Wireless communication device with call screening

• US 20070049337A1
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.200
• 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 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A cellular telephone maintains a screening list of calling party numbers, and specifies call handling therefor. A mobile switching center is responsive to selected types of the specified call handling. The call handling can depend on whether the call is local or non-local, which is affected by the location of the cellular telephone. The call handling can also depend on the time at which the call is made. A subscriber updates his or her screening list via personal computer, and transmits via a communication network the updated screening list to a message center which sends the updated screening list to the cellular telephone via wireless communication. A calling party number can be specified as a wildcard.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:

a calling party number field value in the record; and

plural call handling field values in the record, the plural call handling field values including a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the plural call handling field values, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party name field value.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, one or more of the plural call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling.

35. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 30.

36. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 30.

37. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.

38. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 30.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.

40. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:

a calling party number field value in the record, wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling; and

one or more call handling field values in the record, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the one or more call handling field values.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the one or more call handling field values include a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one of the one or more call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.

44. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 40.

45. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 40.

46. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.

47. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 40.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.

49. A method of call handling using a screening list, the method comprising:

storing a screening list, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising;

a calling party number field value in the record; and

plural call handling field values in the record, the plural call handling field values including a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local;

receiving a call, wherein a calling party number for the received call matches the calling party number field value of one of the one or more records; and

directing handling of the received call according to one or more of the plural call handling field values of the record with the matched calling party number field value.