Mobile telephone apparatus and method for call divert service

• US 6,611,682 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Cellular Technology LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Pröjtz, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/387,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/417, 455/422, 455/434, 455/445, 455/459, 455/512, 455/517, 455/519, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/261, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/260
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• 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 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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

A telephone apparatus (1) in a mobile telephone system providing a conditional call divert service causing an incoming call to proceed as a normal call or be redirected to a different number. The telephone apparatus has memory means (16) for storing coded telephone number entries. Each telephone number entry includes a group identification field for storing a value identifying its telephone number group, and the telephone apparatus further has control circuit means (15) enabling optional operation modes of the telephone. One mode causes an incoming call from a telephone having a subscriber number which is a member of a telephone number group associated with the mode to proceed as a normal call, and an incoming call from another telephone having a subscriber number which is not a member of the group to be redirected to a preset number.

Claims

1. A telephone apparatus in a mobile telephone system providing a conditional call divert service causing an incoming call to proceed as a normal call or be redirected to a different number, comprising:

memory means for storing coded telephone number entries, each coded telephone number entry including a group identification field for storing a value identifying its telephone number group, and

control circuit means enabling optional operation modes of the telephone apparatus, wherein a first mode causes an incoming call from a calling telephone having a subscriber number which is a member of a first telephone number group associated with the first mode to proceed as a normal call, and causes another incoming call from another calling telephone having a subscriber number which is not a member of the first telephone number group to be redirected.

2. The telephone apparatus according to claim 1, and further including a second telephone number group that includes telephone number entries not stored in the memory means of the telephone apparatus.

3. The telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first mode causes said another incoming call to be redirected to one of a voice mail or a preset number.

4. The telephone apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a subscriber number of a third telephone number group are redirected to one of another voice mail or another preset number.

5. The telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second mode of the telephone apparatus causes an incoming call from a telephone having a subscriber number which is a member of said first telephone number group to be redirected.

6. A method for conditional call diverting in a receiving telephone apparatus, comprising:

switching the receiving telephone apparatus to a desired operating mode;

receiving an incoming telephone call from a calling telephone apparatus;

identifying the telephone number of the calling telephone apparatus;

checking if the telephone number of the calling telephone apparatus is an entry in a phone book of the receiving telephone apparatus; and

if the telephone number of the calling telephone apparatus is an entry in the phone book detecting if the telephone number of the calling telephone apparatus is a member of a first telephone number group associated with the desired operating mode and processing the incoming call as a normal call if the telephone number is a member of the first telephone number group, and diverting the incoming call if the telephone number is not a member of the first telephone number group.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a second telephone number group includes telephone number entries not stored in said phone book of the apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein another incoming call is redirected to one of a voice mail or a preset number.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a subscriber number of a third telephone number group are redirected to one of another voice mail or another preset number.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein another operating mode of the receiving telephone apparatus causes an incoming call from a telephone number having a subscriber number which is a member of said first telephone number group to be redirected.