Method and apparatus to locally block incoming selected calls

• US 6,701,160 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Korneluk, Jose E., Wieczorek, Alfred B., Pinder, Ellis Arthur, Seekins, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US09/575,272
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/242, 455/550, 455/417, 455/33.1, 455/70, 455/414.1, 455/433, 455/458, 455/415, 455/466, 455/418, 455/425.1, 379/196, 379/188, 379/199, 379/210.01, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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

Abstract

A mobile communication device (100) contains a memory (110), a controller (112) and transceiver components (120, 122, 124, 126). When an incoming call signal is received (314), the controller compares the source identifier with various lists (210, 240, 270) stored in the memory. If the source identifier is contained on a rejection list, the call is rejected. If the source identifier is contained on an acceptance list, the call is received normally, unless a do not disturb feature is active. The lists may be fixed or selectable. Selectable lists are configurable by the user of the mobile communication device, whereas fixed list types cannot be changed by the user of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method for selectively blocking incoming calls at a subscriber unit, the subscriber unit having a memory, the method comprising:

setting the subscriber unit into a do not disturb mode;

receiving an incoming call, including receiving a source identifier;

accepting the incoming call if the source identifier is found on a fixed acceptance list, even if the source identifier is found on a selectable rejection list, the fixed acceptance list not being changeable by a user of the subscriber unit; and

rejecting the incoming call if the source identifier is found on the selectable rejection list and not found on the fixed acceptance list.

2. A method for selectively blocking incoming calls as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting the incoming call comprises accepting the incoming call even if the source identifier is found on a selectable rejection list, the selectable rejection list being changeable by the user of the subscriber unit.

3. A method for discriminating incoming calls at a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device having a fixed acceptance list, and a selectable rejection list, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a calling party including a source identifier of the calling party;

comparing the source identifier with the fixed acceptance list and accepting the incoming call if the'"'"'source identifier is contained in the fixed acceptance list, the fixed acceptance list not being changeable by a user of the subscriber unit; and

comparing the source identifier to the selectable rejection list and rejecting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the selectable rejection list unless the source identifier is on the fixed acceptance list, the selectable rejection list being changeable by the user of the mobile communication device.

4. A method for discriminating incoming call as defined by claim 3, wherein the comparing the source identifier to the fixed acceptance list occurs prior to comparing the source identifier to the selectable rejection list.

5. A method for discriminating incoming call as defined by claim 3, further comprising rejecting the call if a do not disturb mode is active.

6. A method for discriminating incoming call as defined by claim 3, further comprising comparing the source identifier to a fixed rejection list and rejecting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the fixed rejection list.

7. A method for discriminating incoming call as defined by claim 3 further comprising comparing the source identifier to a selectable acceptance list and accepting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the selectable acceptance list.

8. A mobile communication device for discriminating incoming calls, comprising:

means for receiving an incoming call;

a memory means containing a fixed acceptance list, and a selectable rejection list, the fixed acceptance list not being changeable by a user of the mobile communication device, the selectable rejection list being changeable by the user of the mobile communication device, wherein the fixed acceptance list is a fixed list type and the selectable rejection list is a selectable list type; and

controller means for comparing a source identifier received with the incoming call signal to the fixed acceptance list and selectable rejection list;

wherein the mobile communication device accepts the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the fixed acceptance list and rejecting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the selectable rejection list.

9. A mobile communication device for discriminating incoming calls as defined in claim 8, wherein the memory means further comprises a fixed rejection list, the fixed rejection list not being changeable by the user of the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device rejecting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the fixed rejection list.

10. A mobile communication device for discriminating incoming calls as defined in claim 8, wherein the memory means further comprises a selectable acceptance list, the selectable resection list being changeable by the user of the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device accepting the incoming call if the source identifier is contained in the selectable acceptance list.

11. A mobile communication device for discriminating incoming calls as defined in claim 8, wherein the memory means contains a means for indicating a state of a do not disturb feature, wherein after the source identifier has been compared to the fixed and selectable lists, the mobile communication device rejects the incoming call if the state of the do not disturb feature is active.

12. A mobile communication device for discriminating incoming calls as defined in claim 8, wherein the fixed acceptance list and the selectable rejection list are time dependent.