Wireless communication device with call screening

• US 7,715,828 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/592,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/415, 455/417, 455/414, 455/567, 455/422, 455/403, 455/445, 455/461, 455418-419, 379/210.02, 379/210.03, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/415
• 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 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A cellular telephone maintains a screening list of calling party numbers, and specifies call handling therefor. A mobile switching center is responsive to selected types of the specified call handling. The call handling can depend on whether the call is local or non-local, which is affected by the location of the cellular telephone. The call handling can also depend on the time at which the call is made. A subscriber updates his or her screening list via personal computer, and transmits via a communication network the updated screening list to a message center which sends the updated screening list to the cellular telephone via wireless communication. A calling party number can be specified as a wildcard.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication device for use with a telecommunications network, the mobile wireless communication device comprising:

a computer-readable medium on which is stored a user-editable screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, the screening list comprising a plurality of user-editable records, each record including a calling party number field value associated with a calling party, and a non-local call handling field value, the non-local call handling field value of at least a portion of the records specifying costs related to incoming calls associated with the calling party number field value are to be paided by the calling party; and

a processor configured to implement the call handling defined by the user-editable screening list, the call handling comprising receiving an incoming call having a calling party number from a calling party, identifying of one of plurality of user-editable records based on the calling party number and the calling party number field value of the identified record, and determining whether the incoming call is a local call, the non-local call handling field value of the identified record specifying costs related to incoming calls associated with the calling party number field value are to be paided by the calling party

if the incoming call is not local, a cost being associated with the incoming call and the call handling further comprising;

in accordance with the non-local call handling field value, instructing the network to present a request to the calling party requesting that the calling party pay the cost for the incoming call,

receiving a notification from the network indicating whether the calling party has agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call, and

if the notification indicates the calling party has agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call, instructing the network to bill the calling party for the cost associated with the incoming call, and instructing the network to establish a call path between the calling party and the mobile wireless communication device.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party name field value.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, the non-local call handling field value specifies call handling according to one or more of day and time of day.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein if the call is not local, the call handling further comprises:

if the notification indicates the calling party has not agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call, forwarding the incoming call to other than the mobile wireless communication device.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein forwarding the incoming call to other than the mobile wireless communication device comprises forwarding the incoming call to voicemail.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the non-local call handling field value of the identified record specifies a time of day during which the call handing includes instructing the network to present the request to the calling party requesting that the calling party pay the cost for the incoming call, and the call handling further comprises:

at times other than the time of day specified by the non-local call handling field value of the identified record, instructing the network to establish the call path between the calling party and the mobile wireless communication device without instructing the network to present the request to the calling party requesting that the calling party pay the cost for the incoming call, without instructing the network to bill the calling party for the cost associated with the incoming call, and without receiving the notification indicating whether the calling party has agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the non-local call handling field value of the identified record specifies a day of week during which the call handing includes instructing the network to present the request to the calling party requesting that the calling party pay the cost for the call, and the call handling further comprises:

on days other than the day of week specified by the non-local call handling field value of the identified record, instructing the network to establish the call path between the calling party and the mobile wireless communication device without instructing the network to present the request to the calling party requesting that the calling party pay the cost for the incoming call, without instructing the network to bill the calling party for the cost associated with the incoming call, and without receiving the notification indicating whether the calling party has agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the local call handling field value comprises a designated number that is other than a number associated with the mobile wireless communication device, the local call handling field value includes a specification that specifies forwarding the incoming call to the designated number, and handling the incoming call in accordance with the local call handling field value of the identified record comprises forwarding the incoming call to the designated number.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of user-editable records comprises a local call handling field value, and if the incoming call is local, the call handling further comprises handling the incoming call in accordance with the local call handling field value of the identified record.

11. A method of call handling in a mobile wireless communication device using a user-editable screening list, the method comprising:

storing a user-editable screening list in the mobile wireless communication device, the screening list comprising one or more user-editable records, each of the one or more records comprising a calling party number field value associated with a calling party; and

plural call handling field values specifying how to handle an incoming call from the calling party, the plural call handling field values including a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle an incoming local call, and the non-local call handling field value of at least a portion of the of the one or more records specifies that costs related to incoming non-local calls associated with the calling party number field value are to be paided by the calling party;

receiving call information for an incoming call at the wireless communication device via a wireless communication link, the call information including a telephone number of a first calling party, and location information of the first calling party, wherein the location information of the first calling party is not a telephone number or part thereof;

determining whether the incoming call received is a local call or a non-local call based on the location information, if the incoming call is a non-local call, a cost being associated with the incoming call;

finding a matching record of the one of the one or more user-editable records of the user-editable screening list, the matching record having a calling party number field value that matches the calling party number, the non-local call handling field value of the matching record specifying costs related to incoming non-local calls associated with the calling party number field value are to be paided by the calling party; and

if the incoming call is a non-local call, in accordance with the non-local call handling field value, presenting a request to the first calling party requesting that the first calling party agree to pay the cost for the incoming call,

receiving a notification from the first calling party indicating whether the first calling party agrees to pay the cost for the incoming call, and

if the notification indicates the first calling party has agreed to pay the cost for the incoming call, billing the first calling party for the cost associated with the incoming call, and establishing a call path between the first calling party and the mobile wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device is located at a location, and determining whether the incoming call received is a local call or a non-local call comprises comparing the location information of the first calling party with the location of the wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the user-editable screening list from a computer via a wireless communication network, the screening list being updatable by the computer via the wireless communication network.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the screening list from the mobile wireless communication device via the wireless communication network;

providing the screening list to the computer for update thereby;

receiving the updated screening list from the computer; and

replacing the screening list stored on the mobile wireless communication device with the updated screening list.