Automated personalized telephone management system

Details Automated personalized telephone management system Automated personalized telephone management system

2001-11-13

2004-02-24

Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2642)

Telephonic communications

Call or terminal access alarm or control

At substation

C379S088180, C379S088260, C379S142060, C379S142080, C379S142090, C379S210020, C379S215010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06697473

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to telephonic communications. It relates particularly to a holistic personalized telephone call management system for effectively dealing with a wide array of consumer concerns with today's telephonic communications systems and services.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,202, dated Jan. 31, 1989, discloses an invention that is directed to call blocking of all calls other than incoming calls, whereby the caller keys in a telephone number that matches one of the phone numbers stored in the system. This system is designed to protect the owner against prank calls and wrong numbers. Thus, it performs a narrow service rather than providing an overall personalized call management system, i.e. a call management system that accepts all calls and still provides privacy from all types of unwanted call interruptions (e.g. marketing calls, solicitation calls, political survey calls, wrong numbers, and prank calls). This patent does not:
1) Provide for incoming emergency call situations.
2) Provide for other important call situations that are outside the parameters of the pre-coded call acceptance system.
3) Provide a hands-free automatic operating system, but rather requires the caller to input his telephone number under all conditions.
4) Provide for an automated interaction with Internet operations and incoming telephone calls.
5) Provide for a means to effectively handle any callers that may inappropriately utilize emergency functions of a given system, although emergency functions were not provided for in this patent.
6) Provide for answer machine interfaces that would allow the system to act as a “smart system.”
7) Provide for breaking stored codes into priority groups and assigning different time periods for incoming call acceptance.
8) Provide for automatically changing call acceptance time periods for weekends vs. weekdays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,150, dated Feb. 7, 1995, discloses an invention to provide automatic incoming telephone call identification and disposition. Call dispositions of the system include: telephone ring, ring suppress, and connection to answering machine or fax. The system database directory includes telephone numbers for calling out and telephone codes and disposition calendars for processing several caller response options. The options for callers are controlled by a clock and calendar according to pre-selected disposition calendar information. This system begins with two sources of identification input to drive the system intelligence, that being ANI service to passively identify the caller when the caller is using a telephone within a specified ANI calling region, and is not blocking ANI performance, and secondly, requesting the caller to input identification data in other cases. These methods of collecting identification data on the caller were also identified by the inventors as being in the prior art systems, and the implication is that this patent is novel in its functionality included in the system's capability to accommodate both home needs and home office needs. This system requires broad data input, rather than being a simple to operate, personalized home system. It also does not address in its novel applications a simple hands-off rationale to effectively address incoming calls from persons contained in the system database, but who are calling from telephones that are outside the database, for example, from telephone booths. More importantly, the system described in this patent does not disclose a means to break into the system methodology in emergency situations (e.g. hospital emergency) and command attention from the called party in real time. Additionally, this system does not provide a means to isolate a given telephone number, utilized by a calling party who has inappropriately broken into the call acceptance rationale, and have the system block completely any future call emanating from the isolated number. Also, this patent does not address the important potential interplay with users of the Internet, nor does it integrate unique interaction with call-waiting situations.
In summary, the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,150 is found wanting, in that it:
1) Does not provide for hands-free system methodology to allow an emergency caller to break into system call acceptance rationale and command attention from the called party in real time.
2) Does not provide for recording the number such an emergency call originated from.
3) Does not provide for isolating telephone numbers of callers that have inappropriately utilized the emergency call methodology, to be viewed by the system as non-acceptable future callers.
4) Does not provide for a customized, personalized call management interface with Internet usage.
5) Does not provide for the integration of call waiting with personalized system management functions.
6) Does not provide for an elegant system, whereby no participation is required of the called party other than to answer the phone when it rings, including emergency cases.
7) Does not provide for automatic tracking of the days of the week vs. the weekend days, with automatic changes in answer scheduling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,269, dated Jun. 3, 1997, discloses an invention that primarily addresses prioritizing call waiting. Information about the identity of the calling party is obtained from the calling station. This information is processed to determine call routing treatment that allows the called party to determine whether to interrupt a call in progress to respond to the call-waiting signal. Clearly, the system does not provide a personalized telephone management system that is hands off for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,867, dated Oct. 20, 1998, discloses an invention that utilizes interaction of the caller to determine whether to interrupt the called party who is already engaged in a telephone conversation. This system is designed to provide enhanced call waiting for both the caller and called party, and clearly does not provide a personalized telephone management system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,045, dated Mar. 10, 1998, discloses a method for avoiding undesired incoming calls, which requires the calling party to input an aural message indicating the telephone number of the calling party, followed by a predetermined key input. The called party's telephone may then ring if the input matches a selective calling mode. This system requires significant input from the caller, which may be offensive, and clearly is not a hands off system that is customized to address all personal communications issues for the call receiver, including those highlighted functions discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,202.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the present invention to supply what is lacking in the related art by providing a holistic, automated, personalized telephone call management system.
The present invention eliminates the negative, annoying aspects of telecommunication entering an individual's private residence, while providing for all of the desired communication access and functions to support modem household activities. The system provides the means for the home owner/renter to automate and customize the receipt and management of incoming telephone service to a highly personalized methodology and performance. Indeed, the system affords a wide flexibility in automated management functions by providing the means for a person to elect to receive phone calls in a timely order of priority while maintaining a peace and quiet living environment in the home. The system was designed using a holistic approach to embrace different life styles and the need to accommodate varying communication environments and possible emergency developments/occurrences. Operational rationale and functions are as follows:
1) System provides a person with options to input telephone numbers by priority groups (e.g. family, friends, other). Priority lists of inputted telephone numbers are utilized in the system management process.
2) Sy

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