Method and apparatus for remotely controlling telephone call-forwarding

• US 6,285,750 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Donnie, Jackel, Lawrence David, Schmidt, Frederick Kenneth Jr., Brachman, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/206,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/207.15, 379/201
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/546 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/548 with remote control

Abstract

A call-forwarding system can be remotely controlled in a simple and easily understood manner, thereby increasing the usage of call-forwarding. By maintaining a registry of special telephone numbers for a user'"'"'s telephone and, upon receiving a telephone call from one of the special telephone numbers, the system forwards calls to the one of the special telephone numbers. The call-forwarding system includes a registry of special telephone numbers and a call-forwarding controller which, upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers, forwards calls to the one of the special telephone numbers. In addition, the call-forwarding controller includes a caller-ID application which identifies all incoming telephone calls and passes this information to the controller. The controller then compares the incoming call to the telephone numbers in the registry and, upon obtaining a match, activates a routine for forwarding future incoming calls to the matched telephone number. The above method of controlling call-forwarding of an office telephone from a remote telephone provides the end user a very simple interface to allow remote enabling and disabling of call-forwarding.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a list of special telephone numbers;

determining an originating telephone number upon receiving an incoming call from one of the special telephone numbers in the list; and

forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receiving said incoming call from the special telephone number, to said special telephone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the originating telephone number to all of the special telephone numbers in the list.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of activating the call-forwarding upon determining that the originating telephone number matches one of the special telephone numbers in the list.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

activating a timer upon activating the call-forwarding; and

deactivating the call-forwarding when the timer reaches a predetermined time.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of changing a state of the call-forwarding upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the list.

6. A method for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a list of special telephone numbers, wherein said maintaining a list includes entering a plurality of telephone numbers into the list; and

forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receiving a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the list, to said one of the special telephone numbers.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of entering a duration during which the call-forwarding will remain activated.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of using a default duration to deactivate call-forwarding if a user fails to specify a duration.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the default duration includes one selected from the following:

an end of a workday, an end of a work week, a beginning of a workday, a beginning of a work week, midnight, and five o'"'"'clock in the morning.

10. A system for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls comprising:

a memory storing a registry of special telephone numbers;

a controller coupled to the memory, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry, to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry; and

a caller-ID device determining an originating telephone number upon receiving an incoming call and sending the originating telephone number to the controller;

wherein the controller compares the originating telephone number with the special telephone numbers in the registry.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the controller, upon determining that the originating telephone number matches one of the special telephone numbers in the registry, activates the call-forwarding to the originating telephone number.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a timer activated by the controller upon activating the call-forwarding, wherein the timer reaches a predetermined time, the timer signals the controller, which deactivates the call-forwarding.

13. A system for remotely controlling call-forwarding of incoming calls comprising:

a memory storing a registry of special telephone numbers;

a controller coupled to the memory, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry, to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry; and

a user interface device to enable a user to enter at least one telephone number into the registry, wherein the user interface device enables the user to specify a duration of the call-forwarding.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the controller uses a default duration to deactivate call-forwarding if the user fails to specify a duration.

15. They system according to claim 14, wherein the duration includes one selected from the following:

an end of a workday, an end of a work week, a beginning of a workday, a beginning of a work week, midnight, and five o'"'"'clock in the morning.

16. An apparatus for enabling remote control of call-forwarding from a remote telephone comprising:

a) means for enabling a user to enter special telephone numbers into a registry in a database via the user'"'"'s telephone;

b) means for identifying an originating telephone number of an incoming call;

c) means for comparing the originating telephone number to the special telephone numbers in the registry;

d) means for forwarding future incoming calls upon receiving a match from said means for comparing to the originating telephone number; and

e) means for deactivating the means for forwarding upon expiration of a predetermined time interval.

17. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a caller identification device coupled to the first telephone and outputting caller identification signals;

b) a memory storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

c) a controller coupled to the memory and the caller identification device, receiving the caller identification signals from the caller identification device, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

18. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a memory disposed in a telephone network and storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

b) a controller disposed in the telephone network, coupled to the memory, receiving caller identification signals from the telephone network, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

19. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a private exchange disposed within a user'"'"'s location, coupled to the first telephone and outputting caller identification signals;

b) a memory for storing a registry of special telephone numbers; and

c) a call-forwarding controller coupled to the memory and the private exchange, receiving the caller identification signals from the private exchange, determining whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and forwarding all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the memory and the call-forwarding controller are disposed within the private exchange.

21. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a phone adjunct coupled to the first telephone and a telephone network, and outputting caller identification signals; and

b) a personal computer executing an application and storing a registry of special telephone numbers, wherein said personal computer receives the caller identification signals from the phone adjunct, said application determines whether a calling number matches one of special telephone numbers in the registry, and controls the adjunct, which in turn forwards all future incoming calls, upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry to said one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

22. An apparatus for automatically forwarding future telephone calls to a remote telephone from a first telephone, comprising:

a) a private exchange disposed in a user'"'"'s facility; and

b) a device coupled to the private exchange, the first telephone and the remote telephone via a telephone network, said device storing a registry of special telephone numbers, determining a telephone number of an incoming call, determining whether said telephone number of the incoming call matches one of a plurality of special telephone numbers in the registry, and controlling all future incoming calls so that they are forwarded to said remote telephone upon receipt of a call from one of the special telephone numbers in the registry.

23. A method of providing remote control of call-forwarding comprising:

receiving an incoming call that is directed to a called telephone;

identifying an originating telephone number of the incoming call;

determining that the originating telephone is on a list of telephone numbers;

receiving future incoming calls that are directed to said called telephone; and

forwarding said future incoming calls to said originating telephone number.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising deactivating said forwarding upon expiration of a predetermined time interval.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein said forwarding is enabled upon receiving a predetermined first special signal.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said forwarding is disabled upon receiving a predetermined second special signal.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the first special signal includes a predetermined touch tone on a tone pad.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive an incoming call that is directed to a called telephone;

identify an originating telephone number of the incoming call;

determine that the originating telephone is on a list of telephone numbers;

receive future incoming calls that are directed to said called telephone; and

forward said future incoming calls to said originating telephone number.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein said instructions further comprise instructions to deactivate said forwarding upon expiration of a predetermined time interval.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein said instructions further comprise instructions to enable said forwarding upon receiving a predetermined first special signal.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein said instructions further comprise instructions to disable said forwarding upon receiving a predetermined second special signal.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the first special signal includes a predetermined touch tone on a tone pad.

33. An apparatus for providing remote control of call-forwarding comprising:

a means for receiving an incoming call that is directed to a called telephone;

a means for identifying an originating telephone number of the incoming call;

a means for determining that the originating telephone is on a list of telephone numbers;

a means for receiving future incoming calls that are directed to said called telephone; and

a means for forwarding said future incoming calls to said originating telephone number.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a means for deactivating said forwarding upon expiration of a predetermined time interval.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a means to enable said forwarding upon receiving a predetermined first special signal.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising a means to disable said forwarding upon receiving a predetermined second special signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the first special signal includes a predetermined touch tone on a tone pad.