Network based timed ring suppression

• US 8,548,158 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US11/502,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 379/376.02, 379/392.01, 379/350, 379/387.01, 379/199, 379/377, 379/211.04, 379/373, 379/374, 379/257, 379/252, 379/372, 379/375, 379/376, 370/352, 370/260, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 704/275
• US Class Current: 379/373.03
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

After a communications device receives an incoming communication and an alert is activated to produce an initial incoming communications alert, the alert of the communications device may selectively be deactivated for subsequent alerts until the initiating party terminates the incoming communication or until the incoming communication is further processed.

Claims

1. A system for providing timed ring suppression, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an incoming communication from a communications network;

receiving a timed ring suppression signal from the communications network;

querying for a timing parameter describing an amount of time in which alerts to the incoming communication are silenced;

processing an initial alert to initially alert of the incoming communication;

suppressing subsequent alerts for the incoming communication according to the timed ring suppression signal for the amount of time described by the timing parameter; and

reactivating the subsequent alerts for the incoming communication after the amount of time described by the timing parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise suppressing the subsequent alerts for unknown calling numbers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise suppressing the subsequent alerts for blocked calling numbers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise suppressing the subsequent alerts for unknown communication addresses.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise suppressing the subsequent alerts for blocked communication addresses.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise billing for the suppressed alerts.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a telephone number.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise suppressing a ringer.

9. A computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a communications network;

receiving a timed ring suppression signal from the communications network;

querying for a timing parameter describing an amount of time in which alerts to the incoming communication are silenced;

processing an initial alert to initially alert of the incoming communication;

suppressing subsequent alerts of the incoming communication according to the timed ring suppression signal for the amount of time described by the timing parameter; and

reactivating the subsequent alerts for the incoming communication after the amount of time described by the timing parameter.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 9, wherein the timing parameter ranges from approximately one second to approximately two minutes.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 9, wherein the timing parameter is greater than two minutes.

12. A method for timed ring suppression, comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a communications network;

receiving a timed ring suppression signal from the communications network;

querying memory for a timing parameter describing an amount of time in which alerts to the incoming communication are silenced;

processing an initial ring by a processor to initially alert of the incoming communication;

suppressing subsequent rings for the incoming communication responsive to the timed ring suppression signal for the amount of time described by the timing parameter; and

reactivating the subsequent rings for the incoming communication after the amount of time described by the timing parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising suppressing the subsequent rings for unknown calling numbers.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising suppressing the subsequent rings for blocked calling numbers.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising suppressing the subsequent rings for an unknown communication address.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising suppressing the subsequent rings for a blocked communication address.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving manual activation of the suppression.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising suppressing a ringer.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing a visual alert.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising retrieving a default value for the timing parameter.