Abstract:
Incoming calls from selected calling numbers are routed to call waiting for immediate response while calls from other calling numbers are handled in a different manner, e.g., they are routed to voice mail, to a forwarding number, or scheduled for call back. In order to route calls from selected calling numbers to call waiting, the subscriber enters the directory numbers of selected callers (or other caller identifying indicia) on the subscriber&#39;s telephone keypad together with an activation code for storing this information in a caller identification (ID) table, or data base. Each time an incoming call is received, the incoming call number (or other caller identifying indicia) is compared with the contents of the caller ID table and the call is routed to the call waiting function if the incoming call number is stored in the caller ID table.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the processing of incoming telephone calls and is particularly directed to automatically directing incoming calls from selected calling numbers to call waiting, while directing calls from non-selected calling numbers to alternate call treatment, such as to voice mail or a forwarding number. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Automatic telephone call processing has gained widespread acceptance for accomplishing a wide variety of functions. One common application known as call waiting alerts a subscriber engaged in a telephone call to a second incoming call and permits this subscriber to interrupt the first call and respond to the second caller. Another current popular feature known as caller “ID”, i.e., identification, informs the incoming call subscriber of the identity of the incoming call originator by displaying either the telephone number or other identifying indicia of the caller. Current systems are not selective in their approach, i.e., for a subscriber with these two features, all incoming calls are routed to the call waiting and caller ID functions. Current systems do not allow for the selective routing of incoming telephone calls based upon the identity of the caller. 
     The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing dynamic call waiting based upon the caller&#39;s ID which permits a subscriber to route selected incoming calls to call waiting, while permitting nonselected incoming calls to undergo alternative call treatment, e.g. route to voice mail, call forwarding to another number or call back. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention employs dynamic call waiting based on the caller&#39;s ID, permitting a called subscriber to route incoming call to call waiting based upon the ID information of the calling party. The telephone number, or other selected caller ID indicia, is stored by the subscriber in a Calling Number Data Base (CNDB). This information is entered by the subscriber either via a keypad or by voice which undergoes speech-to-text conversion. Receipt of an incoming call initiates comparison of the calling party&#39;s caller ID information, such as the incoming call telephone number or other caller identifying indicia, with the selected caller data stored in the CNDB. The presence of incoming caller indicia in the CNDB automatically routes the incoming call to call waiting to permit the called subscriber to immediately respond to the incoming call. If the incoming caller indicia is not stored in the CNDB, the incoming call undergoes default or alternative call treatment, such as voice mail, routing to a designated forwarding number, or call back. Dynamic call waiting based on the caller&#39;s ID is carried out under the control of a microprocessor located either in a subscriber&#39;s caller ID unit or at a telephone network processing center. Text-to-speech conversion may also be applied for providing the called subscriber with an audio indication of the caller&#39;s ID. An activation code may be used by the subscriber for storing selected calling party numbers, or other identifying information, in the CNDB. Selected calling numbers may be stored in, reviewed, updated or deleted from the CNDB by appropriate coded inputs to the subscriber&#39;s keypad or by predetermined voice inputs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The appended claims set forth those novel features which characterize the invention. However, the invention itself, as well as further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference characters identify like elements throughout the various figures, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of a dynamic call waiting system based on caller ID, wherein selected calling numbers are stored and processed at the subscriber&#39;s location; 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of another embodiment of a dynamic call waiting system based on caller ID, wherein selected calling numbers are processed and stored at a central location in the telephone network for use by all subscribers; 
     FIG. 3 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the series of steps involved in entering and storing selected calling numbers in accordance with the dynamic call waiting system shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the series of steps involved in entering and storing selected calling numbers in accordance with the embodiments of the dynamic call waiting system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and 
     FIGS. 5-7 are simplified flow charts illustrating the series of steps involved in carrying out the dynamic call waiting system based on caller ID of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a dynamic call waiting system  10  based on the caller identification (ID) in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a simplified combined schematic and block diagram of a dynamic call waiting system  10  which employs caller identification (ID) information in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Dynamic call waiting system  10  includes first, second and third telephone terminals  12 ,  14  and  16  which are in communication by means of a public switched telephone network (PSTN)  18 . The present invention is intended for use in the situation where the first telephone terminal  12 , which is assigned directory number (630) 555-7340, is communicating with the second telephone terminal  14 , which is assigned directory number (303) 555-1976, and an incoming call from the third telephone terminal  16 , which is assigned a directory number of (309) 555-8055, is received by the first telephone terminal via PSTN  18 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first telephone terminal  12  is connected to the PSTN  18  by means of a local switch  20 , which is part of the PSTN, and a caller ID unit  22 . Caller ID unit  22  is a remote device located with the first telephone terminal  12 , commonly referred to as customer premises equipment (CPE). The present invention allows a subscriber located at the first telephone terminal  12  to store selected calling numbers, or other indicia associated with selected callers, for routing calls from the selected callers to call waiting, while routing incoming calls from other callers in another manner, such as to voice mail, to a forwarding telephone number, busy tone or call back. 
     Local switch  20  is conventional in design and operation and is typically used for interfacing a telephone terminal with a PSTN  18 . The caller ID unit  22  includes an internal switch  24  coupled to both the caller ID unit and the local switch  20  for communicating with PSTN  18 . Caller ID unit  22  further includes a data/control bus  30  coupled to the internal switch  24  for receiving incoming calls from the local switch  20  and for providing outgoing calls to the local switch. 
     In accordance with the present invention, an internal storage device  28  (e.g., memory) is coupled to the data/control bus  30  for storing selected calling numbers. Selected calling numbers are entered on a keypad  32  with coded entry keys  32   a  by the subscriber and are provided to a first storage device  28  by means of the data/control bus  30 . Caller information from an incoming call is provided to a second internal storage device  26  (e.g., scratch memory) by means of the data/control bus  30 . A processor  38  in the caller ID unit  22  reads the incoming caller information from the second storage device  26  and compares it to the list of calling numbers stored in the first storage device  28 . If a calling number associated with an incoming call, as read from the second storage device  26 , is determined by processor  38  to be stored in the first storage device  28 , the incoming call is routed to a caller ID function for alerting the subscriber communicating on the first telephone terminal  12  of the identity of the caller. This information is provided to the subscriber by means of a video display  36  which lists either the incoming calling number or the caller&#39;s name or other identifying indicia. Receipt of an incoming call from a previously stored calling number may also be provided to the subscriber in the form of an audio signal such as by means of a speaker  34 . In this regard, a text-to-speech converter  44  may be used to convert an electronic signal representing the identity of a selected incoming caller to an audio message such as “John Smith is on call waiting”. In addition, a speech-to-text convertor  42  may be used for the entry of selected incoming call numbers, or other selected caller indicia, for storage in the first storage device  28  as an alternative to entry of this information via keypad  32 . Caller ID unit  22  further includes various controls  40  such as for providing routing for incoming calls other than by means of the calling waiting function. Controls  40  also permit a subscriber to select either keypad  32  or speech-to-text convertor  42  for the voice entry of selected caller numbers or selected caller indicia. Controls  40  also permit the subscriber to select either speaker  34  in combination with the text-to-speech convertor  44  or display  36  for providing incoming caller information to the subscriber. Controls  40  may be selected by the subscriber by conventional means such as coded key entries via keypad  32 . Processor  38  is conventional in design and operation and may take the form of any number of conventional microprocessors used in the storage and processing of data with software, making decisions based upon this data, and providing appropriate output signals. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown another embodiment of a dynamic call waiting system  50  in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, selected calling numbers are stored in, and incoming call information is provided to, a central location in the telephone network. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, a first telephone terminal  52  is in communication with a second telephone terminal  54  by means of a local switch  64  and a PSTN  58 . While the first telephone terminal  52  is communicating with the second terminal  54 , an incoming call from a third telephone terminal  56  is received by the first telephone terminal. In accordance with the present invention, the telephone call received from the third telephone terminal  56  is either provided call waiting status for immediate attention by the subscriber at the first telephone terminal  52 , or the incoming call from the third telephone terminal is processed in another manner, such as, for example, by routing to another telephone number or being directed to voice mail as described below. 
     The incoming call from the third telephone terminal  56  to the first telephone terminal  52  includes an incoming message  74  provided on the input line to the local switch  64 . The incoming message  74  includes the calling number and/or other caller indicia such as the caller&#39;s name. The incoming call, including the incoming message portion  74  thereof is provided to a controller  60  in the dynamic call waiting system  50  via the local switch  64 . Prior to receipt of the incoming call, a subscriber at the first telephone terminal  52  has entered one or more selected calling numbers and/or callers&#39; names by means of a keypad or voice activated device as previously described. The selected numbers are entered via the subscriber&#39;s telephone terminal or by voice via the same terminal. Voice entry may be invoked via a keying sequence. The key pad and voice activated device are not shown in FIG. 2 for simplicity, but they would be part of or disposed adjacent the subscriber&#39;s first telephone terminal  52  and connected to controller  60 . 
     Controller  60  includes a internal access switch  69  which is connected to a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) detector unit  68 , which receives the incoming tones via access switch  69 , which in turn receives these tones from the local switch  64 . DTMF detector  68  provides these tones to a processor  68  within the controller  60 . The DTMF detector is used to analyze the line information that it has received via the access switch  69  for DTMF signaling as is known in the art. More specifically, the DTMF detector unit  68  is used to detect the subscriber&#39;s choice for storing selected calling numbers and providing signals to the processor  66  (from DTMF detector unit  68 ) to effect the desired operation or store the provided indicia. The access switch  69  is also connected to processor  66 , such that, when the switch  69  determines that a message (other than a tone) is received from the local switch  64  it is directed to processor  66  which analyzes these messages and acts accordingly. Access switch  69  could be connected to the signaling network as is known in the art. Also disposed within controller  60  and connected to the processor  66  is a storage device  70 , a text-to-speech converter  72 , and a speech-to-text converter  73 . Each of the storage device  70 , text-to-speech converter  72  and speech-to-text converter  73  perform functions similar to those described for the corresponding components in the first embodiment of the invention described above and shown in FIG.  1 . Coupled to controller  60  is a calling number database (CNDB)  62  for storing selected calling numbers and/or selected caller indicia. Storage device  70  stores the calling number and/or caller&#39;s name presented in the incoming message  74 . Processor  66  compares the calling number and/or caller&#39;s name presented in the incoming message  74  with those selected calling numbers and callers&#39; names stored in the CNDB  62 . A query/result message  76  is transmitted between controller  60  and CNDB  62 . The query/result message  76  includes the calling number and/or caller&#39;s name in the incoming message  74  received by the controller  60 . The query/result message  76  further includes a portion for determining and indicating whether the calling number and/or caller&#39;s name in the incoming message  74  is stored in the CNDB  62  and provides the result of this determination back to controller  60 . If the controller  60  determines that the calling number and/or caller&#39;s name in the incoming message  74  is stored in CNDB  62 , processor  62  provides a message to the local switch  64  (through access switch  69 ) for transmission via an outgoing message to the first telephone terminal  52 . Controller  60  could also provide the information via a message to local switch  64 . Outgoing message  78  provided to the first telephone terminal  52  includes the incoming calling number and/or caller&#39;s name (or other caller indicia) as well as a call waiting (CW) tone to the first telephone terminal  52 . This CW tone alerts the subscriber at the first telephone terminal  52  that the incoming call has been directed to call waiting. An internal switch  69  allows the processor to read/activate the DTMF detector or to read input (i.e, messages) directly. The difference between the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.  1  and the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 is that in the latter the controller  60  and CNDB  62  are located at central locations in the communications network and are each used by plural subscribers in carrying out the dynamic call waiting based on caller ID of the present invention. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the caller ID unit  22  is unique to each subscriber and is located with the subscriber&#39;s telephone terminal at the subscriber&#39;s location. The format and content of the messages described above in terms of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are also applicable to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a simplified flow chart illustrating the series of steps undertaken by a subscriber in entering selected calling numbers and/or selected caller indicia for directing incoming calls to call waiting based on the incoming calls caller ID in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.  1 . The process is initiated at step  90  with the subscriber then determining at step  92  whether to enter selected calling numbers and/or selected caller indicia. If there are no selected calling numbers to enter either via the telephone terminal&#39;s keypad or by means of a speech-to-text converter as previously described, the process ends at step  100 . If the subscriber at step  92  decides to enter selected calling numbers, the subscriber at step  94  first selects the “ENTER” key on the caller ID unit keypad. The subscriber then enters a calling number at step  96  via the keypad for storage in the caller ID unit&#39;s storage device for subsequent recall and comparison with incoming calling numbers. If additional calling numbers are to be entered by the subscriber as determined at step  98 , the subscriber again selects the “ENTER” key at step  94  for entering additional selected calling numbers at step  96 . Once all of the selected calling numbers have been entered and stored in memory, the data entering process ends at step  100 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a series of steps involved in entering selected calling numbers and/or selected caller indicia in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.  2 . The data entering process starts at step  110 . It is followed at step  112  by the entering of *[CODE] [NUMBER]. For example, if a subscriber desires to enter a selected calling number (indicia) in the CNDB  62  shown in FIG. 2, the subscriber enters on the telephone terminal keyboard *[CODE] [NUMBER]. The [CODE] can be virtually any number or letter combination available on the subscriber&#39;s telephone terminal keypad which has been programmed on the keypad. After entering a predetermined code, the selected calling number is then entered at step  112 . If additional selected calling numbers are to be entered as determined at step  114 , these additional selected calling numbers are entered and repeated at step  112  until all of the selected calling numbers have been entered and stored in the CNDB  62 . The data entering process ends at step  116 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5,  6  and  7 , there are shown a series of steps carried out under the control of a microprocessor in response to subscriber inputs in accordance with the dynamic call waiting based on caller ID of the present invention. The inventive process starts at step  130  with the receipt of an incoming telephone call. The program stored in the microprocessor then identifies the incoming calling ID at step  132  and looks up in this ID list of the various calling ID&#39;s stored in the calling number (CN) database, or the CNDB. The program stored in the microprocessor then determines at step  136  if the caller indicia, such as the caller&#39;s calling number (or name), is stored in the calling number database. If it is determined at step  136  that the caller&#39;s indicia is stored in the calling number database, the program proceeds to step  138  and provides a call waiting alert indication to the called party via the called party&#39;s telephone terminal. The common call waiting alert indication is the tone sound provided to the earphone of the called telephone terminal for alerting the called subscriber of a received call waiting telephone call. This alert indication may also be in the form of speech or a video display. The program in the microprocessor then at step  140  determines if the called party answers the call waiting call. If the call waiting is answered by the subscriber, the program proceeds to step  144  for performing the conventional call waiting actions as in prior art call waiting procedures. The program terminates with an end to the call at step  146 . 
     If at step  136 , it is determined that the caller indicia is not stored in the calling number database (CNDB), the program proceeds to step  148  with the incoming call receiving a default or other call processing such as a busy signal, routing to voice mail, automatic call back, etc. Typical alternate call treatment is shown in the flow chart of FIG. 6 which is initiated at previously described step  148  as designated by the letter “A” in FIGS. 5 and 6. If the incoming call is to be alternatively routed to voice mail as determined at step  150 , the incoming call is directed to voice mail at step  152  to allow the calling party to leave a message for the called party. The call waiting call is then ended at step  154 . If at step  150  it is determined that the incoming call is not to be routed to voice mail, the program stored in the microprocessor determines whether or not to provide a busy tone to the call waiting calling party at step  156 . If it is determined to provide a busy tone to the calling party, the tone is provided to the calling party&#39;s telephone terminal at step  158  followed by an end to the call at step  154 . If at step  156 , it is determined not to provide a busy tone to the calling party, the program proceeds to step  160  to determine if a call back service is to be provided when the called party is available. If at step  160  it is determined to provide the call back service, the service provider at step  162  schedules a call back to the called party when the called party&#39;s line is no longer busy. The call waiting call is then ended at step  154 . 
     If at step  140  of FIG. 5 the called party does not answer the call waiting call, the program proceeds to step  142  and provides a default or alternate call treatment for unanswered call waiting calls. The procedure for providing alternate call treatment for unanswered call waiting calls is shown in the flow chart of FIG. 7 which continues from step  142  in FIG. 5 as shown by the letter “B” in these two figures. If the called party ignores the call waiting indication at step  164 , the program then proceeds to step  166  for determining whether to route the call to voice mail. If it is decided not to route the call to voice mail, the program proceeds to step  172  with the calling party receiving call waiting treatment, call forwarding, call back or another call treatment available in the prior art. If at step  166  it is determined to route the calling party to voice mail, the program at step  168  transfers the calling party to voice mail for permitting a message to be left for the called subscriber. The call then ends at step  170 . 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the relevant arts that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.