device, the method comprising:
- providing a user alert in response to the incoming call; and
performing a courtesy hold process, comprising;
answering the incoming call,sending a courtesy hold message as a response to the incoming call, andputting the incoming call temporarily on hold.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An incoming call destined for a personal voice communication device is responded to by providing a user alert in response to the incoming call and performing a courtesy hold process. In the courtesy hold process, the incoming call is answered, a courtesy hold message is sent as a response to the incoming call and, at the end of the courtesy hold message, the incoming call is put temporarily on hold. The courtesy hold process allows a recipient located in a telephone conversation-inappropriate location to answer the incoming call without needing to speak and then, while the incoming call is on hold, to move to a location where a telephone conversation would be appropriate to take the call. The call responding process may be performed by the recipient'"'"'s personal voice communication device or by an intermediate communication device with which the recipient'"'"'s personal voice communication device is in communication.
51 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of responding to an incoming call destined for a personal voice communication device, the method comprising:
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providing a user alert in response to the incoming call; and performing a courtesy hold process, comprising; answering the incoming call, sending a courtesy hold message as a response to the incoming call, and putting the incoming call temporarily on hold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A personal voice communication device, comprising:
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a communication system operable to send and receive calls and to provide a user alert in response to an incoming call; a message store storing data representing a courtesy hold message; and a processor coupled to the communication system and the message store, the processor operable to cause the communication system to answer the incoming call, to transfer the courtesy hold message from the message store to the communication system, to cause the communication system to send the courtesy hold message as a response to the incoming call, and to cause the communication system to put the incoming call temporarily on hold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An intermediate communication device, comprising:
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a communication system operable to send and receive a communication signal; a message store storing data representing a courtesy hold message; and a processor coupled to the communication system and the message store, the processor operable to cause the communication system to answer an incoming call, to transfer the courtesy hold message from the message store to the communication system, to cause the communication system to send the courtesy hold message as a response to the incoming call, and to cause the communication system to put the incoming call temporarily on hold. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of responding to an incoming call destined for a personal voice communication device, the method comprising:
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providing a user alert in response to the incoming call; and sending a courtesy hold message indication as a response to the incoming call. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification