Method for deciding on the acceptance or non-acceptance of a call, as well as circuit module, communication terminal, portable unit, and network component for a telecommunication network

• US 6,023,503 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, Jan, Schmietainski, Anke, Herzog, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/771,208
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 379/188, 379/199, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212
• US Class Current: 379/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for deciding on the acceptance or non-acceptance of a call by taking into consideration data signaled in conjunction with the attempt to establish a connection to a certain subscriber who is the called party, wherein in addition to the signaled data other data are considered which identify the actual situation of the certain subscriber and wherein the data are combined according to freely predetermined criteria, as well as a circuit module, a communication terminal, a portable unit, and a network component for a telecommunication network.

Claims

1. A method for deciding on the acceptance or nonacceptance of a call from a caller with the aid of caller data indicative of a caller identity which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish said call to a certain subscriber, characterized in that in addition to the signaled caller data, actual situation data which is collected by the step of inferring an actual current situation of the certain subscriber from all possible combinations of actual current situations of the certain subscriber including time-dependent, location-dependent, and priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, is combined with said caller data according to freely predetermined criteria, so that said acceptance or nonacceptance is based on both said caller data and said actual situation data, including said time-dependent, location-dependent, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and all possible combinations thereof.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that manual inputs by the certain subscriber are taken into account.

3. A circuit module (M) for deciding on acceptance or nonacceptance of a call, comprising receiving means for receiving caller data indicative of a caller identity which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish said call to a certain subscriber, and evaluating means which decide on the acceptance or nonacceptance of the call with the aid of the received caller data, characterized in that collection means are provided for collecting actual situation data which characterize an actual current situation of the certain subscriber from all possible combinations of actual current situations of the certain subscriber including time-dependent, location-dependent, and priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, that the evaluating means take said caller data and said actual situation data into account, said caller data and said actual situation data being combined according to freely predetermined criteria, and that said acceptance or nonacceptance is based on both said caller data and said actual situation data, including said time-dependent, location-dependent, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and all possible combinations thereof.

4. A communication terminal (B1), characterized in that it includes a circuit module (M) for deciding on acceptance or nonacceptance of a call, comprising receiving means for receiving caller data indicative of a caller identity which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish said call to a certain subscriber, and evaluating means which decide on acceptance or nonacceptance of the call with the aid of the received data, in that collection means are provided for collecting actual situation data which characterize an actual current situation of the certain subscriber from all possible combinations of actual current situations of the certain subscriber including time-dependent, location-dependent, and priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and in that the evaluating means take said caller data and said actual situation data into account, said caller data and said actual situation data being combined according to freely predetermined criteria, and that said acceptance or nonacceptance is based on both said caller data and said actual situation data, including said time-dependent, location-dependent, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and all possible combinations thereof.

5. A portable unit (B3), particularly a chip card, capable of being coupled to a suitable communication terminal (B4), said portable unit (B3) comprising means for entering, via said suitable communication terminal coupled thereto, the identity of a certain subscriber who is the owner of the unit as a temporary user of the communication terminal, particularly for making the certain subscriber reachable via said communication terminal at a previously assigned subscriber number, characterized in that the unit (B3) comprises a circuit module (M) for deciding on acceptance or nonacceptance of a call, comprising receiving means for receiving caller data indicative of a caller identity which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish a call to the certain subscriber, and evaluating means which decide on the acceptance or nonacceptance of the call with the aid of the received caller data, further characterized in that collection means are provided for collecting actual situation data which characterize an actual current situation of the certain subscriber from all possible combinations of actual current situations of the certain subscriber including time-dependent, location-dependent, and priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, that the evaluating means take said caller data and said actual situation data into account, said caller data and said actual situation data being combined according to freely predetermined criteria, and that said acceptance or nonacceptance is based on said caller data and said actual situation data, including said time-dependent, location-dependent, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and all possible combinations thereof.

6. A network component (B2, S) for a telecommunication network (N), comprising means for receiving caller data indicative of a caller identity which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish a call to a certain subscriber, and means serving to further treat this call attempt, characterized in that the network component comprises a circuit module (M) for deciding on acceptance or nonacceptance of a call, comprising receiving means for receiving said caller data which are signaled in connection with an attempt to establish a call to the certain subscriber, and evaluating means which decide on the acceptance or nonacceptance of the call with the aid of the received caller data, that collection means are provided for collecting actual situation data which characterize the current actual situation of the certain subscriber from all possible combinations of current actual situations of the certain subscriber including time-dependent, location-dependent, and priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, that the evaluating means take said caller data and said actual situation data into account, said caller data and said actual situation data being combined according to freely predetermined criteria, and that said acceptance or nonacceptance is based on said caller data and said actual situation data, including said time-dependent, location-dependent, and said priority-dependent habits of the certain subscriber, and all possible combinations thereof.

7. A network component (S) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that it is designed to be capable of performing the same functions for a plurality of subscribers.