Telephone system with call forwarding apparatus and method

• US 6,442,266 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1997
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Wu, Woody D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/926,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 379/188, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/211, 379/212, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/211.02, 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• 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 3/54 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

An adaptive call forwarding system for a telephonic system providing for selectively inhibiting call forwarding of calls sent from a calling telephonic station and received at a called telephonic station to a selected remote telephonic station. Automatic identification of the number of a calling telephonic station is provided with automatic inhibiting of call forwarding for an identified calling station. A preselected enable signal, if not inhibited from the calling telephonic station during a preselected time period results in the call being forwarded to the selected remote telephonic station.

Claims

1. In a telephonic system of interconnectable telephonic stations, an adaptive call forwarding apparatus, comprising:

means for forwarding to a selected remote telephonic station calls from a calling telephonic station and directed to a called telephonic station for receipt, if not inhibited;

means for automatically inhibiting the calls forwarding means from forwarding of calls directed to the called telephonic station from preselected calling telephonic stations; and

means for selectively inhibiting the calls forwarding means from forwarding calls directed to the called telephonic station from calling telephonic stations other than the preselected calling telephonic stations.

2. The telephonic system as recited in claim 1 in which the automatically inhibiting means includes

means for storage of a list of preselected telephone numbers,

means for receiving automatic number identification signals representative of telephone numbers of the calling telephonic stations,

means for the comparing telephone numbers represented by the automatic number identification signals when received with the list of preselected telephone numbers to determine if there is a match, and

means responsive to said comparing means for inhibiting said calls forwarding means from forwarding a call if there is a match.

3. The telephonic system as recited in claim 2 in which the selective inhibiting means includes means for sending an adaptive call forwarding available signal to calling telephonic stations for which there is not a match.

4. The telephonic system as recited in claim 3 in which said selective inhibiting means includes means responsive to a receipt of a selective forwarding inhibit signal selectively sent from the calling telephonic station to inhibit the calls forwarding only when the adaptive call forwarding signal is being sent.

5. The telephonic system as recited claim 4 in which

said adaptive calls forwarding system includes a timer for establishing a preselected time delay period to allow selective inhibiting, and

said calls forwarding means forwards the call if no selective inhibit signal is received during said time delay period.

6. The telephonic system as recited in claim 1 in which the selectively inhibiting means includes means for selectively inhibiting the calls forwarding means in response to receipt of a selective forwarding inhibit signal sent by a calling telephonic station other than the preselected telephonic station when the calling telephonic station is actuated.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 includes the selective inhibiting means includes

a delay timer,

means for starting the delay timer only in response to a call from other than said preselected telephonic stations,

means for inhibiting the calls transferring means during a time delay period established by the timer unless a call transfer enable signal is received, and

means for sending a call transfer enable signal from the calling telephonic stations.

8. In a telephonic system of interconnectable telephonic stations, a method for adaptive call forwarding, comprising the steps of

forwarding calls to a selected remote telephonic station from a calling telephonic station and directed to a called telephonic station if not inhibited;

automatically inhibiting a call forwarding means from forwarding of calls directed to the called telephonic station from preselected calling telephonic stations; and

selectively inhibiting the call forwarding means from forwarding calls directed to the called telephonic station from calling telephonic stations other than the preselected calling telephonic stations.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 including the steps of

storing of a list of preselected telephone numbers,

receiving automatic identification signals representative of telephone numbers of calling telephonic stations,

comparing telephone numbers represented by the received automatic number identification signals with the list of preselected telephone numbers to determine if there is a match, and

responding to said comparing means for inhibiting said call forwarding means from forwarding a call if there is a match.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 including the step of sending an adaptive call forwarding available signal to calling telephonic stations for which there is not a match.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 includes the step of responding to receipt of selective inhibit signal selectively sent from the calling telephonic station to inhibit the calls forwarding only when the adaptive call forwarding available signal is being sent.

12. The method of claim 11 including the steps of

establishing a preselected time delay period to allow selective inhibiting, and

forwarding the call if no selective inhibit signal is received during said time delay period.

13. The method of claim 8 including the step of selectively inhibiting the call forwarding means in response to receipt of a selective inhibit signal sent by a calling telephonic station other than the preselected telephonic station when the calling telephonic station is manually actuated.

14. The method of claim 8 including the steps of

starting a delay timer only in response to a call from other than said preselected telephonic stations,

inhibiting the call transferring means during a time delay period established by the timer unless a call transfer enable signal is received, and

sending a call transfer enable signal from the calling telephonic stations.

15. A system for forwarding incoming calls within a telecommunications system, comprising:

a data memory for storing one or more telephone numbers for a particular called telephonic station;

a processor for automatically forwarding incoming call connections directed to said called telephonic station to a preselected forward-to-station;

in response to an incoming call connection from a particular calling telephonic station and directed to said called telephonic station, a comparator for comparing a telephone number associated with said calling telephonic station with said stored telephone numbers and automatically inhibiting said processor from forwarding said incoming call connection if there exists a match; and

means for selectively inhibiting said processor from forwarding calls directed to the called telephonic station from calling telephonic stations other than the stored telephone numbers.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a register storing a value inhibiting said processor from forwarding all incoming call connections directed to said called telephonic station.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a timer for establishing a preselected time delay period during which said processor requests a call forwarding inhibiting instruction from said calling telephonic station and wherein said processor automatically forwarding said incoming call connection after the end of said time delay unless said call forwarding inhibiting instruction is received.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising an interactive announcement device for providing said calling telephonic station with a prerecorded interactive announcement with prompts indicating how to selectively send said call forwarding inhibiting instruction.

19. A method of forwarding incoming call connections within a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

storing one or more telephone numbers for a particular called telephonic station;

receiving an incoming call connection from a particular calling telephonic station directed to said called telephonic station;

comparing a telephone number associated with said calling telephonic station with said stored telephone numbers; and

forwarding said incoming call connection to a preselected forward-to-station in response to a determination that said telephone number associated with said calling telephonic station does not match one of said stored telephone numbers.

20. A method of claim 19 wherein in response to said determination that said telephone number associated with said calling telephonic station does not match one of said stored telephone number, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a timer for a preselected time period;

requesting a call forwarding inhibiting instruction to said calling telephonic station; and

forwarding said incoming call connection to said forward-to-station after the end of said time period unless said requested call forwarding inhibiting instruction is received.

21. A method of claim 20 further comprising the step of providing said calling telephonic station with a prerecorded interactive announcement with prompts indicating how to selectively send said call forwarding inhibiting instruction.