Network-based timed ring suppression

• US 7,239,693 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold; Jefferey F.
• Application Number:
  US10/609,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 379/373.01, 379/373.03, 379/376.02, 379/373.02
• US Class Current: 379/373.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

Systems and methods for timed ring suppression are disclosed. After a communications device receives an incoming call and the ringer is activated to produce an initial audible alert, the ringer of the communications device may be silenced for subsequent audible alerts until the calling party hangs up or until the call is further processed.

Claims

1. A timed ring suppression system, comprising:

a telecommunications server in communication with a communications network, the telecommunications server processing an incoming communication, the incoming communication from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number associated with a receiving party'"'"'s communications device, the incoming communication comprising an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal, the telecommunications server also processing a timed ring suppression signal for the called telephone number, the timed ring suppression signal for suppressing a ringer of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device after the receiving party'"'"'s communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert of the telephone call such that subsequent audible alerts are silenced according to a timing parameter wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated by the communications network to the called telephone number associated with the receiving party'"'"'s communications device such that the ringer of the receiving party'"'"'s communications device produces the initial audible alert and such that subsequent audible alerts are silenced according to the timing parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing parameter ranges from approximately one second to approximately two minutes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing parameter is greater than two minutes.

4. A method for timed ring suppression, comprising the steps of:

processing a communications signal, the communications signal from a calling party communications device to a receiving party communications device via a communications network;

associating an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal with the communications signal;

associating a timed ring suppression profile with the ICLID signal, the timed ring suppression profile comprising (i) an identifier of a calling party, (ii) a communications address, (iii) an identifier of a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (iv) a timing parameter for suppressing a ringer of a communications device after the communications device receives the incoming communications signal and after the communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert; and

generating a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal silencing subsequent audible alerts of the incoming communication according to the timing parameter, the timed ring suppression signal reactivates the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts according to the timing parameter wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated via the communications network to the receiving party communications device such that the timed ring suppression signal silences subsequent audible alerts of the incoming communication according to the timing parameter, and such that the timed ring suppression signal reactivates the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts according to the timing parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

communicating at least one of the communications signal and the timed ring suppression signal to the receiving party communications device;

allowing the ringer of the communications device to produce an initial audible alert; and

suppressing subsequent audible alerts of the ringer according to the timing parameter.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

presenting data associated with at least one of the communications signal and the timed ring suppression signal to the communications device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating the timed ring suppression signal comprises generating the timed ring suppression signal according to the timing parameter, the timing parameter ranging from approximately one second to approximately two minutes.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating the timed ring suppression signal comprises generating the timed ring suppression signal according to the timing parameter, the timing parameter greater than two minutes.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

reactivating the ringer to produce subsequent unsuppressed audible alerts of the ringer according to the timing parameter.

10. A communications method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming communications signal from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to a communications network, the communications network comprising a database of one or more timed ring suppression profiles; and

using the incoming communications signal and a timed ring suppression profile to generate a timed ring suppression signal, the timed ring suppression signal comprising (i) an identifier of timed ring suppression reference data and (ii) a timing parameter for suppressing an incoming communications indicator of the receiving party communications device after the receiving party communications device activates the incoming communications indicator to produce an alert of the incoming communications signal,

wherein the identifier of timed ring suppression reference data comprises

(i) a telephone number, (ii) a directory name, (iii) a date/time identifier, (iv) a geographical identifier, and (v) a caller control signal and wherein the incoming communications indicator comprises at least one of (i) an audible indicator, (ii) a vibrator, (iii) a visual indicator, and (iv) a sensory indicator.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

communicating at least one of the incoming communications signal and the timed ring suppression signal to a receiving party'"'"'s communications device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

using the timed ring suppression signal to silence subsequent alerts of the incoming communications signal according to the timing parameter, the timing parameter ranging from approximately one second to greater than one second.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

using the timed ring suppression signal to reactivate the incoming communications indicator to produce subsequent unsuppressed alerts according to the timing parameter.