Method and apparatus for avoiding call disturbances and facilitating urgent calls based on a caller's decision

• US 7,756,531 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farhad John Aminzadeh
• Original Assignee: Farhad John Aminzadeh
• Inventors: Aminzadeh, Farhad John
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooks; Shannon R
• Application Number:
  US10/653,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/445, 455/433
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• 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 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A telecommunication system and method for notifying a calling party, via a Preventive Disturbance Announcement (PDA), that a called party is in an area where the called party would prefer not to be disturbed with non-urgent calls. The calling party is then given the opportunity to either talk to the mobile called party or to leave a message or callback number. If the calling party decides to try to talk to the user, a Home Location Register (HLR) directs the call to a Visitor Location Register (VLR), and a mobile ending call is generated via a Mobile Switching Center (MSC). For non-urgent calls, the called party is given an option to refuse a voice mail page or Caller ID page of the non-urgent calls. The HLR will direct the Short Message Service (SMS) Service Center (SMS/SC) to store, in a buffer or external source, the Caller ID of non-urgent calls that were not connected to the called party while the PDA was active.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

a memory to store a single parameter, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

a receipt circuit to receive a message from a calling party directed to the subscriber;

a state evaluation circuit to determine whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter;

a message handling circuit to forward the received message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, according to the two states of the single parameter; and

a transmit circuit to send a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and to provide an override option to the calling party, wherein

the message handling circuit is configured to forward the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, and wherein the message handling circuit is configured to store the received message until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message handling circuit forwards a notification message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the message handling circuit is adapted to receive a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuits are one or more appropriately programmed computers.

7. A method for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a single parameter by the subscriber, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

receiving a message from a calling party directed to the subscriber;

determining whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter;

forwarding the received message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, according to the two states of the single parameter;

sending a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and providing an override option to the calling party;

forwarding the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state; and

storing the received message until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option, according to the two states of the single parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the forwarding step includes forwarding a text message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the forwarding step includes receiving a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the single parameter is independent of a time period.

13. An apparatus for controlling access to at least one subscriber in a communication system, the subscriber being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing a single parameter by the subscriber, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

means for receiving a message from a calling party directed to the subscriber;

means for determining whether the subscriber is in the access-denied state or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter;

means for forwarding the received message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, according to the two states of the single parameter; and

means for sending a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and to provide an override option to the calling party, wherein

the means for forwarding forwards the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, and stores the received message until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for storing, or forwarding the received message includes means for forwarding a notification message to the subscriber when the subscriber is in the access-allowed state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for storing, or forwarding the received message includes means for receiving a response message from the subscriber, permitting one of at least two possible responses to the notification message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the possible responses is to allow the received message to be forwarded to the subscriber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the received message has a priority state and the received message is forwarded to the subscriber only if the priority state is allowed in the response message from the subscriber.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the single parameter is independent of a time period.

19. An apparatus for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

a first circuit to cause the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network, the message including a single parameter, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

a receipt circuit to receive the message directed to the network;

a state evaluation circuit to determine whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter;

a message handling circuit to forward the message to the network when the mobile system is in the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter; and

a transmit circuit to send a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and to provide an override option to the calling party, wherein

the message handling circuit is configured to forward the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, and wherein the message handling circuit is configured to store the received message until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile system is physically linked to the first circuit.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile system is wirelessly linked to the first circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and the first circuit is embedded within the hardware and software of the network.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first circuit causes the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the location of the mobile system is determined by the Global Positioning System.

25. A method for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising the steps of:

a) causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network, the message including a single parameter, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

b) receiving the message directed to the network;

c) determining whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter; and

d) forwarding the message to the network when the mobile system is in the access-allowed state;

e) sending a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and providing an override option to the calling party;

f) forwarding the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state; and

g) storing the message directed to the network until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option, according to the two states of the single parameter.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes physically linking the mobile system and the network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes wirelessly linking the mobile system and the network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and step a) is performed by hardware and software embedded within the network.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein step a) includes causing the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein step a) includes locating the mobile system by using the Global Positioning System.

31. An apparatus for signaling a network being used by a mobile system in a communication system, the mobile system being in either an access-denied state or an access-allowed state, comprising:

means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message directed to the network, the message including a single parameter, the single parameter having two states, a first state indicating the access-allowed state and a second state indicating the access-denied state;

means for receiving the message directed to the network;

means for determining whether the mobile system is in the access-denied or the access-allowed state according to the two states of the single parameter;

means for forwarding the message to the network when the mobile system is in the access-allowed state, according to the two states of the single parameter; and

means for sending a reply message to the calling party indicating that the subscriber is in the access-denied state and to provide an override option to the calling party, wherein

the means for forwarding forwards the received message to the subscriber when the calling party selects the override option and the subscriber is in the access-allowed state, and stores the received message until the subscriber is in the access-allowed state when the subscriber is in the access-denied state and the calling party does not select the override option.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the mobile system is physically linked to the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the mobile system is wirelessly linked to the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the network comprises hardware and software, and the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message is embedded within the hardware and software of the network.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for causing the mobile system or part of the network to send a message causes the mobile system or part of the network to send the message as a function of the location of the mobile system.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the location of the mobile system is determined by the Global Positioning System.