Telecommunications system and a subscriber device

• US 6,118,859 A
• Filed: 09/11/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Giethoorn, Harmen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US08/927,885
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/354, 379/355, 379/93.23, 379/93.17, 379/117, 379/118, 379/130, 379/140, 379/356, 379/357, 379/359, 455/415, 455/414
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• 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

Abstract

Known is a telecommunications system supporting adding calling party information to a call from a calling subscriber device to a called subscriber device. The called subscriber device comprises call logging means for logging unanswered calls in a date-time-stamp order. If the logging table is full, the oldest and last table entry is dropped from the logging table. This may result in undesired dropping of urgent frequent callers if the called party is absent and many callers having one call unanswered call after the frequent and urgent caller.

A telecommunications system is provided wherein per calling subscriber unanswered calls are counted. Logging table entries of frequent callers are updated, a call count value is displayed, and a previous entry is deleted. Frequent unanswered calls may be put on top of the logging table or the logging table may be sorted in a decreasing order of call count numbers.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system comprising at least two subscriber devices with telephone functionality, in which communication system a calling subscriber device comprises means for adding calling party information in a call to a called subscriber device, and the called subscriber device comprises call logging means for logging the calling party information in an entry of a logging table for unanswered calls, unanswered call counting means for incrementing a call count of unanswered calls per logged entry, sorting means for sorting the logged entries in a descending order of the call count per logged entry, and means for modifying a logged entry from the unanswered call logging table, the logged entry automatically being modified if a call corresponding to the entry is answered by the called subscriber device.

2. A telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the logging table is sorted on date and time for the same call counts.

3. A telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the means for modifying a logged entry modifies the logged entry by deleting the logged entry from the logging table.

4. A telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the means for modifying a logged entry modifies the logged entry by erasing a call count.

5. A telecommunication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for modifying a logged entry modifies the logged entry by resetting a call count to zero.

6. A telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein given call numbers of calling subscriber devices are flagged such that, if an unanswered call is received therefrom their entries are inhibited from deletion from the logging table.

7. A telecommunication system comprising at least two subscriber devices with telephone functionality, in which communication system a calling subscriber device comprises means for adding calling party information in a call to a called subscriber device, and the called subscriber device comprises call logging means for logging the calling party information in an entry of a logging table for unanswered calls, and ordering means for ordering once unanswered calls per logged entry in a date and time order, and for putting more frequently unanswered calls on top of the logging table above the once unanswered calls while at the same time deleting a once unanswered call entry for such a more frequently unanswered call, and means for modifying a logged entry from the unanswered call logging table, the logged entry automatically being modified if a call corresponding to the entry is answered by the called subscriber device.

8. A subscriber device comprising telephony functionality, for use in a telecommunication system comprising the subscriber device and another subscriber device comprising means for adding calling party information in a call to the subscriber device, which subscriber device comprises call logging means for logging the calling party information in an entry of a logging table for unanswered calls, unanswered call counting means for incrementing a call count of unanswered calls per logged entry, and sorting means for sorting the logged entries in a descending order of the call count per logged entry, and means for modifying a logged entry from the unanswered call logging table, the logged entry automatically being modified if a call corresponding to the entry is answered by the called subscriber device.

9. A subscriber device comprising telephony functionality, for use in a telecommunication system comprising the subscriber device and another subscriber device comprising means for adding calling party information in a call to the subscriber device, which subscriber device comprises call logging means for logging the calling party information in an entry of a logging table for unanswered calls, and ordering means for ordering once unanswered calls per logged entry in a date and time order, and for putting more frequently unanswered calls on top of the logging table above the once unanswered calls while at the same time deleting a once unanswered call entry for such a more frequently unanswered call, and means for modifying a logged entry from the unanswered call logging table, the logged entry automatically being modified if a call corresponding to the entry is answered by the called subscriber device.