Method for connecting telephone calls in a mobile communication system

• US 6,788,673 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Koskinen, Topi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W
• Application Number:
  US09/650,692
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/328, 370/338, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/445
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for answering a phone call coming to a mobile terminal in a situation where a packet-switched connection is active in the mobile terminal. At least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) has been saved in the mobile terminal. The method comprises a reception step, wherein information about an incoming call is received to the mobile terminal (MS). The method also comprises at least an examination step, wherein received information about a phone call is examined in a mobile terminal (MS) for finding at least one item of caller line identification (CLI), and it is examined whether reference items (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) have been saved in the mobile station (MS). Then, if at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) has been saved, a comparison step is carried out in the method, in which step said at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) is compared to said at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) discovered in the examination step. After that, a decision step is carried out in the method, in which step it is decided whether the call is answered or not. The decision is made on the basis of the comparison performed in said comparison step, if a comparison step was carried out.

Claims

1. A method for answering a telephone call coming to a mobile terminal (MS) in a situation where there is a packet-switched connection active in the mobile terminal (MS), into which mobile terminal (MS) at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) can be saved, and in which method a reception step is carried out, during which information about the incoming telephone call is received to the mobile terminal (MS), characterised in that the method also comprises at least the following steps:

the examination step, in which the information received about a telephone call is examined in the mobile terminal (MS) in order to find at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI), and to find out whether at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), has been saved in the mobile terminal (MT), whereby if at last one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), has been saved, a comparison step is carried out in the method, wherein said at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) and said at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) discovered in the examination step are compared, and

a decision step in which the decision about answering the phone call is made, and which decision is based on the comparison performed in said comparison step, if the comparison step was carried out.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that in the method in a default value is set for the identification information, whereby said default value is used as said identification information in the comparison step, if the caller line identity information (CLI) is not found out in the examination step.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which method telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) is saved in a mobile terminal (MS), characterised in that at least a first and a second priority class is specified, whereby one of said priority classes is selected for at least one item of telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) saved in the mobile terminal (MS), and that at least one item of saved directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) is used as reference information, whereby an examination step is also carried out in the method, in which step the priority class selected for the caller is found out on the basis of said telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), whereby in the decision step the decision about answering the call is made on the basis of the priority class selected for the caller.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that the phone call of a caller belonging to the first priority class is answer substantially immediately after the decision step.

5. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that the phone call of a caller belonging to the second priority class is not answered when the receiver has an active packet-switched connection.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that a user defined user busy (UDUB) signal is produced in the mobile terminal (MS), if a decision not to answer the call is made in the decision step.

7. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that information (PN, UN) for identifying the caller is saved, whereby after the termination of the packet-switched connection the user of a mobile terminal (MS) is sent notification of an arrived call and information (PN, UN) for identifying the caller.

8. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that in the method a third priority class is also specified, whereby when a phone call of a caller classified to the third priority class is coming, the user of the mobile terminal is sent notification about the incoming call and information (PN, UN) for identifying the caller, whereby the user can select whether to answer the call or not.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a telephone number is used as said caller line identity information (CLI).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that in said examination step, said caller line identity information (CLI) is compared to the telephone numbers (PN) saved in the telephone Directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1).

11. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that at least one caller group is specified in the mobile terminal, whereby one caller group can be selected for each item of caller'"'"'s telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), that a priority class is selected for the caller group, that information about the caller group selected for the caller is saved in the telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), and that in the examination step the caller group selected for the caller is found out from the telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), whereby said priority class selected for the caller group is used in the decision step, when the decision about answering the phone call is made.

12. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that in the method a default value is set for the priority class, whereby said default value is used as the priority class in the decision step, if the priority class is not found out in the examination step.

13. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that at least the telephone number (CLI) and name (UN) are saved in the caller'"'"'s telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CLI).

14. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the command to interrupt the packet-switched connection is used as the reference information, whereby it is examined in the comparison step if the received identification information includes a command to interrupt the packet-switched connection, whereby if the identification information includes a command to interrupt the packet-switched connection, the decision about answering the call is made in the decision step.

15. A mobile terminal (MS), which comprises means (RF) for answering the incoming call in a situation where there is a packet-switched connection active in the mobile terminal (MS), which mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (MEM) for saving at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), and means (RF) for receiving information (CLI) associated with the incoming call, characterised in that the mobile terminal (MT) also comprises at least:

examination means (CONTROL, DB1) for finding at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) from information received associated with the incoming call,

comparison means (CONTROL, DB1) for comparing at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) with at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) discovered in the examination means and for producing a comparison result, and

decision means (CONTROL) for making the decision about answering the phone call on the basis of the comparison result produced by the comparison means.

16. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 15, characterised in that it comprises means (CONTROL, KB) for setting a default value for the caller line identity information (CLI), whereby said examination means (CONTROL, DB1) comprise means for selecting said default value for use as said caller line identity information in the comparison means, if the caller line identity information (CLI) was not found out in the examination step.

17. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 15, which comprises means (MEM) for saving telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), characterised in that at least a first and a second priority class have been specified, and that the mobile terminal (MT) also comprises at least:

means (K1, K3, K4) for selecting a priority class for at least one item of said telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1),

means (CONTROL, DB1) for using at least one item of saved telephone directory information (PN;

UN, GNO), CL1) as reference information, and

examination means (CONTROL, DB2) for finding out the priority class selected for the caller on the basis of said telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1),

whereby the decision means comprise means (CONTROL, MEM) for making the decision about answering the call on the basis of the priority class selected for the caller.

18. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that it incorporates an arrangement that the phone call of a caller belonging to the first priority class is answered substantially immediately.

19. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that it incorporates an arrangement that the packet-switched connection is continued without answering the call if the caller belongs to the second priority class.

20. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 19, characterised in that the mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (RF) for producing a user defined user busy (UDUB) signal.

21. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 19, characterised in that it comprises means (MEM) for saving caller identification information (PN, UN), and means (DP) for notifying of the incoming call and for showing the caller'"'"'s identification information (PN, UN) to the user of the mobile terminal (MS) after the termination of the packet-switched connection.

22. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that a third priority class has also been specified, whereby the mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (DP) for notifying of the incoming call and showing the caller'"'"'s identification information (PN, UN), if the caller has been classified to the third priority class, and selection means (KB, K1, K2) for notifying the mobile terminal (MS) of the user'"'"'s decision about answering the call.

23. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that said caller line identity information (CLI) comprises at least a telephone number (PN).

24. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 23, characterised in that said examination means comprise means (CONTROL) for comparing said caller line identity information (CLI) to the telephone numbers (PN) saved in the telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1).

25. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that at least one caller group has been formed in the mobile terminal (MS), whereby the mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (K1, K3, K4) for selecting a caller group for each item of caller'"'"'s telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), means (K1, K3, K4) for selecting a priority class for the caller group, means (MEM) for saving information about the caller group selected for the caller in the telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), that said examination means comprise means (CONTROL) for finding out the caller group selected for the caller from the telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), and that the decision means comprise means (CONTROL) for making the decision about answering the call on the basis of said priority class of the caller group.

26. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that it comprises means (CONTROL, KB) for setting a default value for the priority class, whereby said comparison means (CONTROL, DB1) comprise means for selecting said default value of the priority class for use as said priority class in the decision means, if the priority class was not discovered.

27. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 17, characterised in that the caller'"'"'s telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) comprise at least the telephone number (CLI) and name (UN).

28. A mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 15, characterised in that at least one item of reference information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) comprises a command to interrupt the packet-switched connection, whereby the comparison means (CONTROL, DB1) comprise means for comparing the received identification information to the command to interrupt the packet-switched connection.

29. A data transfer system (NW1) comprising means (SGSN, GGSN) for establishing a packet-switched connection between a mobile communication network (NW1) and a mobile terminal (MS), means (MSC) for initiating a telephone call between the mobile communication network (NW1) and the mobile terminal (MS), means (MSC, PSTN) for associating at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) with the telephone call, and means (MEM) for saving at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), and which mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (RF) for answering an incoming call in a situation where a packet-switched connection is active in the mobile terminal (MS), characterised in that the data transfer system (NW1) also comprises at least:

examination means (CONTROL, DB1) for finding at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) from information received associated with the incoming call in the mobile terminal (MS),

comparison means (CONTROL, DB1) for comparing at least one reference item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1) with the at least one item of caller line identity information (CLI) discovered in the examination means and for producing a comparison result, and

decision means (CONTROL) for making the decision about answering the phone call in the mobile terminal (MS) on the basis of the comparison result produced by the comparison means.

30. A data transfer system (NW1) according to claim 29, in which a mobile terminal (MS) comprises means (MEM) for saving telephone directory information (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), characterised in that at least a first and a second priority class have been specified, and that the mobile terminal (MT) also comprises at least:

means (K1, K3, K4) for selecting a priority class for at least one saved telephone directory item (PN, UN, GNO, CL1),

means (CONTROL, DB1) for using at least one saved telephone directory item (PN;

UN, GNO, CL1) as a reference item, and

examination means (CONTROL, DB2) for finding out the priority class selected for the caller on the basis of said telephone directory items (PN, UN, GNO, CL1), whereby the decision means comprise means (CONTROL, MEM) for making the decision about answering the call on the basis of the priority class selected for the caller.

31. A data transfer system (NW1) according to claim 29, characterised in that at it comprises means (P, PSTN, MSC) for sending a command to interrupt the packet-switched connection in the identification information to be sent to the mobile terminal (MS), whereby the comparison means (CONTROL, DB1) comprise means for comparing the received item of identification information to the command to interrupt the packet-switched connection.