Caller controlled network-based timed ring suppression

• US 7,113,586 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F.
• Application Number:
  US10/609,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.03, 379/373.01, 379/373.02, 379/376.02
• US Class Current: 379/376.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

Systems and methods for timed ring suppression are disclosed. After a communications device receives an incoming call and the ringer is activated to produce an initial audible alert, the ringer of the communications device may be silenced for subsequent audible alerts until the calling party hangs up or until the call is further processed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming communications signal in a communications network, the incoming communications signal including an interrupt code to disable timed ring suppression of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device;

verifying the interrupt code; and

if the interrupt code is verified, disabling the timed ring suppression,

wherein the timed ring suppression suppresses a ringer of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert of the incoming communications signal such that subsequent audible alerts of the incoming communications signal are silenced according to a timing parameter and wherein the timed ring suppression further reactivates the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts according to the timing parameter wherein the interrupt code is communicated by the communications network to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device such that the timed ring suppression is disabled.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

routing the incoming communications signal to a called telephone number of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending a disable notification message to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the disable notification message comprising (i) an identifier of a calling party, (ii) a communications address, and (iii) an identifier of a calling party'"'"'s communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

presenting the disable notification message via the receiving party'"'"'s communications device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of presenting the disable notification message includes audibly presenting the disable notification message.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of presenting the disable notification message includes visually presenting the disable notification message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the interrupt code comprises accessing a database to determine whether the interrupt code corresponds to a caller control parameter of a timed ring suppression profile.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the timed ring suppression profile comprises at least one of (i) a telephone number associated with the incoming line identification signal, (ii) a directory name associated with the incoming line identification signal, (iii) a date/time identifier associated with the incoming line identification signal, (iv) a geographical identifier associated with the incoming line identification signal, (v) the caller control parameter associated with the incoming line identification signal, (vi) an outgoing telephone number, and (vii) the timing parameter for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives an incoming call and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert, the timing parameter ranging from approximately one second to greater than one second.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the timed ring suppression profile comprises at least one of (i) an identifier of a calling party, (ii) a communications address, (iii) an identifier of a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (iv) a timing parameter for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives an incoming call and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming communications signal in a communications network, the incoming communications signal including an interrupt code to interrupt timed ring suppression of a receiving party'"'"'s communications device;

verifying the interrupt code by accessing a database of timed ring suppression profiles to determine whether the interrupt code corresponds to a caller control parameter of a timed ring suppression profile associated with the incoming communications signal; and

if the interrupt code is verified, interrupting timed ring suppression such that when the incoming communications signal is communicated to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the receiving party'"'"'s communications device presents a continuous indicator of the incoming communications signal while the receiving party'"'"'s communications device is in an on-hook state,

wherein the timed ring suppression suppresses a communications indicator of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the indicator to produce an initial alert of the incoming communications signal such that subsequent alerts of the incoming communications signal are suppressed according to a timing parameter and wherein the interrupt code is communicated by the communications network to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device such that the timed ring suppression is disabled.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the timed ring suppression further reactivates the communications indicator to produce subsequent unsuppressed alerts according to the timing parameter.

12. A system, comprising:

a communications dataserver communicating with a communications network for detecting, decoding, and communicating an incoming communications signal on a communications link from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the communications dataserver further storing a timed ring suppression profile comprising (i) a telephone number, (ii) a directory name, (iii) a date/time identifier, (iv) a geographical identifier, (v) a caller control interrupt code, and (vi) a timing parameter for suppressing a communications indicator of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the communications indicator to produce an initial alert of the incoming communications signal; and

a timed ring suppression application communicating with at least one of the communications network, the communications dataserver, and the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the timed ring suppression application generating a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal for suppressing subsequent alerts by the communications indicator of the incoming communications signal according to the timed ring suppression profile, the timed ring suppression application further generating an interrupt timed ring suppression signal in response to receiving the caller control interrupt code, the interrupt timed ring suppression signal for temporarily disabling the timed ring suppression signal such that the communications indicator maintains a continuous, uninterrupted alert of the uninterrupted, on-hook incoming communications signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications indicator comprises a ringer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications indicator comprises a vibrating indicator.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications indicator comprises at least one of a visual indicator, an audible indicator, a temperate indicator, and a sensory indicator.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network, a mobile switching telephone communications network, and a satellite communications network.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiving party'"'"'s communications device comprises at least one of the following:

a timed ring suppression device,

a POTS phone,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a pager, and

an interactive television, and

18. The system of claim 12, the communications network further comprising a world wide electronic data communications network having a timed ring suppression interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, or an extranet.

19. A caller controlled network based timed ring suppression system, comprising:

a first switch communicating with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, the calling party'"'"'s communications device transmitting an incoming communications signal to a communications network;

the communications network processing an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal of the incoming communications signal to generate an interrupt timed ring suppression signal and transmitting the incoming communications signal and the interrupt timed ring suppression signal to a second switch; and

a second switch communicating the incoming communications signal and the interrupt timed ring suppression signal to a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the interrupt timed ring suppression signal overriding a timed ring suppressor of a timed ring suppression device such that when the incoming communications signal is communicated to the receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the receiving party'"'"'s communications device presents a continuous indicator of the incoming communications signal while the communications signal is in an uninterrupted, on-hook state.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network, a mobile switching telephone communications network, a satellite communications network, and a data communications network, the data network having a timed ring suppression interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, and an extranet.