System and method for automatically screening and directing incoming calls

• US 5,930,700 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graeme Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Singhal, Sharad, Pepper, David J., Soper, E. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYCHE, MYRON
• Application Number:
  US08/757,983
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/165, 379/196, 379/211, 379/210, 379/201, 455/417, 455/445, 455/461, 455/414
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• 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 3/4228 in networks
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method that allow a subscriber to have incoming telephone calls automatically screened and directed is described. The system allows a subscriber to automatically manage his incoming communications in a way that is easy to control and which requires a minimum of unnecessary interruptions. The system includes a graphical user interface (GUI) which is accessible through the subscriber'"'"'s personal digital assistant (200), a Network Interface (304), a service control module (306), and a database (308). The system and method allow a subscriber to have all of his incoming telephone calls screened in order to identify those that are of the high importance to the subscriber. The subscriber controls this system by user-friendly interfaces to a name and telephone number database and an appointment calendar database. By entering schedule information into an appointment calendar (including times and locations of meetings and other events) and by entering client'"'"'s information into the name and telephone number database, the subscriber indicates how to locate the subscriber so that important calls will reach him immediately. These databases also tell the system which clients are of high priority to the subscriber so that lower priority calls can be directed to a voice mail system for access at the subscriber'"'"'s convenience or routed to an attendant for action.

Claims

1. A system for screening and directing incoming calls to a communication service subscriber and comprising

a database containing

call origin priority information,

speech templates of voice samples of previous calling parties;

call delivery preferences information based on the call origin priority information,

subscriber location information, including call delivery addresses and times at which the subscriber expects to be at the call delivery addresses;

a network interface for receiving calls to the subscriber, for comparing a voice sample of a calling party to the speech templates in the database, and for determining call identification information;

a service control module for receiving the call identification information from the network interface, for obtaining information from the database, for comparing the call identification information with the call origin priority information, for determining a delivery preference based on origin priority information, and for instructing the network interface to deliver the call to a preferred destination; and

a subscriber communication device containing a graphical user interface comprising a databook interface for receiving from the subscriber location information and call delivery preferences and a phone book interface for receiving from the subscriber call origin priority information.