Mobile device silent/vibrate override for selected calling telephone number and email/text originations

• US 8,576,828 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph T. Massey Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph T. Massey Jr
• Inventors: Massey, Joseph T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US13/210,079
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention overcomes deficiencies in the art by providing an apparatus (e.g., a mobile device) and executable code for use on an apparatus that provide the ability to designate selected incoming message sources, such as calling telephone numbers or email/text sender addresses, with an override flag, which can also be used, if desired, with a time-of-day parameter setting. With this feature, the user can place the apparatus in a particular alert mode and designate which calling telephone numbers or email/text sender addresses will override the alert mode with a second alert mode that is more appropriate for alerting the user when an incoming message is received from one of the designated calling telephone numbers or email/text sender addresses.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving incoming messages comprising:

one or more components configured to, in response to receiving an incoming message;

(a) determine whether an override flag has been set for a message source that has sent the incoming message;

(b) determine whether the incoming message has been received within a window comprising a start period of time and an end period of time;

(c) determine whether the apparatus is currently in a particular alert mode, the particular alert mode used to alert a user of the apparatus of one or more incoming messages received from one or more types of message sources; and

(d) in response to;

(1) the override flag being set for the message source, (2) the incoming message being received within the window, and (3) the apparatus currently being in the particular alert mode, overriding the particular alert mode to a second alert mode in order to facilitate alerting the user of the device of the incoming message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a silent or vibrate mode and the second alert mode comprises a ringtone mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a ringtone mode at a first particular volume and the second alert mode comprises the ringtone mode at a second particular volume different than the first particular volume.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a first ringtone mode at a first particular volume and the second alert mode comprises a second ringtone mode at a second particular volume.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the incoming message comprises one of a phone call, a text message, or an electronic mail.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or a text message address.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or a text message address associated with a particular contact listed in contract information residing on the apparatus, and the apparatus further comprises one or more components configured to allow the user of the apparatus to set the override flag for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more components configured to allow the user of the apparatus to set the window for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a recurrence designation can be set for an application of the window, the recurrence designation comprising once, one or more particular days, weekly on one or more particular days, and at all times.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing executable code for overriding an alert mode on an apparatus, that when executed by at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to, in response to receiving an incoming message:

(a) determine whether an override flag has been set for a message source that has sent the incoming message;

(b) determine whether the incoming message has been received within a window comprising a start period of time and an end period of time;

(c) determine whether the apparatus is currently in a particular alert mode, the particular alert mode used to alert a user of the apparatus of one or more incoming messages received from one or more types of message sources; and

(d) in response to;

(1) the override flag being set for the message source, (2) the incoming message being received within the window, and (3) the apparatus currently being in the particular alert mode, overriding the particular alert mode to a second alert mode in order to facilitate alerting the user of the device of the incoming message.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a silent or vibrate mode and the second alert mode comprises a ringtone mode.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a ringtone mode at a first particular volume and the second alert mode comprises the ringtone mode at a second particular volume different than the first particular volume.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a first ringtone mode at a first particular volume and the second alert mode comprises a second ringtone mode at a second particular volume.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the incoming message comprises one of a phone call, a text message, or an electronic mail.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or text message address.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or a text message address associated with a particular contact listed in contract information residing on the apparatus, and wherein when the executable code is executed by the at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to allow the user of the apparatus to set the override flag for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein when the executable code is executed by the at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to allow the user of the apparatus to set the window for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein a recurrence designation can be set for an application of the window, the recurrence designation comprising once, one or more particular days, weekly on one or more particular days, and at all times.

21. A method for overriding an alert mode on an apparatus, the method comprising the step of:

providing executable code that can be installed on the apparatus, wherein when the executable code is executed by at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to;

(a) determine whether an override flag has been set for a message source that has sent the incoming message;

(b) determine whether the incoming message has been received within a window comprising a start period of time and an end period of time;

(c) determine whether the apparatus is currently in a particular alert mode, the particular alert mode used to alert a user of the apparatus of one or more incoming messages received from one or more types of message sources; and

(d) in response to;

(1) the override flag being set for the message source, (2) the incoming message being received within the window, and (3) the apparatus currently being in the particular alert mode, overriding the particular alert mode to a second alert mode in order to facilitate alerting the user of the device of the incoming message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the particular alert mode comprises a silent or vibrate mode and the second alert mode comprises a ringtone mode.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the incoming message comprises one of a phone call, a text message, or an electronic mail.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or a text message address.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the message source comprises one of a phone number, an electronic mail address, or a text message address associated with a particular contact listed in contract information residing on the apparatus, and wherein when the executable code is executed by the at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to allow the user of the apparatus to set the override flag for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein when the executable code is executed by the at least one processor of the apparatus causes the at least one processor to allow the user of the apparatus to set the window for the particular contact or for the message source for the particular contact in the contact information.