Method and system for selectively alerting user and answering preferred telephone calls

• US 5,661,788 A
• Filed: 01/24/1996
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chin, Seo-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/590,749
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/68, 379/89, 379/142, 379/127, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/373, 379/374, 379/376, 379/372, 379/350
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• 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 method and telephone system for selectively answering incoming telephone calls by enabling user selection of a receiving mode that designates telephone numbers and an alert mode that designates how the user will be notified of incoming calls from the designated telephone numbers, and then establishing an idle state. In response to receipt of an incoming call during the idle state, an outgoing message (OGM) requesting input of the calling party'"'"'s telephone number is transmitted to the calling party. The calling party'"'"'s telephone number is received as dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals. The calling party'"'"'s telephone number is then compared with telephone numbers designated within the selected receiving mode to determine whether the user should be notified of the incoming call. When the calling party'"'"'s telephone number has been previously designated by the user within the selected receiving mode, the user is provided with an audible alert indicative of the incoming call according to the selected alert mode. The user is only notified of incoming calls originating from telephone numbers specified within the selected receiving mode. After the user receives the audible alert, a speech mode is established if the user answers the incoming call within a predetermined time period. If the incoming call is not answered by the user within the predetermined period of time, or the calling party'"'"'s telephone number has not been previously designated by the user within the selected receiving mode, a call termination message is transmitted to the calling party to indicate that the user can not presently answer the incoming call.

Claims

1. A method for selectively answering incoming calls a telephone system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting, in response to a first input from a user of said telephone system, a receiving mode to designate which of said incoming calls to said telephone system will represent preferred calls that the user wishes to answer, said receiving mode being selectable so that either none of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, said incoming calls originating from any telephone number stored in a memory of said telephone system will represent said preferred calls, or said incoming calls originating from only selected ones of said telephone numbers stored in said memory will represent said preferred calls;

selecting, in response to a second input from said user, an alert mode to designate how said user will be alerted to receipt of said preferred calls, said alert mode being selectable so that either said user will receive audible ringing signal in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive said audible ringing signal and a visual display of a caller'"'"'s telephone member in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive a first audible voice message indicating said caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, or said user will receive a second audible voice message indicating a caller'"'"'s name in response to the receipt of said preferred calls;

establishing an idle state after said receiving mode and said alert mode have been selected;

receiving a first incoming call from a first calling party during said idle state, and providing, in response to receipt of said first incoming call, transmission of an outgoing message to said first calling party requesting said first calling party to input a telephone number corresponding to said first calling party;

receiving dual tone multi-frequency signals representative of said first telephone number corresponding to said first calling party, and determining, in response to receipt of said dual tone multi-frequency signals, whether said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls;

alerting said user to the receipt of said first incoming call in accordance with said alert mode, when said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls;

determining whether said user answers said first incoming call within a predetermined time period after said user is alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call; and

transmitting a call termination message to said first calling party indicating that said user is unable to presently answer said first incoming call, when either said user does not answer said first incoming call within said predetermined time period after said user is alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call or said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user of said telephone system can further select said receiving mode so that all of said incoming calls represent said preferred calls.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user is not alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call, when said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said user of said telephone system can further select said receiving mode so that all of said incoming calls represent said preferred calls.

5. A method for selectively answering incoming calls in a telephone system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a receiving mode in response to a first input provided from a user of said telephone system to designate which incoming calls to said telephone system will represent preferred calls that said user wishes to answer, said receiving mode being selectable so that either all of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, none of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, said incoming calls originating from any telephone number stored in a memory of said telephone system will represent said preferred calls, or said incoming calls originating from only selected ones of said telephone numbers stored in said memory will represent said preferred calls;

selecting an alert mode in response to a second input provided from said user to indicate a way in which said user will be alerted to receipt of said preferred calls, said alert mode being selectable so that either said user will receive an audible ringing signal in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive said audible ringing signal and a visual display of a caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive a first audible voice message indicating said caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, or said user will receive a second audible voice message indicating a caller'"'"'s name in response to the receipt of said preferred calls;

receiving a first incoming call from a first calling party after said receiving mode and said alert mode have been selected, and providing, in response to receipt of said first incoming call, transmission of an outgoing message to said first calling party requesting said first calling party to input a first telephone number corresponding to said first calling party;

receiving dual tone multi-frequency signals representative of said first telephone number corresponding to said first calling party, and determining, in response to receipt of said dual tone multi-frequency signals, whether said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls;

alerting said user to the receipt of said first incoming call in accordance with said alert mode, when said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls;

determining whether said user answers said first incoming call within a predetermined time period after said user is alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call; and

transmitting a call termination message to said first calling party indicating that said user is unable to presently answer said first incoming call, when either said user of said telephone system does not answer said first incoming call within said predetermined time period after said user is alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call or said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprised of establishing a speech mode to enable a conversation between said user and said first calling party when said user answers said first incoming call within said predetermined time period.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said user is not alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call, when said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprised of establishing a speech mode to enable a conversation between said user and said first calling party when said user answers said first incoming call within said predetermined time period.

9. A method for selectively answering incoming calls in a telephone system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a receiving mode in response to a first input provided from a user of said telephone system to designate which incoming calls to said telephone system will represent preferred calls that said user wishes to answer, said receiving mode being selectable so that either all of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, none of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, said incoming calls originating from any telephone number stored in a memory of said telephone system will represent said preferred calls, or said incoming calls originating from only selected ones of said telephone numbers stored in said memory will represent said preferred calls;

selecting an alert mode in response to a second input provided from said user to indicate a way in which said user will be alerted to receipt of said preferred calls, said alert mode being selectable so that either said user will receive an audible ringing signal in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive said audible ringing signal and a visual display of a caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, said user will receive a first audible voice message indicating said caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, or said user will receive a second audible voice message indicating a caller'"'"'s name in response to the receipt of said preferred calls;

receiving a first incoming call from a first calling party after said receiving mode and said alert mode have been selected, and providing, in response to receipt of said first incoming call, transmission of an outgoing message to said first calling party requesting said said first calling party to input a first telephone number corresponding to said first calling party;

receiving dual tone multi-frequency signals representative of said first telephone number corresponding to said first calling party, and determining, in response to receipt of said dual tone multi-frequency signals, whether said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls; and

alerting said user to the receipt of said first incoming call in accordance with said alert mode, when said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprised of establishing a speech mode to enable a conversation between said user and said first calling party when said user answers said first incoming call within a predetermined time period after being alerted to the receipt of first incoming call.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said user is not alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call, when said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprised of establishing a speech mode to enable a conversation between said user and said first calling party when said user answers said first incoming within a predetermined time period after being alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call.

13. A telephone system, comprising:

input means for enabling user inputs to select a receiving mode to designate which incoming calls to said telephone system will represent preferred calls that the user wishes to answer, and an alert mode to indicate a manner in which the user will be alerted to receipt of said preferred calls, said receiving mode being selectable so that either all of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, none of said incoming calls will represent said preferred calls, said incoming calls originating from any telephone number stored in a memory of said telephone system will represent said preferred calls, or said incoming calls originating from only selected ones of said telephone numbers stored in said memory will represent said preferred calls, said alert mode being selectable so that either the user will receive an audible ringing signal in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, the user will receive said audible ringing signal and a visual display of a caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, the user will receive a first audible voice message indicating a caller'"'"'s telephone number in response to the receipt of said preferred calls, or the user will receive a second audible voice message indicating a caller'"'"'s name in response to the receipt of said preferred calls; and

processing means for enabling transmission of an outgoing message to a first calling party requesting the first calling party to input a first telephone number corresponding to the first calling party in response to receipt of a first incoming call, receiving dual tone multi-frequency signals representative of said first telephone number corresponding to the first calling party, determining whether said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls in response to receipt of said dual tone multi-frequency signals, and alerting the user to the receipt of said first incoming call in accordance with said alert mode when said first incoming call represents one of said preferred calls.

14. The telephone system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said processing means enables a conversation between the user and the first calling party when the user answers said first incoming call within a predetermined time period after being alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call.

15. The telephone system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user is not alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call, when said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.

16. The telephone system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing means enables a conversation between the user and the first calling party when the user answers said first incoming call within a predetermined time period after being alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call.

17. The telephone system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said processing means enables transmission of a call termination message to the first calling party indicating the user is unable to answer said first incoming call, when either the user of said telephone system does not answer said first incoming call within said predetermined time period after being alerted to the receipt of said first incoming call or said first incoming call does not represent one of said preferred calls.