Communication system with configurable shared line privacy feature

• US 20070133776A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Mukul, Katkam, Vinod
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A PBX system with a shared line connected to a plurality of telephone devices includes one or more processors that control a connection for an incoming call from a caller, the one or more processors being operable to access a listing that includes one or more callers or calling numbers designated as private to a first telephone device. The one or more processors being further operable to send an alert to only the first telephone device in the event that the one or more callers or the calling numbers in the listing includes a caller or calling number associated with the incoming call. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A telephone system having a shared line for connection to a plurality of telephone devices, the telephone system comprising:

a memory to store a listing that includes a caller designated as private to a first telephone device of the plurality of telephone devices; and

means for alerting only the first telephone device when an incoming call from the caller to the shared line is received by the telephone system.

2. A private branch exchange (PBX) system for an enterprise comprising:

a first interface to connect with a line of a network;

a second interface to connect with a shared line of the enterprise, the shared line being connected to a plurality of telephone devices;

one or more processors that control a connection between the line and one or more of the telephone devices on the shared line for an incoming call;

a module coupled to the one or more processors that contains a listing that includes one or more callers or calling numbers designated as private to a first telephone device of the plurality of telephone devices;

the one or more processors being operable to access the listing in the module in response to the incoming call, and to send an alert to only the first telephone device in the event that the one or more callers or the calling numbers in the listing includes a caller or calling number associated with the incoming call.

3. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the alert comprises a periodic ring.

4. The PBX system of claim 3 wherein the alert further comprises a text message display that includes a name or number of the caller.

5. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the one or more processors is further operable to cut off a media stream associated with the call to all of the plurality of telephone devices on the shared line except the first telephone device.

6. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the one of more processors execute a program that controls routing of the incoming call from the line of the network to the first telephone device.

7. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

8. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the network comprises a public switched telephone network (PSTN),

9. The PBX system of claim 2 wherein the listing is configurable by a user of the first telephone device.

10. A private branch exchange (PBX) system for an enterprise comprising:

a first interface to connect with a line of a network;

a second interface to connect with a shared line of the enterprise, the shared line being connected to a plurality of telephone devices;

one or more processors that control a connection between the line of the network and one or more of the telephone devices on the shared line for an incoming call from a caller, the one or more processors being operable to send a message back to the caller in response to the incoming call, the message requesting an input from the caller designating the incoming call as private to a party associated with a first telephone device of the one or more telephone devices on the shared line, in response to the input the one or more processors sending an alert to only the first telephone device.

11. The PBX system of claim 10 wherein the alert comprises a periodic ring.

12. The PBX system of claim 11 wherein the alert further comprises a text message display that includes a name or number of the caller.

13. The PBX system of claim 10 wherein the one or more processors is further operable to cut off a media stream associated with the incoming call to all of the telephone devices on the shared line except the first telephone device.

14. The PBX system of claim 10 further comprising:

a module coupled with the one or more processors, the module containing a listing that includes one or more callers designated as private to a first telephone device of the plurality of telephone devices,

the one or more processors being operable to access the listing in the module in response to the incoming call, and to send the alert to only the first telephone device in lieu of the message in the event that the one or more callers in the listing includes the caller.

15. The PBX system of claim 10 wherein the network comprises a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

16. The PBX system of claim 14 wherein the listing is configurable by a user of the first telephone device.

17. A processor-implemented method of handling an incoming call from a caller to a shared line comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

accessing a listing that includes one or more callers or calling numbers designated as private to a first telephone device of a plurality of telephone devices connected to the shared line;

sending an alert only to the first telephone device in the event that the one or more callers or the calling numbers in the listing includes the caller.

18. The processor-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

establishing an exclusive a media path on the shared line between the caller and the first telephone device.

19. The processor-implemented method of claim 17 wherein sending the alert only to the first telephone device comprises ringing the first telephone device.

20. The processor-implemented method of claim 17 wherein sending the alert only to the first telephone device comprises displaying a text message that includes a name or number of the caller on a screen of the first telephone device.