Automatic handling of incoming communications at a wireless device

• US 8,520,511 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chmaytelli, Mazen, Khazaka, Samir K., Kirbas, Bilhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALIYUR, VENKATESH N
• Application Number:
  US10/661,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20050058067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,638 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370228-503, 455/566, 455413-503, 340 721- 731, 3792011-37302
• US Class Current: 370/230
• 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: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A wireless computer device, such as a mobile telephone, that receives attempted communication connections, such as phone calls, across a wireless network and can respond thereto without the user directly entering the communication. The wireless device classifies the attempted communication connection, such as through receipt of Caller ID, and performs a predetermined response to a communication connection attempt based upon the classification, such as blocking the call, answering with a prerecorded message, or sending data to the calling device.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone comprising:

a processor;

a wireless communication interface, coupled to said processor, wherein the wireless communication interface selectively receives an attempted incoming communication connection across a wireless network; and

a memory coupled to said processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive an attempted incoming communication connection;

determine whether the attempted incoming communication can be classified based on whether identifying information of the attempted incoming communication connection is recognized;

determine whether there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications when the identifying information is not recognized, wherein the default response establishes whether the unclassified communication will be able to establish a connection;

perform the default response when it is determined that the identifying information is not recognized and that there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications;

request a user to input a classification for the attempted incoming communication and determine whether the user responded to the request when the identifying information is not recognized and no default response is associated with unclassified incoming communications, wherein upon determining that the user did not respond to the request, the incoming communication is allowed to connect;

classify the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the identifying information when the identifying information is recognized;

determine whether there is a predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the classification, wherein the predetermined response establishes whether the attempted incoming communication will be able to establish a connection and wherein the predetermined response comprises requesting user input as to whether to accept the attempted incoming communication connection, wherein;

upon determining that there is not a predetermined response based on the classification, the incoming communication is allowed to connect; and

upon determining that there is a predetermined response based on the classification, the predetermined response is performed.

2. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the predetermined response comprises blocking the attempted incoming communication connection.

3. The cellular telephone of claim 2, wherein the predetermined response comprises sending an audio response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

4. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the predetermined response comprises returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

5. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the classification of the attempted incoming communication connection occurs from identifying a telephone number of a calling telephone making the attempted incoming communication.

6. The cellular telephone of claim 5, wherein identifying a telephone number of a calling telephone comprises receiving Caller ID for the attempted incoming communication connection.

7. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the classification occurs through receipt of identity data within the attempted incoming communication connection.

8. The cellular telephone of claim 4, wherein returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication connection comprises sending a short messaging service (SMS) message to a device making the attempted incoming communication connection.

26. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the default response is an audio message configured for unidentified calling parties.

27. The cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the default response comprises allowing connection of the attempted incoming communication.

9. A cellular telephone comprising:

means for selectively receiving an attempted incoming communication connection across a wireless network;

means for determining whether the attempted incoming communication can be classified based on whether identifying information of the attempted incoming communication connection is recognized;

means for determining whether there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications when the identifying information is not recognized, wherein the default response establishes whether the unclassified communication will be able to establish a connection;

means for performing the default response when it is determined that the identifying information is not recognized and that there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications;

means for requesting a user to classify the attempted incoming communication and determining whether the user responded to the request when the identifying information is not recognized and no default response is associated with unclassified incoming communications, wherein upon determining that the user did not respond to the request, the incoming communication is allowed to connect;

means for classifying the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the identifying information when the identifying information is recognized;

means for determining whether there is a predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the classification, wherein the predetermined response establishes whether the attempted incoming communication will be able to establish a connection and wherein the predetermined response comprises requesting user input as to whether to accept the attempted incoming communication connection;

means for performing the predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication in response to determining that there is a predetermined response based on the classification; and

means for allowing connection of the incoming communication in response to determining that there is not a predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication connection based on the classification.

28. The cellular telephone of claim 9, wherein the default response comprises allowing connection of the attempted incoming communication.

10. A method for responding to incoming communication connection attempts at a cellular telephone comprising:

receiving an attempted incoming communication connection at the cellular telephone;

storing the attempted incoming communication in a memory of the cellular telephone;

determining in the cellular telephone whether the attempted incoming communication can be classified based on whether identifying information of the attempted incoming communication connection is recognized;

determining in the cellular telephone whether there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications when the identifying information is not recognized, wherein the default response establishes whether the unclassified communication will be able to establish a connection;

performing the default response when it is determined that the identifying information is not recognized and that there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications;

requesting a user to classify the attempted incoming communication and determining whether the user responded to the request when the identifying information is not recognized and no default response is associated with unclassified incoming communications,

wherein upon determining that the user did not respond to the request, the incoming communication is allowed to connect;

classifying the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the identifying information when the identifying information is recognized;

determining whether there is a predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the classification, wherein the predetermined response establishes whether the attempted incoming communication will be able to establish a connection and wherein the predetermined response comprises requesting user input as to whether to accept the attempted incoming communication connection, wherein;

upon determining that there is not a predetermined response based on the classification, the incoming communication is allowed to connect; and

upon determining that there is a predetermined response based on the classification, the predetermined response is performed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing a predetermined response comprises blocking the attempted incoming communication connection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing a predetermined response further comprises generating an audio response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication comprises returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein classifying the attempted incoming communication connection comprises identifying a telephone number of a calling telephone making the attempted incoming communication connection to the cellular telephone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying a telephone number of a calling telephone comprises receiving Caller ID from the attempted incoming communication.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein classifying the attempted incoming communication connection occurs through the receipt of identity data within the attempted incoming communication connection.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein performing a predetermined response further comprises sending an short messaging service (SMS) message to a device making the attempted incoming communication connection.

29. The method of claim 10, wherein the default response comprises allowing connection of the attempted incoming communication.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations comprising:

receiving an attempted incoming communication connection from another device across a wireless network;

determining whether the attempted incoming communication can be classified based on whether identifying information of the attempted incoming communication connection is recognized;

determining whether there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications when the identifying information is not recognized, wherein the default response establishes whether the unclassified communication will be able to establish a connection;

performing the default response when it is determined that the identifying information is not recognized and that there is a default response associated with unclassified incoming communications;

requesting a user to classify the attempted incoming communication and determining whether the user responded to the request when the identifying information is not recognized and no default response is associated with unclassified incoming communications,

wherein upon determining that the user did not respond to the request, the incoming communication is allowed to connect;

classifying the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the identifying information when the identifying information is recognized;

determining whether there is a predetermined response to the attempted incoming communication connection based upon the classification, wherein the predetermined response establishes whether the attempted incoming communication will be able to establish a connection and wherein the predetermined response comprises requesting user input as to whether to accept the attempted incoming communication connection, wherein;

upon determining that there is not a predetermined response based on the classification, the incoming connection is allowed to connect; and

upon determining that there is a predetermined response based on the classification, the predetermined response is performed.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that performing a predetermined response comprises blocking the attempted incoming communication connection.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that performing a predetermined response further comprises generating an audio response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that performing a predetermined response comprises returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication connection.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that classifying the attempted incoming communication connection comprises identifying the telephone number of a calling telephone making the attempted incoming communication connection.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such identifying the telephone number of a calling telephone comprises receiving Caller ID from the attempted incoming communication connection.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that classifying the attempted incoming communication connection occurs through the receipt of Caller ID from the attempted incoming communication connection.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that returning a data response to the attempted incoming communication connection comprises sending an SMS message to the device making the attempted incoming communication connection.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, having stored thereon further processor-executable instructions that cause a processor of a cellular telephone to perform operations such that the default response comprises allowing connection of the attempted incoming communication.