Method and Apparatus Pertaining to the Dynamic Handling of Incoming Calls

• US 20130225230A1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mori, Robert Felice, Yurkonis, Philip Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A control circuit determines when a user of a corresponding portable communication device is presently driving a vehicle and then, in response to detecting this use state, automatically answer incoming calls and provide at least two contact options to the caller. One of these contact options can comprise the option to speak with the user during this call. Another of these contact options can comprise recording a voice message for the user and discontinuing the incoming call without the caller speaking with the user. The control circuit can determine whether the user is presently driving a vehicle by relying upon a direct acknowledgement of the user and/or by indirect means.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to;

determine that a user of the apparatus is presently driving a vehicle, at least in part, by detecting direct acknowledgement of driving a vehicle by the user;

in response to an incoming call from a caller via the wireless transceiver while the user is driving the vehicle, automatically answering the incoming call to provide at least two contact options to the caller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the contact options is to speak with the user during this call.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one of the contact options is to record a voice message for the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the contact option to record a voice message for the user includes discontinuing the incoming call without speaking with the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface that operably couples to the control circuit;

and wherein the control circuit is configured to detect the direct acknowledgment via the user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to determine that the user is presently driving a vehicle, at least in part, by indirectly detecting that the user is presently driving a vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control circuit is configured to indirectly detect that the user is presently driving a vehicle by using data provided by at least one of:

a global positioning system receiver;

at least one accelerometer;

the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a portable communications device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a contact list including a field that indicates whether individual contacts of the contact list can be provided with a speak-now contact option as one of the at least two contact options in response to receiving an incoming call from the individual contacts of the contact list.

5. (canceled)

10. A method comprising:

at a control circuit for a portable communications device;

detecting direct acknowledgement of driving a vehicle by a user of the portable communications device;

determining that the user of the portable communications device is presently driving the vehicle, at least in part, by the detecting;

in response to an incoming call from a caller while the user is driving the vehicle, automatically answering the incoming call to provide at least two contact options to the caller.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one of the contact options is to speak with the user during this call.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the contact options is to record a voice message for the user.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein determining that the user is presently driving a vehicle comprises, at least in part, indirectly detecting that the user is presently driving a vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining whether a field of a contact associated with the caller in a contact list of the portable communications device indicates the caller is precluded from being provided a speak-now contact option as one of the at least two contact options.

13. (canceled)

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium having instructions stored therein, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

detect direct acknowledgement of driving a vehicle by a user of the processor;

determine that the user of the processor is presently driving the vehicle, at least in part, by the detecting;

in response to an incoming call from a caller via the wireless transceiver while the user is driving the vehicle, automatically answering the incoming call to provide at least two contact options to the caller, wherein at least one of the contact options is to speak with the user during this call and another of the contact options is to record a voice message for the user.