PRIORITY-BASED PHONE CALL FILTERING

• US 20090088168A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: VARANASI, ANANTAKRISHNA KANTI
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• 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 mobile phone filters phone calls based on priority. The mobile phone determines a call priority of an incoming phone call based on the caller'"'"'s telephone number. The mobile phone also determines a threshold priority for the current time period based on a priority schedule. The mobile phone compares the call priority with the threshold priority to determine whether to block the incoming call. If the mobile phone blocks the incoming phone call, it may transmit a message to the caller suggesting a time for the caller to make the phone call again.

Claims

1. A method for filtering incoming calls by a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

storing a priority schedule that defines priority levels for time periods;

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;

determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority schedule; and

responsive to the threshold priority exceeding the call priority, blocking the incoming call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the threshold priority not exceeding the call priority, alerting the incoming call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicating device is a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call comprises:

identifying the telephone number of the incoming call;

determining a priority level of the telephone number; and

determining the priority level of the telephone number as the call priority of the incoming call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a suggested priority of the incoming call, the suggested priority being set by the caller,

wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call comprises;

identifying the telephone number of the incoming call,

determining an allowable range of the telephone number, and

determining the call priority of the incoming call based on the allowable range and the suggested priority.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call further comprises:

responsive to the suggested priority falling into the allowable range, determining the suggested priority as the call priority.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call further comprises:

responsive to the suggested priority exceeding a maximum allowable priority level of the allowable range, determining the maximum allowable priority level as the call priority.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call further comprises:

responsive to a minimum allowable priority level of the allowable range exceeding the suggested priority, determining the minimum allowable priority level as the call priority.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking the incoming call comprises:

determining time periods during which the incoming call would not be blocked based on the priority schedule;

generating a message identifying the time periods; and

sending the message to the caller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the threshold priority comprises:

determining a priority level for a current time period in the priority schedule as the threshold priority.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the threshold priority further comprises:

determining a calendar entry scheduled for the current time period; and

determining a priority level associated with the calendar entry as the threshold priority.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the threshold priority further comprises:

determining a calendar entry scheduled for the current time period;

determining a priority level by applying a priority rule applicable to the calendar entry as the threshold priority.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user command setting the mobile computing device in a high-priority mode for a predefined period of time, the high-priority mode associating with a high priority level,

wherein determining the threshold priority comprises determining the high priority level as the threshold priority during the predefined period of time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority schedule is imported from an external source.

15. A computer readable medium with stored instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

storing a priority schedule that defines priority levels for time periods;

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;

determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority schedule; and

responsive to the threshold priority exceeding the call priority, blocking the incoming call.

16. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a radio unit configured to communicate with a network;

a computer readable medium configured to store instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the radio unit and the computer readable medium, the processing unit configured to execute the instructions, the instructions configured to cause the processing unit to perform a method comprising;

storing a priority schedule that defines priority levels for time periods;

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;

determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority schedule; and

responsive to the threshold priority exceeding the call priority, blocking the incoming call.