System for intelligent home controller and home monitor

• US 7,447,507 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Infosino, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal; Khawar
• Application Number:
  US11/395,943
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/416, 455/417, 455/461, 455/46, 455/565, 455/413, 455/414.4, 455/456.5, 455/567, 379/200, 379/201.6, 379/45, 340/539.11, 340/506
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Claims

1. A system for managing telephone service for a plurality of persons sharing a common telephone line based on determining whether a person sharing common telephone line is at the location served by the common telephone line and for restricting completion of a telephone call from a restricted telephone number calling inbound to the common telephone line to permit said telephone call to be completed only when a required person is present at the location served by the common telephone line, comprising:

a transmitter accompanying the person and periodically emitting a unique signal;

a base station serving each person sharing the common telephone line at the location of the common telephone line and containing a receiver;

said base station further containing a processor;

a base station database containing at least one unique record, said unique record corresponding to said person and correlating said unique signal emitted by said transmitter to said unique record in said base station database;

the base station processor being arranged to make an entry in the base station database record that corresponds to said transmitter, recording a receipt of said unique signal;

the base station processor being arranged to make an entry in the base station database record that corresponds to said transmitter, recording a failure to receive said signal when said base station fails to receive said unique signal from said transmitter for a predetermined period of time;

whereby the base station database maintains a record for each person sharing the common telephone line indicating whether that person is or is not at the location served by the common telephone line;

a telephone connection over the common telephone line from the base station to a local telephone network controller;

a network database maintained by said local telephone network controller, said network database containing a plurality of network database records;

the base station processor being arranged, upon detecting a change in at least one of said records in said base station database indicating whether a person is or is not at the location served by the common telephone line, to initiate a telephone call over the common telephone line to said local telephone network controller, to upload said changed base station database into the network database, and thereafter to disconnect said telephone call, thereby updating said network database to indicated whether each of the persons sharing the common telephone line is or is not at the location served by the common telephone line;

a database in the network controller of at least one subscriber telephone numbers including the subscriber telephone number associated with the common telephone line that have restrictions on inbound telephone calls;

for each of said subscriber telephone numbers that have restrictions on inbound telephone calls, including the subscriber telephone number associated with the common telephone line, a database list in the network controller of at least one restricted inbound telephone numbers associated with at least one of the persons sharing the common telephone line;

a database in the base station of a list of at least one restricted inbound telephone numbers associated with at least one of the persons sharing the common telephone line;

the base station processor being arranged, upon detecting a change in at least one of said records in said base station database of restricted inbound telephone numbers, to initiate a telephone call over the common telephone line to said local telephone network controller, to upload said changed base station database of restricted inbound telephone numbers into the network database, and thereafter to disconnect said telephone call, thereby to record in said network database an updated list of restricted inbound telephone numbers associated with persons sharing the common telephone line;

the network controller being arranged, when an inbound telephone call to one of said subscriber telephone numbers is made, to check the network database to determine whether the inbound telephone call is to one of the subscriber telephone numbers that has restrictions on inbound telephone calls;

when an inbound telephone call to one of said subscriber telephone numbers is determined to be to one of the subscriber telephone numbers that has restrictions on inbound telephone calls, the network controller being arranged to check the updated list of restricted inbound telephone numbers to determine whether a number being called may be completed only if at least one required person is present;

wherein, when it is determined that a number being called may be completed only if at least one required person is present, the network controller is arranged to check the updated network database to determine whether said at least one person is present; and

the network controller being arranged to permit said restricted inbound telephone call to be completed only if said at least one required person is present.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network database list of restricted inbound telephone numbers is updated by submitting a message by telephone, email or mail to a customer service department within the local telephone network provider.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for playing an announcement to a caller explaining that said inbound telephone call cannot be completed if said at least one required person is not present.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for returning to the caller a signal indicating that a telephone is ringing without being answered if said at least one required person is not present.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically transferring a caller to a voice mailbox if said at least one required person is not present.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for transferring a caller to a predetermined alternative telephone number if said at least one required person is not present.