Call screening using subscriber specified timers and schedules

• US 5,757,899 A
• Filed: 08/28/1997
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Staller, Joshua D., Schwend, Peggy S., Boulware, Joni R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/921,979
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/142, 379/188, 379/196, 379/197, 379/199, 379/200, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/214, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• 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 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages

Abstract

A call screening service and system are disclosed for a telephone switching network. The call screening service provides a service subscriber with a number of call screening features that are subscriber setable via an automated call screening configuration subsystem internal to the telephone switching network. In particular, the call screening service allows the subscriber to set multiple call screening service activation schedules as well as to set both call screening activation and deactivation timers for immediately activating and deactivating the call screening service, respectively. An important aspect of the present invention allows the subscriber to deactivate the call screening service for a time and at the expiration of this time, the call screening service automatically reverts to using any schedules the subscriber has set for activating the call screening service.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a call screening service, comprising:

receiving a call from a subscriber;

providing a call screening tutorial, having one or more call screening tutorial announcements related to configuring a plurality of call screening features,

playing said one or more call screening tutorial announcements which the subscriber has not provided an effective response to in one or more previous calls;

determining whether the subscriber has provided an effective response to said one or more call screening tutorial announcements that are played to the subscriber;

playing the names of the call screening service features that the subscriber can configure; and

receiving an input from the subscriber relating to the call screening service feature the user would like to configure.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of call screening features includes at least one of:

(a) activating said call screening service until further notice, (b) deactivating said call screening service until further notice, (c) activating said call screening services for a predetermined time interval, (d) deactivating said call screening services for a predetermined time interval, (e) providing at least one call screening schedule, (f) providing one or more recorded announcements for callers, (g) entering a privileged caller code, (h) activating an emergency breakthrough for allowing callers to contact the subscriber when there is an emergency and said call screening service is activated, and (i) deactivating said emergency breakthrough for said call screening service.