Method and Apparatus for Incoming Call Filtration and Message Delivery

• US 20130078963A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Watson, David L., Giuli, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US13/242,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes detecting an incoming call to a wireless device in communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS). The method further includes determining that a do not disturb (DND) feature is enabled on the VCS and comparing one or more aspects of the incoming call to one or more filters of the DND feature to determine user notification eligibility. The method also includes notifying the user, through the VCS, of the incoming call, conditional on the eligibility of the call.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting an incoming call to a wireless device in communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS);

determining that a do not disturb (DND) feature is enabled on the VCS;

comparing one or more aspects of the incoming call to one or more filters of the DND feature to determine user notification eligibility; and

conditional on the eligibility of the call, notifying the user, through the VCS, of the incoming call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more aspects of the incoming call includes a caller phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more aspects of the incoming call includes a calling party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filter is a “

block”

filter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filter is an “

allow”

filter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one filter is a conditional filter; and

conditional on the condition for filter enablement being met, utilizing the filter in the comparing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the condition is a weather condition at the vehicle location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the condition is a traffic condition at the vehicle location.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the condition is a time of day.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the condition is a driver state.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting an incoming call to a wireless device in communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS);

permitting hands-free answering of the call through the VCS;

evaluating driver behavior during the call;

conditional on the results of the evaluating, storing a plurality of environmental factors existent during the call;

analyzing stored environmental factors; and

resultant on the analyzing, recommending one or more rules for call filtering.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the evaluating includes comparing aspects of a drive to baseline aspects.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the aspects include speed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the aspects include drift.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the aspects include braking force.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the environmental factors include weather.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the environmental factors include traffic.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the environmental factors include time of day.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting vehicle GPS coordinates from a vehicle computing system (VCS) to a remote server;

receiving one or more legally required call filters from the remote server;

implementing the one or more legally required call filters in a do not disturb system;

and enabling the do not disturb system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more legally required call filters have GPS boundaries associated therewith, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing vehicle GPS coordinates to the GPS boundaries associated with a filter; and

ignoring the filter if the vehicle GPS coordinates are not within the GPS boundaries associated with the filter.