Method for connecting and blocking call in portable terminal

• US 20100323673A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Das, Kumarbrata, Etram, Premkumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,813,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set

Abstract

A method in a call system connects and blocks a call in a portable terminal. A call blocking time period is set. An elapsed time period is measured from a time point when the call blocking time period is set. A determination is made as to whether the measured time period exceeds the set call blocking time period if the portable terminal receives a call connection request from an external terminal. If the measured time period does not exceed the set call blocking time period, the call connection is blocked and information regarding time period, calculated by subtracting the measured time period from the set call blocking time period, is transmitted to the external terminal that requested the call connection.

Claims

1. A method for connecting and blocking a call in a portable terminal, comprising:

setting a call blocking time period, the call blocking time period stored in a memory and defined by one of a call blocking duration and a call blocking release time; and

in response to the call blocking time period being defined by the call blocking duration;

measuring an elapsed time period from a time point when the call blocking time period is set,

determining whether the elapsed time period exceeds the set call blocking duration when the portable terminal receives a call connection request from an external terminal, and

blocking the call connection and transmitting a remaining time period to the external terminal if the elapsed time period does not exceed the set call blocking duration, the remaining time period calculated by subtracting the elapsed time period from the set call blocking duration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the call connection with the external terminal if the elapsed time period exceeds the set call blocking duration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the call blocking time period being defined by the call blocking release time;

determining whether a current time is after the call blocking release time when the portable terminal receives a call connection request from an external terminal, and

blocking the call connection and transmitting the call blocking release time to the external terminal if the current time is not after the call blocking release time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

allowing the call connection with the external terminal if the current time is after the call blocking release time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the call blocking duration comprises selecting one from a set of predetermined time periods.

6. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein setting the call blocking duration comprises allowing a user to directly enter a user-specified time period.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a release message to the external terminal when the call blocking time period is expired, the release message indicating that call connections with the portable terminal will be allowed.

8. A method for connecting and blocking a call in a portable terminal, comprising:

setting a call connection blocking mode to one of an execution mode and a release mode;

blocking a call connection when receiving a call connection request from an external terminal if the call connection blocking mode of the portable terminal is set to the execution mode;

storing the phone number of the at least one external terminal that requested the call connection in a memory; and

transmitting a message stating that a call can be connected to the at least one external terminal if the call connection blocking mode of the portable terminal is changed from the execution mode to the release mode.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing the call connection with the external terminal if the call connection blocking mode is set to the release mode.

10. A method for connecting and blocking a call in a portable terminal, comprising:

receiving a call connection request from an external terminal;

blocking the call connection with the external terminal if a phone number of the external terminal is not on a list of stored call blocking numbers;

transmitting a message to the external terminal, the message asking the external terminal to select whether to proceed with the call connection with the portable terminal;

adding the phone number of the external terminal to the list of stored call blocking numbers, the list stored in a memory; and

performing the call connection with the external terminal when the portable terminal receives a subsequent call connection request from the external terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting a user state information regarding the portable terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message further comprises:

the set user state information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the user state information comprises selecting from a list comprising meeting, driving, and sleeping.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the user state information comprises accepting user-specified input.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring an elapsed duration, the elapsed duration measured from the time at which the message is transmitted to the external terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the elapsed duration exceeds a predetermined time period when the subsequent call connection request is received from an external terminal; and

performing the call connection with the external terminal in response to determining that the elapsed duration is not greater than the predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the message to the external terminal in response to determining that the elapsed duration is greater than the predetermined time period.

18. A method in a first portable terminal for exchanging updated user state information between with a second portable terminal, comprising:

informing the second portable terminal that the first portable terminal will store a phone number of the second portable terminal in a first update list of user state information, the first update list stored in a memory of the first portable terminal;

receiving a response from the second portable terminal, the response indicating that the second portable terminal has stored a phone number of the first portable terminal in a second update list of user state information, the second update list stored in a memory of the second portable terminal;

storing the phone number of the second portable terminal in the first update list of user state information;

receiving an updated user state information from the second portable terminal when the user state information regarding the second portable terminal is altered; and

updating the user state information regarding the second portable terminal, based on the updated user state information received from the second portable terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein updating the user state information regarding the second portable terminal comprises:

altering a visual indicator related to the user state information regarding the second portable terminal; and

displaying the altered visual indicator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the visual indicator is an icon that corresponds to the user state information.