Abstract:
A method of operating a cellular telephone system includes detecting that a first telephone call to a cellular telephone cannot be completed due to a lack of wireless connection to the cellular telephone. The method further includes detecting that the cellular telephone is re-connected to the system. In response to detecting that the cellular telephone is re-connected, data is sent to the cellular telephone, the data being indicative of the first telephone call. The method also includes storing the data in a missed call list in the cellular telephone.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates generally to cellular telephone systems and, more particularly, to handling of missed calls in cellular telephone systems.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Various techniques have been proposed for handling missed calls in cellular telephone networks, but none has provided an integrated approach that provides cellular phone users with seamless record-keeping for all missed calls, whether resulting from failure to answer, rejection of the call, absence of the intended recipient phone from service coverage areas, or the intended recipient phone being in a power-off condition.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     Methods, systems, and computer program code are therefore presented for improving handling of missed calls.  
         [0004]     According to some embodiments, the methods, systems and computer program code operate to: detect that a first telephone call to a cellular telephone cannot be completed due to a lack of wireless connection to the cellular telephone; detect that the cellular telephone is re-connected to the cellular telephone system; in response to detecting that the cellular telephone is re-connected to the system, send to the cellular telephone data that is indicative of the first telephone call; and store at least some of the data in a missed call list in the cellular telephone.  
         [0005]     The lack of wireless connection may be because the cellular telephone is turned off, or because it is out of the service area of the system.  
         [0006]     According to some embodiments, the user of the cellular telephone may initiate a telephone call from the cellular telephone to a sender of the first telephone call by interacting with an item in the missed call list that corresponds to the first telephone call. In some embodiments, there may be stored in the missed call list data which represents a second telephone call that was missed as a result of a user of the cellular telephone failing to answer the second telephone call. The cellular telephone may simultaneously display on a display component of the cellular telephone a first missed call list item which corresponds to the first telephone call and a second missed call list item which corresponds to the second telephone call. The first missed call list item may include a first icon, and the second missed call list item may include a second icon that has a different appearance from the first icon. In addition, a third missed call list item may be displayed. The third missed call list item may correspond to a third telephone call for which the sender of the call did not leave a voice mail message. The third missed call list item may include a third icon which has a different appearance from the first and second icons.  
         [0007]     According to some embodiments, a cellular telephone may be operated so as to receive a data message, where the data message includes data that represents a first telephone call to the cellular telephone, the first telephone call having failed to be completed due to a lack of wireless connection to the cellular telephone. The cellular telephone may be further operated to store at least some of the data in a missed call list in the cellular telephone. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     Further aspects of the instant system will be more readily appreciated upon review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments included below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a simplified block diagram of a cellular phone system in connection with which aspects of the present invention may be applied;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram of a cellular phone that is used in the cellular phone system of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is simplified block diagram of a server computer that is a component of the cellular phone system of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 4, 5  and  5 A are flowcharts depicting missed call handling processes performed by the server computer of  FIG. 3  according to some aspects of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart depicting a process performed by the cellular phone of  FIG. 2  according to some aspects of the invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a representation of a display output that may be provided by the cellular phone of  FIG. 2  according to some aspects of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     According to some embodiments, a cellular telephone network keeps a record, at least temporarily, of calls that cannot be completed because the intended recipient phone is not in communication with the system. The intended recipient phone may be out of communication because it is turned off, or because it is outside of the area in which signals from the system&#39;s antennas can be received.  
         [0016]     When the intended recipient phone is restored to communication with the system, the system may program the phone so that it stores data regarding the missed calls. The data may be stored in the missed call list maintained by the phone. The missed call list may also include items that correspond to other missed calls, including calls missed because the user of the phone rejected the calls or did not answer when the phone rang. When the list is displayed, the list items may include icons to indicate which missed calls were due to the phone being out of communication, versus which missed calls were rejected/not answered. The list items may also include an icon or icons to indicate calls for which voice mail messages were or were not left by the caller.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a simplified block diagram of a cellular phone system  100  in connection with which aspects of the present invention may be applied. The system  100  includes and services cellular phones  102  (sometimes referred to as “mobile stations”), which may be in communication with the system via antennas  104 . (The wireless channel at  106  is shown in phantom to indicate that the wireless channel may be interrupted due to, e.g., the phone  102 - 1  being turned off or carried outside the system&#39;s service area.) Each antenna  104  is connected to a base station sub-system  108 . (Although not indicated in  FIG. 1 , in some cases base stations may control more than one antenna.) Components included in a typical base station  108  are a base station controller  110  and a base transceiver station  112 .  
         [0018]     The base stations in turn are connected to a mobile switching center (MSC)  114  which handles telephone call traffic and other communications to and from cellular phones served from time to time by base stations connected to the mobile switching center.  
         [0019]     The cellular phone system  100  also includes other mobile switching centers, represented by block  116 . The other mobile switching centers are in communication with each other and with the mobile switching center  114  to manage calls and other communications to and from the cellular phones serviced by the system. The other mobile switching centers may include a so-called “gateway” MSC, by which the system is connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN)  118 . (It will be appreciated that the PSTN  118  includes other cellular phone systems, which are not separately shown, as well as landline telephones, conventional switches and telephone lines, cables, microwave transmission links, and satellite transmission links.)  
         [0020]     The mobile switching center  114  also is in communication with a home location register (HLR)  120 . The HLR  120  stores data concerning cellular phones whose “home” location is serviced by the MSC  114 . The mobile switching center  114  also is in communication with a visited location register (VLR)  122 . The VLR  122  stores data concerning cellular phones temporarily brought into the area served by the MSC  114 . The MSC  114  may refer to data stored in the HLR  120  and/or the VLR  122  to route calls to or from cellular phones located in the service area of the MSC  114 .  
         [0021]     The HLR  120  and the VLR  122  are shown as separate from the MSC  114 , but may in practice be integrated with the MSC  114 . The HLR, VLR and aspects of the MSC may be implemented with one or more server computers. For example, the HLR and VLR may be implemented as separate databases in the same server computer, which may or may not be co-located with the MSC  114 .  
         [0022]     The cellular phone system  100  may also include other components, represented by block  124 . The other system components  124  may be in communication with the MSC  114  and may include, for example, an operations and maintenance center, an authentication center, and an equipment identity register, all of which are not separately shown.  
         [0023]     In its hardware aspects, and many of its software aspects, the cellular phone system  100  may be provided in accordance with conventional practices, but one or more server computers in the system  110  may be programmed in accordance with aspects of the present invention to provide finctions described below.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram of a typical cellular phone  102  that is used in the cellular phone system  100  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0025]     Reference numeral  102  generally indicates the cellular phone. The cellular phone  102  may be completely or largely conventional in terms of its physical components, and may be programmed to perform certain functions in accordance with aspects of the present invention.  
         [0026]     The cellular phone  102  includes a housing  222 , which is represented by a dashed line. The housing  222  may be shaped and sized to fit in a user&#39;s hand. Other components of the cellular phone  102 , which are described below, are mounted on or within the housing  222 .  
         [0027]     The cellular phone  102  also includes a processor  224 , which may be a conventional microprocessor, microcontroller and/or digital signal processor (DSP) or other control circuit conventionally provided in a cellular phone. Also included in the cellular phone  102  are memory components  226 , which may include one or more of ROM (read only memory), RAM (random access memory, e.g., static RAM), and flash memory. The processor  224  is in data communication with the memory components  226 . The memory components  226  may store software programs that control operation of the processor  224 . Some of the software may be conventional. Other portions of the software may be provided in accordance with the present invention to cause the processor  224  to perform functions that are described below. The cellular phone  102  may also include a subscriber identity module (SIM)  227  which may include data that identifies the cellular phone  102  to the cellular phone system  100 . The SIM  227 , though shown separately, may in practice be integrated with one or more of the memory components  226 .  
         [0028]     A conventional codec (coder/decoder)  228  is also included in the cellular phone  102  and is in data communication with the processor  224 . A conventional receiver/transmitter  230  is operatively coupled to the codec  228  and is also operatively coupled to a conventional antenna  232 . The receiver/transmitter  230  is also coupled to the processor  224  to allow the processor to receive data messages, commands, etc. transmitted to the cellular phone  102  from or via the system  100 . The receiver/transmitter  230  also allows the processor to transmit data to/via the system  100 .  
         [0029]     A conventional microphone  234  is operatively coupled to the codec  228  to provide voice input signals to the codec  228 . A conventional speaker  236  is also operatively coupled to the codec  228  and is driven by the codec  228  to provide audible output.  
         [0030]     The user interface of the cellular phone  102  includes a keypad  238  and a display  240 , which are both operatively coupled to the processor  224 . The keypad  238  may be a conventional 12-key telephone keypad, by which the user may provide dialing and other input to the processor  224 . The keypad may also include one or more soft-keys, as are typically provided. In some embodiments, the display  240  is a touch screen capable of both outputting data to the user under the control of the processor  224  and receiving manual input from the user for the processor  224 . In other embodiments, the display  240  is not a touch screen and therefore only outputs data to the user. In such cases, all user inputs, including inputs described below, are provided to the processor  224  via the keypad  238  and/or via other keys or buttons which are not separately shown.  
         [0031]     It will be understood that the block diagram representation in  FIG. 1  of the cellular phone  102  is simplified in a number of ways. For example, all power, and power management components of the cellular phone  102  are omitted from the drawing.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a simplified block diagram of a server computer  300  that is a component of the cellular phone system  100  of  FIG. 1 . For example, the server computer  300  may implement one or both of the HLR and VLR. In addition or alternatively, the server computer may implement aspects of a MSC. The server computer may be located at an MSC or elsewhere in the system  100 .  
         [0033]     As depicted, the server computer  300  includes a computer processor  302  operatively coupled to a communication device  304  and a storage device  306 . The computer processor  302  may be a single microprocessor or may comprise two or more microprocessors operating cooperatively and/or in parallel. The communication device  304  may be used to communicate, for example, with other devices such as other components of the cellular phone system  100 . The communication device  304  may include one or more data communication ports. The server computer  300  may also include one or more input devices and output devices, which are not shown, and which may include conventional devices such as a display, a keyboard and a mouse.  
         [0034]     Storage device  306  may comprise any appropriate information storage device, including combinations of magnetic storage devices (e.g., magnetic tape and hard disk drives), optical storage devices, and/or semiconductor memory devices such as random access memory (RAM) devices and read only memory (ROM) devices.  
         [0035]     Storage device  306  stores one or more programs  308  for controlling processor  302 . Processor  302  performs instructions of programs  308 , and thereby operates in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0036]     Storage device  306  also may store one or more databases  310 . For example, the databases may store data which constitutes an HLR, a VLR etc. As will be seen, the databases  310  may also store data relating to missed calls.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart that illustrates a process carried out at least partially in the server computer  300  to handle a missed call.  
         [0038]     At  402  in  FIG. 4 , it is determined whether a call has been made that cannot be completed because the intended recipient cellular phone  102  is out of communication with the system  100 . It will be appreciated that this may occur because the cellular phone  102  is turned off, or is at a location from which wireless contact cannot be made with the system  100 . The missed call may have originated from another cellular phone  102  of the same system  100 , from a cellular phone belonging to another cellular phone system or from a conventional landline phone.  
         [0039]     If a positive determination is made at  402  (i.e., if a missed call occurs due to the intended recipient phone being out of communication), then the system may, in accordance with conventional practices, afford the caller (also referred to as the “sender” of the missed call) an opportunity to leave a voice mail message for the intended recipient. Decision block  404  indicates a determination as to whether the caller opts to leave a voice mail message. If so, the voice mail message is stored in accordance with conventional practices, as indicated at  406 .  
         [0040]     After (or before) the voice mail message is or is not left, data concerning the missed call is stored, as indicated at  408 . The data may be stored, for example, in a database  310  ( FIG. 3 ) in the server computer  300 . The data may include, for example, the telephone number of the phone which initiated the missed call and the date and time of the call. The data may also include an indication as to whether the caller left a voice mail message.  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart that illustrates a process performed at least partially by server computer  300  to store data concerning a missed call in the cellular phone  102  that was the intended recipient of the missed call.  
         [0042]     At  502  in  FIG. 5 , it is determined whether a cellular phone  102  that had been out of communication with the system  100  has come back into communication with the system. This may occur, for example, by the cellular phone in question being turned on or brought to a location from which communication with the system  100  is possible. If a positive determination is made at  502  (i.e., if an out-of-service phone is brought back into service), then it is determined, as indicated at  504 , whether there were missed calls for the cellular phone in question while it was out of service. For example, the missed call data for each phone may be stored in association with the HLR entry for the phone, and whenever a phone comes back into service, the HLR entry may be checked for (e.g., new) missed call data.  
         [0043]     If a positive determination is made at  504  (i.e., if there was at least one missed call), then the system may engage in an over-the-air programming (OTAP) session with the phone in question to download at least some of the missed call data to the phone, as indicated at  506 . Such an OTAP session may be considered to include transmission of at least one data message to the phone to download the missed call data. In addition, or alternatively, at least some of the missed call data may be transmitted to the phone by a message protocol such as SMS (short message service), MMS (multimedia messaging service) and/or WAP (wireless application protocol). The missed call data downloaded by the system to the phone may include indications as to whether a voice mail message was left by senders of missed calls. In some embodiments, after the missed call data is downloaded, it is purged from the server computer  300 . In other embodiments, at least some of the missed call data is retained in the server computer  300 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 5A  is a flowchart that illustrates a process performed at least partially by server computer  300  to aid a cellular phone  102  in the cellular phone&#39;s record-keeping for missed calls.  
         [0045]     At  552  in  FIG. 5A , it is determined whether a voice mail message has been left with respect to a call that was missed because the user of the intended recipient phone rejected the call or did not answer. If a positive determination is made at  552  (i.e., if such a voice mail message was left), then the system may engage in an OTAP session (as indicated at  554 ) with the phone in question to download to the phone in question an indication that the voice mail message was left. Accordingly, the missed call log in the phone may be updated to include an indication that the rejected/not-answered call resulted in a voice mail message.  
         [0046]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart depicting a process performed by the cellular phone  102  according to some aspects of the invention.  
         [0047]     At  602 , the cellular phone  102  determines whether it has returned to an area of signal coverage for the system  100 . Alternatively, at  604 , the cellular phone determines whether it has been turned on and so should resume normal functioning. In the case of either returning to signal coverage or being turned on, the phone takes steps to re-register with the system  100 , as indicated at  606 .  
         [0048]     Assuming that there was at least one missed call while the phone was out of service, the system  100  engages in OTAP with the phone to download the missed call data to the phone. Block  608  indicates participation of the phone in the OTAP session to receive and store the missed call data. In some embodiments, the missed call data is stored in the phone by the system programming the SIM  227  ( FIG. 2 ) of the phone.  
         [0049]     Once the missed call data has been stored in the phone, the phone may display a missed call list, as indicated at  610  in  FIG. 6 . The missed call list may be displayed by the phone in response to the OTAP session (i.e., spontaneously) or in response to input from the phone&#39;s user requesting display of the missed call list. It will be appreciated that the missed call list is displayed on the display component  240  of the phone.  FIG. 7  is a representation of a display provided in accordance with aspects of the invention to present the missed call list to the user of the phone.  
         [0050]     Indicated at  702  in  FIG. 7  is at least a portion of a missed call list. The missed call list includes list items  704 ,  706 ,  708  and  710  in this example. Each of the list items includes an icon to indicate whether the call was missed because the phone was out of service (icons  712 ,  714 , in items  708 ,  710 , respectively) or because it was rejected/not answered (icons  716 ,  718 , in items  704 ,  706 , respectively). In addition, list item  710  includes an icon  720  which indicates that the caller of the corresponding missed call left a voice mail message. It will be noted that the list items also each include the phone number or the name of the sender of the missed call. The icons  720  and  714  may together be considered a composite icon that indicates both an out of service missed call and a corresponding voice mail message. In the absence of the icon  720 , the icons  716 ,  718 ,  712  may be considered to be icons that indicate that no voice mail message was left for the corresponding missed calls. In some embodiments, another icon may be provided to positively indicate that no voice mail message was left. In some embodiments, the type of icon referred to in the previous sentence may be used to indicate calls for which no voice mail message was left, and the icon  720  may not be used, so that the absence of the no-message icon is taken to mean that a message was left.  
         [0051]     From the above discussion of  FIG. 5A , it may be recognized that an icon like icon  720  may be included in a missed call list item (e.g., items  704 ,  706 ) for a rejected/not-answered missed call, in the event that the corresponding rejected/not-answered call resulted in a voice mail message being left.  
         [0052]     The user of the cellular phone may interact with the missed call list to conveniently initiate return telephone calls to the senders of the missed calls. As indicated at  612  in  FIG. 6 , it may be determined whether the user has selected a particular list item (e.g., item  708 ,  FIG. 7 ) from the missed call list. If so (and possibly if the user has selected an appropriate option from the phone&#39;s user interface) then the phone may make a call (as indicated at  614  in  FIG. 6 ) to the sender of the missed call that corresponds to the selected missed call list item.  
         [0053]     With the processes described herein, users of cellular phones may be conveniently informed of missed calls that result from the phones being out of service, and information regarding such missed calls may be integrated in a missed call list maintained in the phone with other types of missed calls. The missed call list may also be a vehicle for the user to readily make call backs to the senders of the missed calls, including missed calls resulting from the phone being out of service.  
         [0054]     The flowcharts described herein do not necessarily imply a fixed order to the actions, and embodiments may be performed in any order that is practicable.  
         [0055]     Although the system has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments, it is to be understood that the descriptions have been provided for purposes of illustration only and that other variations both in form and detail can be made thereupon by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims.