Methods, systems, and products for suppression of alerts

• US 9,137,382 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/108,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 379/106.09, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.07, 379/93.35, 379/215.01, 379/142.08, 379/88.19, 379/196, 379/199
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• 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

Abstract

Audible alerts are suppressed for subsequent calls from a calling address. An initial audible alert is processed for an initial call from the calling address. Subsequent audible alerts from the same calling address are suppressed, such that subsequent calls from the calling address may fail to alert. Visual alerts may still be processed.

Claims

1. A method for use by a server for instructing a recipient device to produce audible alerts, comprising:

determining, by the server, a first call from a calling address to a called address associated with the recipient device;

determining, by the server, suppression of the audible alerts at the recipient device based on the calling address;

instructing, by the server, the recipient device to produce a first one of the audible alerts in response to the first call;

determining, by the server, a subsequent call from the calling address to the called address of the recipient device; and

determining, by the server, not to instruct the recipient device to produce any of the audible alerts in response to the subsequent call based on the suppression.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a visual alert of the first call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing visual alerts of the first call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a visual alert of the subsequent call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing visual alerts of the subsequent call.

6. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

determining a first call from a calling address to a called address associated with a recipient device;

determining suppression of audible alerts based on the calling address;

instructing the recipient device to produce an initial audible alert of the first call;

determining a subsequent call from the calling address to the called address; and

determining not to produce any audible alerts of the subsequent call in response to the suppression.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise processing a visual alert of the first call.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise processing visual alerts of the first call.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise processing a visual alert of the second call.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise processing visual alerts of the second call.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise processing a signal to generate the initial audible alert of the first call.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise generating the initial audible alert of the first call.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise sending a notification of the first call to the called address.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise sending a notification of the subsequent call to the called address.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database for the calling address associated with the subsequent call.

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

determining a first call from a calling address to a called address associated with a recipient device;

comparing the calling address to a profile storing suppressed addresses;

determining a match between the calling address and one of the suppressed addresses;

determining suppression of audible alerts based on the calling address;

processing, in response to the match, an instruction for an initial one of the audible alerts of the first call to be produced at the recipient device;

determining a subsequent call from the calling address to the called address;

determining not to produce any of the audible alerts of the subsequent call in response to the suppression; and

processing the initial one of the audible alerts for a different call from a different calling address to the called address during the suppression.

17. The memory of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise processing a visual alert of the first call.

18. The memory of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise processing visual alerts of the first call.

19. The memory of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise processing a visual alert of the subsequent call.

20. The memory of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise processing visual alerts of the subsequent call.