System and method for incremental do-not-disturb

• US 20080298575A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rondeau, David E., Toner, Victoria M., Fisher, Jenny Lou, Blair, Randall Robert, Brunton, Jill B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A system and method for incremental do-not-disturb. User input is received to activate the incremental do-not-disturb. The incremental do-not-disturb is activated for a time period in response to receiving the user input to activate the incremental do-not-disturb. The incoming calls are diverted during the time period in response to activating the incremental do-not-disturb.

Claims

1. A method for incremental do-not-disturb, comprising:

receiving user input to activate the incremental do-not-disturb;

activating the incremental do-not-disturb for a time period in response to receiving the user input to activate the incremental do-not-disturb; and

diverting incoming calls during the time period in response to activating the incremental do-not-disturb.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input is received using any of a button or key code.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating the time period based on the user input.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving a plurality of do-not-disturb activation signals, wherein each of the do-not-disturb activation signals represents a time increment added to the time period to generate a new time period.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, activating, and diverting are performed by any of a home locator record, a wireless phone, a voice over Internet protocol phone, a class 5 switch, and a standard telephone.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

remaining in an incremental do-not-disturb state while the time period is active.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

processing the incoming calls normally in response to the time period expiring.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding additional time to the time period in response to receiving additional user input.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the time period is an expiry time for the incremental do-not-disturb state.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein diverting further comprises:

playing an incremental do-not-disturb message in response to receiving an incoming call.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the incremental do-not-disturb message announces the time remaining in the time period.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending the incoming call to voicemail after playing the incremental do-not-disturb message.

13. A telephone enabled for incremental do-not-disturb, comprising:

a function trigger for enabling a do-not-disturb feature based on user input; and

do-not-disturb logic configured to set a time period during which the telephone does not ring based on the user input.

14. The telephone according to claim 13, further comprising:

an incremental do-not-disturb button for incrementally increasing the time period.

15. The telephone according to claim 13, wherein the user input is a code specifying the time period.

16. The telephone according to claim 13, wherein the do-not-disturb logic decreases the time period based on additional user input.

17. The telephone according to claim 13, playing an incremental do-not-disturb message to a calling party.

18. The telephone according to claim 17, wherein the incremental do-not-disturb message specifies the time remaining in the time period.

19. The telephone according to claim 16, wherein the incremental do-not-disturb logic sends an incoming call to voicemail after playing the incremental do-not-disturb message.

20. The telephone according to claim 13, wherein the telephone is any of a Voice over Internet protocol phone, analog phone, digital phone, and wireless phone.

21. A server enabling incremental do-not-disturb, comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions;

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions;

receives user input to activate the incremental do-not-disturb feature for a telephone;

activates the incremental do-not-disturb feature for a time period in response to receiving the user input; and

diverts incoming calls during the time period.

22. The server according to claim 21, wherein the server intercepts the incoming calls and prevent the incoming calls from being received by a telephonic device.

23. The server according to claim 21, wherein the set of instructions play a message indicating the time period to parties associated with the incoming calls.

24. The server according to claim 21, wherein the set of instruction further receives additional user input to increase or decrease the time period by a time increment.