Priority incoming call alerting system for a wireless communication system

• US 6,665,534 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Lehder, Jr., Wilfred E., Conklin, Stuart D., Griffith, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY D
• Application Number:
  US09/420,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/417, 455/445, 455/461, 455/466, 455/406, 455/404, 455/422, 455/440, 455/412, 455/450, 455/457, 455/456.1, 455/527
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The priority incoming call alerting system for a wireless communication system functions to automatically identify the subscriber'"'"'s need for privacy in terms of the present location of a wireless subscriber or the subscriber'"'"'s manually indicated preference, and process incoming calls as a function of this desired privacy and the priority of the incoming call. This is accomplished by providing a wireless communication system with a priority incoming call alerting system that includes call priority identification apparatus and optionally subscriber location identifying apparatus to thereby enable the wireless communication system to automatically screen incoming calls that are directed to the wireless subscriber and only alert the subscriber of the presence of a priority incoming call from a calling party, yet routes all non-priority calls to a call coverage point. The priority incoming call alerting system functions to identify various locales in which the call alerting system should be automatically activated and incoming calls to a subscriber'"'"'s wireless communication device are not processed unless the incoming call has assigned thereto a predetermined priority. The activation of this capability can be effected in numerous ways, including the use of a low power infrared transmitter located in the selected privacy environments which activate the subscriber'"'"'s wireless communication device to enter the call screening mode. This mode setting can also be accomplished by the wireless subscriber manually activating the wireless communication device to select this call screening feature.

Claims

1. A priority incoming call alerting system for screening communication connections from a calling party to a wireless subscriber equipped with a wireless, telephone station which is served by a wireless communication system, comprising:

means, responsive to an incoming communication connection directed to said, wireless telephone station, for determining a priority of said incoming communication connection;

means for determining a privacy level assigned to a present physical location of said wireless telephone station, comprising at least one of;

means for storing data, received from said wireless telephone station, indicative of a privacy level assigned, exclusive of said subscriber, to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station;

means for determining a privacy level assigned to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station, from present physical location definition data received from said wireless telephone station, and pre-stored privacy definition data associated with said present physical location; and

means, responsive to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection corresponding t said privacy level assigned to said determined present location of said wireless telephone station, for extending said incoming communication connection to said wireless telephone station.

2. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining a priority of said incoming communication connection comprises:

means for storing calling party identification data.

3. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 2 wherein said means for determining a privacy level comprises:

means for storing data indicative of an identification of said wireless telephone station; and

means for storing data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list.

4. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 3 wherein said means for extending said incoming communication connection comprises:

means for comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

means, responsive to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list, for enabling said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.

5. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 3, wherein said authorized calling party identification list includes priority data assigned to said calling party who is identified in said authorized calling party identification list, said means for extending said incoming communication connection comprises:

means for comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

means, responsive to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list and a correspondence between said determined privacy level and said priority data assigned to said calling party, for enabling said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.

6. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining a priority of said incoming communication connection further comprises:

means for storing data, received from a communication system which has originated said incoming communication connection, indicative of a priority of said incoming communication connection.

7. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 1 further comprising:

means, responsive to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection failing to correspond to said privacy level assigned to said wireless subscriber, for extending said incoming communication connection to a call coverage point for said wireless telephone station.

8. A method of providing priority incoming call alerting for screening communication connections from a calling party to a wireless subscriber equipped with a wireless telephone station which is served by a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

determining, in response to an incoming communication connection directed to said wireless telephone station, a priority of said incoming communication connection;

determining a privacy level assigned to a present physical location of said wireless telephone station, comprising at least one of;

storing data, received from said wireless telephone station, indicative of a privacy level assigned, exclusive of said subscriber, to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station;

determining a privacy level assigned to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station, from present physical location definition data received from said wireless telephone station, and pre-stored privacy definition data associated with said present physical location;

and

extending, in response to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection corresponds to said privacy level assigned to said determined present location of said wireless telephone station, said incoming communication connection to said wireless telephone station.

9. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 8, wherein said step of determining a priority of said incoming communication connection comprises:

storing calling party identification data in a memory.

10. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 9 wherein said step of determining a privacy level comprises:

storing data indicative of an identification of said wireless telephone station in a memory; and

storing data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list in a memory.

11. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 10 wherein said step of extending said incoming communication connection comprises:

comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

enabling, in response to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list, said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.

12. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 10, wherein said authorized calling party identification list includes priority data assigned to said calling party who is identified in said list, said step of extending said incoming communication connection comprises:

comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

enabling, in response to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list and a correspondence between said determined privacy level and said priority data assigned to said calling party, said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.

13. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 8 wherein said step of determining a priority of said incoming communication connection further comprises:

storing data, received from a communication system which has originated said incoming communication connection, indicative of a priority of said incoming communication connection in a memory.

14. The method of providing priority incoming call alerting system of claim 8, further comprising:

extending, in response to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection failing to correspond to said privacy level assigned to said wireless subscriber, said incoming communication connection to a call coverage point for said wireless telephone station.

15. A priority incoming call alerting system for screening communication connections from a calling party to a wireless subscriber equipped with a wireless telephone station which is served by a wireless communication system, comprising:

incoming call priority determining means, responsive to an incoming communication connection directed to said wireless telephone station, for determining a priority of said incoming communication connection;

means for determining a privacy level assigned to a present physical location of said wireless telephone station, comprising at least of;

site privacy definition means for storing data, received from said wireless telephone station, indicative of a privacy level assigned, exclusive of said subscriber, to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station;

site privacy determining means for determining a privacy level assigned to said present physical location of said wireless telephone station, from present physical location definition data received from said wireless telephone station, and pre-stored privacy definition data associated with said present physical location;

call screening means, responsive to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection corresponding to said privacy level assigned to said determined present location of said wireless telephone station, for extending said incoming communication connection to said wireless telephone station; and

call redirecting means, responsive to said determined priority of said incoming communication connection failing to correspond to said privacy level assigned to said wireless subscriber, for extending said incoming communication connection to a call coverage point for said wireless telephone station.

16. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 15 comprising:

wherein said incoming-call priority determining means comprises;

means for storing at least one of;

calling party identification data, and data received from a communication system which has originated said incoming communication connection, indicative of a priority of said incoming communication connection

wherein said subscriber privacy means comprises;

subscriber identification means for storing data indicative of at least one of;

an identification of said wireless telephone station, and a present location of said wireless telephone station.

17. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 16 further comprising:

wherein said subscriber privacy means further comprises;

means for storing data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

wherein said call screening means comprises;

means for comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

means, responsive to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list, for enabling said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.

18. The priority incoming call alerting system of claim 16 further comprising:

wherein said subscriber privacy means further comprises;

means for storing data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list and includes priority data assigned to said calling party who is identified in said authorized calling party identification list; and

wherein said call screening means comprises;

means for comparing said stored calling party identification data with said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list; and

means, responsive to a match between said stored calling party identification data and said stored data indicative of an authorized calling party identification list and a correspondence between said determined privacy level and said priority data assigned to said calling party, for enabling said wireless communication system to extend said incoming call connection to said wireless subscriber station.