Telephone call control system and methods

• US 7,046,782 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miller Asset, LLC
• Original Assignee: Miller Asset, LLC
• Inventors: Miller, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/418,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20040208304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.07, 379/142.06, 379/196, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 379/207.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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

Abstract

A system and methods through which incoming calls to and/or outgoing calls from a telephone can be controlled. The present invention utilizes an authorized caller list to determine whether an incoming call should be connected, and a similar list to determine whether an outgoing call should be connected. The present invention can also facilitate the use of new telephone user interfaces, including by iterating through telephone numbers associated with a contact, until communications with the contact are established.

Claims

1. A method of controlling incoming calls to a telephone comprising:

creating a list of authorized callers;

storing the authorized caller list;

monitoring incoming calls;

determining whether an incoming call is from an authorized caller;

connecting the incoming call if the incoming call is from an authorized caller, and,

reporting position information to the authorized caller if the properties associated with the authorized caller indicate that the authorized caller can request such information,

wherein the authorized caller list includes properties about the authorized callers, and

wherein the authorized caller properties include a position information request authorization attribute.

2. The incoming call control method of claim 1, further comprising allowing an authorized caller whose properties indicate is authorized to request position information to elect whether such information should be reported during the current call.

3. The incoming call control method of claim 1, further comprising providing the authorized caller with an option to not connect the call where the authorized caller receives position information.

4. The incoming call control method of claim 1, wherein the list of authorized callers includes at least one telephone number, and wherein the determining step comprises comparing the telephone number of the incoming call to the at least one telephone number in the authorized caller list.

5. The incoming call control method of claim 1, wherein the list of authorized callers includes at least one name, and wherein the determining step comprises comparing a name associated with the incoming call to the at least one name in the authorized caller list.

6. The incoming call control method of claim 1, wherein the list of authorized callers includes at least one authorization code, and wherein the determining step comprises requesting an authorization code from a caller and comparing the authorization code to the at least one authorization code in the authorized caller list.

7. The incoming call control method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by the telephone.

8. The incoming call control method of claim 1, wherein the authorized caller list includes at least one phone number from which calls will be accepted, at least one caller name from whom calls will be accepted, and at least one authorization code.

9. The incoming call control method of claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises comparing the phone number of the incoming call to the at least one phone number in the authorized caller list and connecting the call if a match is found, comparing the name associated with the at least one caller name in the authorized caller list and connecting the call if a match is found, and requesting an authorization code from the caller comparing the caller provided authorization code to the at least one authorization code in the authorized caller list.

10. The incoming call control method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed locally by the telephone.

11. The incoming call control method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the incoming call to a voicemail box associated with the telephone if the incoming call is not from an authorized caller.

12. The incoming call control method of claim 1, further comprising playing a recording for the caller and disconnecting the call.

13. The incoming call control method of claim 1, further comprising creating a list of times during which incoming calls are to be limited.

14. The incoming call control method of claim 13, further comprising assuming an incoming call is from an authorized caller if the incoming call is received at a time specified in the list of times.

15. The incoming call control method of claim 13, further comprising assuming an incoming call is from an authorized caller if the incoming call is received at a time not specified in the list of times.

16. A method of programming a telephone such that the telephone is limited to only calling one of a limited set of telephone numbers, comprising:

requesting an administrator identifier;

comparing the requested administrator identifier to an administrator identifier associated with the telephone;

exiting the method if the requested administrator identifier does not match the administrator identifier associated with the telephone;

identifying the current user as an administrator if the requested administrator identifier matches the administrator identifier associated with the telephone;

requesting from the administrator a telephone number;

requesting from the administrator a user interface element with which the telephone number is to be associated;

associating the telephone number with the user interface element; and

,

limiting the telephone to only calling one of the telephone numbers associated with a user interface element.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving from the administrator a set of authorized callers; and

limiting incoming calls received by the phone to calls from the set of authorized callers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the incoming call limitations are imposed during specific hours.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the specific hours are different for each caller in the set of authorized callers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the specific hours are defined by the administrator.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

associating a position reporting attribute with each authorized caller in the set of authorized callers;

reporting position information to an authorized caller if the position reporting attribute associated with the authorized caller indicate that the authorized caller can request such information.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the authorized caller with an option to not connect the call where the authorized caller receives position information.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of authorized callers includes at least one telephone number, and wherein incoming calls received by the phone are limited by comparing the telephone number of an incoming call to a subset of the set of authorized callers.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of authorized callers includes at least one name, and wherein incoming calls received by the phone are limited by comparing a name associated with an incoming call to the at least one name in the set of authorized callers.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of authorized callers includes at least one authorization code, and wherein incoming calls received by the phone are limited by requesting an authorization code from a caller and comparing the authorization code to the at least one authorization code in the set of authorized callers.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising transferring the incoming call to a voicemail box associated with the telephone if the incoming call is not from an authorized caller.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the limiting step comprises playing a recording for a caller who is not in the set of authorized callers, and disconnecting the call.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein each user interface element is capable of being associated with a plurality of telephone numbers.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the telephone includes at least one user interface element associated with a parent of the user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a plurality of telephone numbers are associated with the user interface element associated with the parent of the user.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, upon activation of the user interface element associated with the parent of the user, the telephone iterates through the plurality of telephone numbers associated with the user interface element associated with the parent of the user.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the telephone continues to iterate through the plurality of telephone numbers until a connection is made.