Selective screening of incoming calls for cellular telephone systems

• US 5,473,671 A
• Filed: 03/11/1994
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Partridge, B. Waring III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/212,547
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/211, 379/212, 379/219, 379/221, 379/273, 379/67, 379/142, 379/89, 379/214, 379/210, 379/127
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• 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: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

In connection with cellular telephones, the divergent call treatment technique of the present invention is used to particular advantage. A list of accepted callers is maintained by a service supplier. When a call comes in, a determination is made as to whether the caller is an "accepted" caller. If so, the call is forwarded to the cellular telephone. Otherwise, the caller is offered the option to pay for the call. A willingness on the part of the caller to pay for the call is indicated by a signal from the caller, such as pressing a key on a DTMF pad. In response to such a signal, the call is forwarded to the cellular telephone. In the absence of such a signal, the call is disconnected or diverted.

Claims

1. A method of selective cellular telephone call switching for use with a telephone call switching device and comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a list of one or more caller identities in a memory in a cellular telephone, each caller identity corresponding to one or more potential incoming telephone calls directed to the cellular telephone, each incoming telephone call having a ringing signal;

(b) assigning each of the caller identities stored in the memory with a call switching destination selecting at least one of (1) the cellular telephone, and (2) an alternate switching destination different from the cellular telephone;

(c) upon receipt of an incoming telephone call ringing signal directed to the cellular telephone, identifying any caller identity corresponding to the incoming telephone call, such caller identity comprising an incoming caller identity; and

(d) upon identification of an incoming caller identity, the cellular telephone sending a call routing message to the telephone call switching device such that the telephone call switching device connects the incoming telephone call to the call switching destination assigned to the incoming caller identity, thereby selectively rerouting the incoming telephone call.

2. A method of selective telephone call switching as set forth in claim 1 wherein, upon receipt of an incoming telephone call having no caller identity, the incoming telephone call is switched to a default switching destination setting forth a specific switching destination for the incoming telephone call.

3. A method of selectively diverting incoming telephone calls directed towards a cellular telephone to an alternate switching destination, the incoming telephone calls each including a ringing signal, the method for use with a telephone call switching device and a cellular telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a caller identity list in a memory of the cellular telephone of one or more caller identities, each caller identity corresponding to a potential incoming telephone call;

(b) assigning each of the caller identities a call switching specification setting forth at least one of the cellular telephone and the alternate switching destination;

(c) upon receipt of an incoming telephone call ringing signal, searching the caller identity list for any caller identity and assigned call switching specification corresponding to the incoming telephone call; and

(d) if any such caller identity is found in step (c), the cellular telephone sending a call routing signal to the telephone call switching device, the call routing signal causing the telephone call switching device to switch the incoming telephone call to the switching destination set forth in the call switching specification.

4. A method of selectively diverting incoming telephone calls directed towards a cellular telephone and having a ringing signal, the method for use with a telephone call switching device and comprising:

(a) storing a caller identity list of one or more caller identities in a memory in the cellular telephone, each caller identity corresponding to a potential incoming telephone call directed to the cellular telephone, the caller identity list specifying an alternate switching destination from the cellular telephone;

(b) upon receipt of an incoming telephone call ringing signal, searching the caller identity list for any caller identity corresponding to the incoming telephone call; and

(c) if any such caller identity is found in step (b), the cellular telephone sending a first call routing signal to the telephone call switching device such that the telephone call switching device switches the incoming telephone call to the alternate switching destination;

or

(d) if no such caller identity is found in step (b), the cellular telephone sending a second call routing signal to the telephone call switching device such that the telephone call switching device switches the incoming telephone call to the cellular telephone.

5. A method for use with a telephone call switching device and a cellular telephone having incoming telephone number identification means, an accepted callers table memory means for storing an accepted callers table including at least one telephone number, telephone number comparison means for comparing a first telephone number with a second telephone number to determine whether or not said first and said second telephone numbers are identical, and signal generation means for generating a call diversion signal in response to the comparison means not detecting a match between the calling telephone number and at least one telephone number in the accepted callers table, the method providing for selective screening of incoming telephone calls directed to the cellular telephone, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) upon receipt of an incoming call ringing signal directed to the cellular telephone, identifying the incoming telephone number at the cellular telephone using the telephone number identification means;

(b) comparing the incoming telephone number with each of the telephone numbers in the accepted callers table to ascertain whether or not the incoming telephone number matches at least one of the telephone numbers in the accepted callers table; and

(c) if the comparing step does not find a match, the cellular telephone transmitting a call diversion signal to the telephone call switching device causing the incoming telephone call to be diverted to an alternate switching destination other than the cellular telephone as specified by the call diversion signal.

6. Apparatus for selectively diverting incoming telephone calls comprising:

a cellular telephone having a memory in the cellular telephone;

an accepted callers table stored in the memory in the cellular telephone and including at least one incoming telephone number corresponding to a potential incoming telephone call directed to the cellular telephone;

a call diversion table stored in the memory in the cellular telephone including at least one call diversion telephone number specifying an alternate switching destination other than the cellular telephone;

incoming telephone number identification means coupled to the cellular telephone memory for identifying an incoming telephone number;

the cellular telephone having processing means including telephone number comparison means for comparing the incoming telephone number with at least one telephone number in the accepted callers table, call diversion signal generation means for generating a call diversion signal in response to the comparison means detecting no match between the incoming telephone number and each of the telephone numbers in the accepted callers table;

the cellular telephone transmitting a call diversion signal to the telephone call switching device causing the incoming telephone call to be diverted to an alternate switching destination other than the cellular telephone as specified by the call diversion signal.

7. Apparatus for selectively diverting incoming telephone calls as set forth in claim 6, further including interactive voice response means responsive to a calling telephone for providing at least one menu option including a calling charge reversal option for billing the incoming call to the calling party prior to connecting the calling party to the called party.

8. A method of selective cellular telephone call switching for use in a system having a cellular carrier, equipped to identify incoming caller identities, a cellular telephone, and an interactive voice response unit coupled to the cellular carrier, the method comprising the steps of

a) upon receipt of an incoming telephone call directed to the cellular telephone, the cellular carrier identifying any caller identity associated with the incoming telephone call;

b) the cellular carrier forming a communications link between the interactive voice response unit and the cellular telephone;

c) the interactive voice response unit, in response to the incoming caller identity, generating an audible prompt uniquely identifying the caller identity and asking the cellular telephone user whether or not the incoming call should be connected, instructing the cellular telephone user to enter a first DTMF tone or combination of tones if the call should be connected and a second DTMF tone or combination of tones if the call should not be connected,

d) in response to DTMF tones received from the cellular telephone indicative that the incoming call should be connected, the cellular carrier connecting the incoming call to the cellular telephone;

otherwise, not connecting the incoming call to the cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the accepted callers table memory means stores a call diversion telephone number specifying the alternate switching destination.

10. A method for use with a telephone call switching device and a cellular telephone having incoming telephone number identification means, a call diversion table memory means for storing a call diversion table including at least one incoming telephone number corresponding to a potential incoming telephone call, assigning at least one of the incoming telephone numbers a call diversion telephone number specifying an alternate switching destination, telephone number comparison means for comparing a first telephone number with a second telephone number to determine whether or not said first and said second telephone numbers are identical, and signal generation means for generating a call diversion signal in response to the comparison means detecting a match between the calling telephone number and at least one incoming telephone number in the call diversion table, the method providing for selective screening of incoming telephone calls directed to the cellular telephone, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) upon receipt of an incoming call ringing signal directed to the cellular telephone, identifying the incoming telephone number at the cellular telephone using the telephone number identification means;

(b) comparing the incoming telephone number with each of the telephone numbers in the call diversion table to ascertain whether or not the incoming telephone number matches at least one of the telephone numbers in the call diversion table; and

(c) if the comparing step finds a match, the cellular telephone transmitting a call diversion signal to the telephone call switching device causing the incoming telephone call to be diverted by the call switching device to the alternate switching destination assigned to the incoming telephone number and, if no alternate switching destination is assigned to the incoming telephone number, the telephone call switching device diverting the incoming telephone call to a default switching destination stored in the call diversion table.