System and method for user affiliation in a telephone network

• US 6,421,439 B1
• Filed: 03/24/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liffick, Stephen Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/275,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/188, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/200, 379/210.02, 379/210.03, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/900, 370/352, 709/311, 709/312, 709/320, 709/328
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 : Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 : Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A telecommunication system combines telephone technology and Internet technology to establish one or more user-specified affiliation lists. The affiliation lists are stored on the Internet and are accessible by the user and by the telecommunication portion of the system. The affiliation lists are used to process incoming calls to the user'"'"'s destination telephone number. A central office switch receives the call being directed to the destination telephone number and uses a communication link with the Internet to access the user'"'"'s affiliation lists. The incoming call is processed in accordance with the user-specified rules in the affiliation lists. The user may accept all incoming calls, no incoming calls, or incoming calls only from specified parties. The call processing rules may be readily edited by the user and can also include alternative call processing rules that vary in accordance with the time of day or with the user'"'"'s personal desires.

Claims

1. In an environment where subscribers call a user over a telephone network, wherein a user telephone is coupled with the telephone network, a system for processing an incoming call from a subscriber to a user in the telephone network according to user specifications, the system comprising:

a data structure contained within a computer network to store user-selectable criteria for call processing, wherein the data structure stores the user-selectable criteria in one or more lists that are used in filtering an incoming call and wherein some of the one or more lists are used to filter the incoming call according to current activity of subscribers on the computer network or according to current activity of the user on the computer network;

a computer network access port used by the telephone network to access the data structure such that the telephone network has access to the one or more lists over the computer network access port; and

a controller to receive the incoming call designated for the user telephone and to process the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria, the controller accessing the user-selectable criteria in the one or more lists of the data structure via the computer network access port and thereby applying the user-selectable criteria to the incoming call.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data structure stores the user-selectable criteria in association with caller identification data and the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, the controller using the origination identification data to identify user-selectable criteria stored in the data structure in association with the caller identification data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the identification data is telephone automatic number identification data.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the identification data is electronic mail identification data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call, the controller processing the incoming call in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates no permission to process the incoming call, the controller blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller blocking the incoming call generates a busy signal at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising an outgoing message system having an outgoing message, the controller blocking the incoming call and playing the outgoing message at an origination telephone.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call during a user-selected time period, the controller processing the incoming call during the user-selected time period in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone, the controller blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone during a time period other than the user-selected time period.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an outgoing message system storing a plurality of outgoing messages, the controller selecting one of the plurality of outgoing messages wherein the outgoing message system plays the selected outgoing message at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the incoming call arrives at a particular time other than the user-selected time period, the controller selecting the selected outgoing message based on the particular time of arrival of the incoming call.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data editor to permit user entry and editing of the user-selectable criteria into the data structure.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the data editor is a computer coupled to the computer network.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more lists of the data structure comprises a plurality of data substructures each storing caller identification data and having the user-selectable criteria associated with each of the plurality of data substructures, wherein the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, the controller using the origination identification data to determine a particular one of the plurality of data substructures storing caller identification data corresponding to the origination identification data and processing the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria associated with the particular one of the plurality of data substructures.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a data editor to permit user entry of the caller identification data into the data structure prior to receipt of the incoming call.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein a first of the plurality of data substructures is a list of caller identification data to identify individuals from whom the user will accept incoming calls, the controller processing the incoming call and signaling the user telephone of an incoming call directed to the user telephone if the origination identification data corresponds to caller identification data in the first of the plurality of data substructures.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein a first of the plurality of data substructures is a list of caller identification data to identify individuals from whom the user will not accept incoming calls, the controller blocking processing of the incoming call if the origination identification data corresponds to caller identification data in the first of the plurality of data substructures.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller blocking processing of the incoming call generates a busy signal at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein a first of the plurality of data substructures is a list of caller identification data to identify individuals from whom the user will accept incoming calls subject to user-selected time restrictions, the controller processing the incoming call in accordance with the time restrictions and signaling the user telephone of an incoming call directed to the user telephone if the origination identification data corresponds to caller identification in the first of the plurality of data substructures.

21. In an environment where subscribers call a user over a telephone network, wherein a user telephone is coupled with the telephone network, a system for user specification of call processing in the telephone network, the system comprising:

a data structure contained within a computer network and accessible by the telephone network, the data structure containing a plurality of caller lists each having associated user-selectable criteria for call processing, wherein some of the plurality of caller lists are conditioned according to current activity of subscribers on the computer network or according to current activity of the user on the computer network;

a computer network access port used by the telephone network to access the data structure such that the telephone network has access to the plurality of caller lists; and

a controller on the telephone network to receive an incoming call having origination data indicative of a subscriber and destination data indicating the call is designated for the user telephone, the controller accessing the plurality of caller lists in the data structure via the computer network access port to determine which of the plurality of caller lists contains the origination data, the controller processing the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria associated with the caller list containing the origination data.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the user-selectable criteria associated with the caller list containing the origination data indicates permission to process the incoming call, the controller processing the incoming call in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the user-selectable criteria associated with the caller list containing the origination data indicates no permission to process the incoming call, the controller blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the user-selectable criteria associated with the caller list containing the origination data indicates permission to process the incoming call during a user-selected time period, the controller processing the incoming call during the user-selected time period in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone, the controller blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone during time periods other than the user-selected time period.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data editor to permit user entry and editing of the user-selectable criteria into the data structure.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the telephone network is a public switched telephone network.

28. In a system where subscribers call a user over a telephone network, wherein a user telephone is coupled with the telephone network, a computer program product for implementing a method for processing a call from a subscriber to a user over a telephone network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method, the method comprising;

accepting an incoming call designated for the user telephone;

accessing a data structure contained within a computer network that is independent of the telephone network to retrieve user-selectable criteria for call processing stored within the data structure, wherein some of the user-selectable criteria is conditioned on current activity of subscribers on the computer network or according to current activity of the user on the computer network; and

processing the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising:

generating call processing rules based on the user-selectable criteria; and

storing the call processing rules on the computer network in association with a caller list.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein generating call processing rules is performed on a computer coupled to the computer network.

31. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the data structures store the user-selectable criteria in association with caller identification data and the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, the method further comprising accessing the data structure using the origination identification data to identify user-selectable criteria stored in the data structure in association with the caller identification data.

32. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call, the method comprising:

processing the incoming call comprising establishing a link with the user telephone; and

generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

33. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates no permission to process the incoming call, the method further comprising

processing the incoming call comprising blocking the incoming call;

and

not generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising generating a busy signal at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising playing an outgoing message at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated, the outgoing message indicating that the incoming call will not be connected to the user telephone.

36. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call during a user-selected time period, the method further comprising:

processing the incoming call during the user-selected time period in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone; and

blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone during time periods other than the user-selected time period.

37. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of data substructures each storing caller identification data and having the user-selectable criteria associated with each of the plurality of data substructures, wherein the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, the method further comprising:

accessing the data structure using the origination identification data to determine a particular one of the plurality of data substructures storing caller identification data corresponding to the origination identification data; and

processing the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria associated with the particular one of the plurality of data substructures.

38. In a system including a telephone network and a computer network where an originating telephone connects with a user telephone over the telephone network, a method for processing a call from the originating telephone to the user telephone according to user specifications, the method comprising:

accepting an incoming call designated for the user telephone from an originating telephone of a subscriber;

accessing a data structure contained within a computer network that is independent of the telephone network to retrieve user-selectable criteria for call processing stored within the data structure, wherein some of the user-selectable criteria is conditioned on current activity of subscribers on the computer network or according to current activity of the user on the computer network; and

processing the incoming call of the subscriber in accordance with the user-selectable criteria.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising generating call processing rules based on the user-selectable criteria and storing the call processing rules on the computer network in association with a caller list that is associated with the data structure.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein generating call processing rules is performed on a computer coupled to the computer network.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the telephone network is a public switched telephone network.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein the data structure stores the user-selectable criteria in association with caller identification data and the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, wherein accessing a data structure further comprises using the origination identification data to identify user-selectable criteria stored in the data structure in association with the caller identification data.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call, wherein processing the incoming call further comprises establishing a link with the user telephone and generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates no permission to process the incoming call, wherein processing the incoming call further comprises blocking the incoming call and not generating a ring signal at the user telephone.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising generating a busy signal at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising playing an outgoing message at an origination telephone from which the incoming call is originated, the outgoing message indicating that the incoming call will not be connected to the user telephone.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein the user-selectable criteria indicates permission to process the incoming call during a user-selected time period, wherein processing the incoming call further comprises:

processing the incoming call during the user-selected time period in accordance with the permission to generate a ring signal at the user telephone;

blocking the incoming call; and

not generating a ring signal at the user telephone during time periods other than the user-selected time period.

49. The method of claim 38 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of data substructures each storing caller identification and having the user-selectable criteria associated with each of the plurality of data substructures, wherein the incoming call includes origination identification data associated therewith, wherein accessing the data structure further comprises using the origination identification data to determine a particular one of the plurality of data substructures storing caller identification data corresponding to the origination identification data and processing the incoming call in accordance with the user-selectable criteria associated with the particular one of the plurality of data substructures.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein a first of the plurality of data substructures is a list of caller identification data to identify individuals from whom the user will accept incoming calls, wherein processing the incoming call further comprises signaling the user telephone of an incoming call directed to the user telephone if the origination identification data corresponds to caller identification in the first of the plurality of data substructures.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein a first of the plurality of data substructures is a list of caller identification data to identify individuals from whom the user will not accept incoming calls, wherein processing the incoming call further comprises not establishing a communication link with the user telephone if the origination identification data corresponds to caller identification in the first of the plurality of data substructures.