Telephone call screening and routing device and related method

• US 8,565,403 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradley J. Martin
• Original Assignee: Bradley J. Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US13/692,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.21, 379/88.19, 379/207.16, 379/210.02, 379/211.01, 379/214.01, 379/210.03, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/142.04, 379/180, 455/415, 455/567, 455/413, 455/417
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• 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 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method for screening and routing incoming telephone calls includes extracting caller identification information from an incoming telephone call, providing a plurality of tables including a primary ring table, a secondary ring table, a voicemail table, a block call table, and a forward call table, and determining which one of the plurality of tables includes the caller identification information. The method further includes sending the incoming telephone call directly to voicemail without having a ring tone if the voicemail table includes the caller identification information, blocking the incoming telephone call if the block call table includes the caller identification information, and forwarding the incoming telephone call if the forward call table includes the caller identification information.

Claims

1. A method for screening and routing an incoming call from a caller, comprising:

receiving at a cellular phone an incoming telephone signal including identification information;

identifying at the cellular phone an entry in a data set that corresponds to the identification information, wherein the data set includes;

(1) a first entry for a known caller, (2) a second entry for an undisclosed caller, and (3) a third entry for all telephone numbers or names not listed in the data set;

performing an action by the cellular phone based on the entry in the data set that corresponds to the identification information, the action being;

(1) allowing a ring tone when the corresponding entry is the first entry, (2) sending to a voicemail without having a ring tone when the corresponding entry is the second entry, or (3) blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the third entry; and

displaying an indication on a display of the cellular phone if the corresponding entry is the third entry, the indication including information associated with the incoming telephone signal and a message that the incoming telephone signal has been blocked.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set includes a plurality of names and a plurality of telephone numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication that the incoming telephone signal was sent to voicemail on the display of the cellular phone when the corresponding entry is the second entry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the third entry further includes playing a message to the caller that a recipient has blocked the incoming telephone signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the third entry further includes transmitting a busy signal to the caller.

6. A method for screening and routing an incoming call from a caller, comprising:

receiving at a cellular phone an incoming telephone signal including identification information;

identifying at the cellular phone an entry in at least one database that corresponds to the identification information, wherein the at least one database includes;

(1) an entry for a known caller, (2) an entry for an undisclosed caller, and (3) an entry for all telephone numbers or names not listed in the at least one database;

performing an action by the cellular phone based on the entry in the at least one database that corresponds to the identification information, the action being;

(1) allowing a ring tone when the corresponding entry is the entry for the known caller, (2) blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry for the undisclosed caller, or (3) sending to a voicemail when the corresponding entry is the entry for all telephone numbers or names not listed in the at least one database; and

displaying an indication on a display of the cellular phone that an incoming telephone signal has been blocked if the corresponding entry is the entry for the undisclosed caller.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending to the voicemail when the corresponding entry is the entry for all telephone numbers or names not listed in the at least one database includes sending directly to the voicemail without having a ring tone.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry for the undisclosed caller includes disconnecting the incoming telephone signal.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry for the undisclosed caller includes blocking the incoming telephone signal without a ring tone.

10. A method for screening and routing an incoming call from a caller, comprising:

receiving at a remote screening and routing system an incoming telephone signal including identification information;

identifying at the remote screening and routing system an entry in at least one database that corresponds to the identification information, wherein the at least one database includes;

(1) an entry corresponding to a known caller, (2) an entry corresponding to an undisclosed caller, and (3) an entry corresponding to a name that is not listed in the at least one database;

performing an action by the remote screening and routing system based on the entry in the at least one database that corresponds to the identification information, the action being;

(1) allowing a ring tone of a cellular phone when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the known caller, (2) blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the name that is not listed in the at least one database, or (3) sending to a voicemail when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the undisclosed caller; and

displaying an indication on a display of the cellular phone that the incoming telephone signal has been sent to voicemail when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the undisclosed caller.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the name that is not listed in the at least one database further includes transmitting a busy signal to the caller.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying an indication on a display when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the name that is not listed in the at least one database that indicates the incoming telephone signal has been blocked.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein blocking the incoming telephone signal when the corresponding entry is the entry corresponding to the name that is not listed in the at least one database includes blocking the incoming telephone signal without a ring tone at the cellular phone.

14. A cellular device for screening and routing incoming telephone calls, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver configured to receive an incoming telephone call including caller identification information;

a memory coupled to the transceiver, the memory configured to store a plurality of entries, wherein the plurality of entries include at least;

(1) a first entry for a known caller, (2) a second entry for an undisclosed caller, and (3) a third entry for all telephone numbers or names not listed in the memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to match the caller identification information to one of the plurality of entries and for;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a ring tone if the matched entry is the first entry;

sending the incoming telephone call to voicemail if the matched entry is the second entry;

blocking the incoming telephone call if the matched entry is the third entry; and

displaying an indication on the display of the cellular device that the incoming telephone call has been blocked when the matched entry is the third entry.

15. The cellular device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to send the incoming telephone call directly to the voicemail without having a ring tone when the matched entry is the second entry.

16. The cellular device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to disconnect the incoming telephone call when the matched entry is the third entry.

17. The cellular device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to block the incoming telephone call without a ring tone when the matched entry is the third entry.

18. A cellular device for screening and routing incoming telephone calls, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver configured to receive an incoming telephone call including caller identification information;

a memory coupled to the transceiver, the memory configured to store a plurality of entries, wherein the plurality of entries include at least;

(1) a first entry for a caller whose name is listed in the memory, (2) a second entry for an undisclosed caller, and (3) a third entry for a caller whose name is not listed in the memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to match the caller identification information to one of the plurality of entries and for;

allowing the incoming telephone call to have a ring tone if the matched entry is the first entry;

blocking the incoming telephone call if the matched entry is the second entry;

sending the incoming telephone call to voicemail if the matched entry is the third entry; and

displaying an indication on the display of the cellular device that the incoming telephone call has been sent to voicemail when the matched entry is the third entry.

19. The cellular device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to display an indication on the display of the cellular device that the incoming telephone call has been blocked when the matched entry is the second entry.

20. The cellular device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to send the incoming telephone call directly to the voicemail without having a ring tone when the matched entry is the third entry.