System and method for improved mobile phone functionality

• US 6,760,581 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/817,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/415, 455/567, 455/418, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 379/56.1, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/201.01, 379/211.01, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold

Abstract

A system and method for providing a hold operation from a mobile telephone. When a call is received and the mobile telephone user cannot readily answer the phone, he presses a “hold” key on the mobile telephone. The hold key plays a message to the caller informing the caller that the receiver intends to answer the call momentarily. In this manner, calls received in places where mobile telephone calls are discouraged or prohibited can be placed on hold until the receiver has moved to a location where he can answer the call. For example, in a theater incoming calls can be held so the user can move to a hallway where he can answer the call and talk to the caller. Wireless technology (Bluetooth) is used to automatically hold calls when the mobile telephone receives a command from a server that installed in the theater or other public place.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising:

one or more processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors;

a receiver for receiving mobile telephone signals;

a transmitter for sending mobile telephone signals;

a keypad for entering numbers;

a signaler for signaling a user of the mobile telephone; and

a hold function to hold an incoming call, the hold function including;

means for receiving a hold request from the user, the hold request configuring an automatic hold feature;

means for receiving, at the mobile telephone, a wireless hold command from a server;

means for activating the automatic hold feature at the mobile telephone in response to receiving the hold command;

means for signaling an incoming mobile telephone call to the mobile telephone through the receiver;

means for automatically holding one or more of the incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the activation of the automatic hold feature; and

means for transmitting a hold message through the transmitter to a caller corresponding to each of the automatically held incoming mobile telephone calls.

2. The mobile telephone as described in claim 1 further comprising:

means for accessing a stored list of one or more important potential caller identifiers from the nonvolatile storage area; and

means for determining whether one or more caller identifiers corresponding to each of the incoming mobile telephone calls match one of the important potential caller identifiers, wherein the automatically holding and transmitting are performed when the incoming caller identifier does not match one of the important potential caller identifiers.

3. The mobile telephone as described in claim 2 further comprising:

means for receiving, from the user, the one or more important potential call identifiers prior to receiving the hold command from the server; and

means for storing the received important potential call identifiers in the nonvolatile storage area.

4. The mobile telephone as described in claim 2 further comprising:

means for notifying the user of the incoming mobile telephone call in response to the incoming caller identifier matching one of the important potential caller identifiers, the notifying using a signal transmitted from signaler, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an audible signal and a vibration adapted to be felt by the user.

5. The mobile telephone as described in claim 1 further comprising:

means for sensing that the mobile telephone is out of range from the server; and

means for disabling the automatic holding of incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the sensing.

6. The mobile telephone as described in claim 5 further comprising:

a time accessible from the processors, wherein the hold function further includes;

means for setting the timer when the hold command is received;

means for listening for subsequent hold commands; and

means for disabling the automatic hold command in response to a the timer reaching a predetermined elapsed time value.

7. A method of handling incoming mobile telephone calls to a mobile telephone, said method comprising:

receiving a hold request from a user, the hold request configuring an automatic hold feature;

receiving, at the mobile telephone, a wireless hold command from a server;

activating the automatic hold feature at the mobile telephone in response to receiving the hold command;

signaling an incoming mobile telephone call to the mobile telephone;

automatically holding one or more of the incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the activation of the automatic hold feature; and

transmitting a hold message to a caller corresponding to each of the automatically held incoming mobile telephone calls.

8. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

accessing a stored list of one or more important potential caller identifiers; and

determining whether one or more caller identifiers corresponding to each of the incoming mobile telephone calls match one of the important potential caller identifiers, wherein the automatically holding and transmitting are performed when the incoming caller identifier does not match one of the important potential caller identifiers.

9. The method as described in claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, from the user, the one or more important potential call identifiers prior to receiving the hold command from the server; and

storing the received important potential call identifiers in the stored list.

10. The method as described in claim 8 further comprising:

notifying the user of the incoming mobile telephone call in response to the incoming caller identifier matching one of the important potential caller identifiers, the notifying using a signal transmitted from the mobile telephone, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an audible signal and a vibration adapted to be felt by the user.

11. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

sensing that the mobile telephone is out of range from the server; and

disabling the automatic holding of incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the sensing.

12. The method as described in claim 11 wherein the sensing further comprises:

setting a timer when the hold command is received;

listening for subsequent hold commands; and

disabling the automatic hold command in response to a the timer reaching a predetermined elapsed time value.

13. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

notifying the user when the automatic hold feature has been activated, the notifying using a signal transmitted from the mobile telephone, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an audible signal and a vibration adapted to be felt by the user.

14. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media adapted to handle incoming mobile telephone calls to a mobile telephone, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a hold request from a user, the hold request configuring an automatic hold feature;

means for receiving, at the mobile telephone, a wireless hold command from a server;

means for activating the automatic hold feature at the mobile telephone in response to receiving the hold command;

means for signaling an incoming mobile telephone call to the mobile telephone;

means for automatically holding one or more of the incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the activation of the automatic hold feature; and

means for transmitting a hold message to a caller corresponding to each of the automatically held incoming mobile telephone calls.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for accessing a stored list of one or more important potential caller identifiers; and

means for determining whether one or more caller identifiers corresponding to each of the incoming mobile telephone calls match one of the important potential caller identifiers, wherein the automatically holding and transmitting are performed when the incoming caller identifier does not match one of the important potential caller identifiers.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving, from the user, the one or more important potential call identifiers prior to receiving the hold command from the server; and

means for storing the received important potential call identifiers in the stored list.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for notifying the user of the incoming mobile telephone call in response to the incoming caller identifier matching one of the important potential caller identifiers, the notifying using a signal transmitted from the mobile telephone, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an audible signal and a vibration adapted to be felt by the user.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for sensing that the mobile telephone is out of range from the server; and

means for disabling the automatic holding of incoming mobile telephone calls in response to the sensing.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for notifying the user when the automatic hold feature has been activated, the notifying using a signal transmitted from the mobile telephone, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an audible signal and a vibration adapted to be felt by the user.

19. The computer program product as described in claim wherein the means for sensing further comprises:

means for setting a timer when the hold command is received;

means for listening for subsequent hold commands; and

means for disabling the automatic hold command in response to a the timer reaching a predetermined elapsed time value.