Patent Publication Number: US-2015063554-A1

Title: Telephone device and method for auto transferring incoming calls

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to communications. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Telephone devices such as home phones, office phones, and mobile phones are ubiquitous at work and in life. Multiple phone numbers are used. A dialed phone number is often not answered and the user needs to cut off and dial another number. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an example environment of the devices of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the devices. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of another embodiment of the devices. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example communication between the server and the telephone devices. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example interface after the mobile phone accesses the server. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example synchronization of usage information. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for automatically transferring incoming calls. 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the transferring of an incoming call. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The application is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
     In general, the word “module” as used hereinafter, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware such as in an EPROM. It will be appreciated that modules may comprise connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of the environment of the telephone device  20  of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the called user  40  has a plurality of telephone devices  20  which are all connected with the server  10 . When one of the telephone devices  20  has been called (such as an ordinary telephone  203 ), the call is transferred to the other telephone devices (such as a mobile phone  201 ) which the called user  40  is able to answer. 
     In one embodiment, the server  10  may be a computer, the telephone device  20  may be mobile phone  201 . 
     In another embodiment, the telephone device  20  may be an ordinary telephone  203  connected with a analog terminal adapter  2031 . The ordinary telephone  203  can first connect with the analog terminal adapter  2031 , and then access the server  10 . In other embodiment, the ordinary telephone  203  and the analog terminal adapter  2031  may be integrated in a single device. 
     In other embodiment, the telephone device  20  may be an internet protocol phone  205  with a phone manager  2051 . The internet protocol phone  205  can first connect with the phone manager  2051 , and then access the server  10 . In other embodiment, the internet protocol phone  205  and the phone manager  2051  may be integrated in a single device. 
     It should be noted that the amount of the called user  40  connected to the server  10  may be more than one, and the amount of the telephone devices  20  of each called user  40  may be more than one. The telephone devices  20  able to access the server may also be other types, the present disclosure is not limited to one type. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the devices. In one embodiment, the server  10  includes a register module  101 , a first storage system  301 , and a first processor  303 . The module  101  can include computerized code in the form of one or more programs. The one or more programs are stored in the first storage system  301 , and the first storage system  301  is a non-transitory storage device. The computerized code includes instructions executed by the first processor  303  to provide functions for the modules  101 . The devices all include a sequence module  103 , a communication module  105 , a transfer module  107 , a second storage system  305 , and a second processor  307 . The modules  103 - 107  may include computerized code in the form of one or more programs. The one or more programs are stored in the second storage system  305 , and the second storage system  305  is a non-transitory storage device. The computerized code includes instructions executed by the second processor  307  to provide functions for the modules  103 - 107 . For instance, appropriate applications can be installed in the mobile phone  211  to achieve the functions of the modules  103 - 107 , appropriate applications can be installed in the ordinary telephone  203  on the analog terminal adapter  2031  to achieve the functions, and appropriate applications can be installed in the internet protocol phone  205  on the phone manager  2051  to achieve the functions. In other embodiment, the modules  103 - 107  can be in the ordinary telephone  203  and the internet protocol phone  205 , the present disclosure is not limited to the current embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of another embodiment of the devices. In this embodiment the sequence module  103  is located at the server  11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and the mobile phone  210 , the functions of the sequence module  103 , the communication module  105 , and the transfer module  107  are illustrated. 
     In one embodiment, the communication module  105  communicates with the server  10  and receives rules for answering and usage information of all the devices from the server  10 . Once the mobile phone  201  has connected to the server  10 , the communication module  105  registers information of the mobile phone  201  in the register module  101 . When the mobile phone  201  has made a phone call, the communication module  105  updates the usage information of the telephone device to the server  10 . The communication module  105  also receives usage information of other telephone devices sent by the register module  101 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example communication between the server  10  and the telephone devices  20 . The called user  40  can access the server  10  by username and password, and the server  10  can store the information and connection statuses of the called user&#39;s telephone devices. The communication module  105  connects to the register module  101  by inputting the username and password, then the communication module  105  sends the registration information of the mobile phone  201  to the register module  101 , wherein the registration information comprises the phone number of the mobile phone  201 . The register module  101  receives the registration information and updates the connection status of the mobile phone  201  to “connected”. The register module  101  also sends the respective connection statuses of the other telephone devices to the communication module  105 . The connection status indicates whether the telephone device is connected with the server, includes either “connected” or “not connected”. The status of “connected” indicates that the telephone device can communicate with the server properly. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example interface after the mobile phone  201  accesses the server  10 . For example, the user “superman” has stored a plurality of telephone numbers in the server  10 , the number of the mobile phone  201  is “this phone 88888888”, and the “other phone list” shows the telephone numbers and connection statuses of the other telephone devices “telephone 1-4” belonging to the user “superman.” 
     In one embodiment, the register module  101  of the server  10  sets the rules for answering of all the telephone devices of the called user  40 , wherein different telephone devices at different times may have priority. All such rules for answering may be set by the called user  40 . For instance, the answer rules may be set in the following ways: during weekday working hours, the sequence of priorities can be: Office Phone first, Mobile Phone second, Home phone third; in the evening, the sequence of priorities can be: Home Phone first, Mobile Phone second, Office phone third. On weekends and during holidays, the sequence of priorities can be: Mobile phone first, Home Phone second, Office phone third. The rules for answering may be set in other manner, the present invention is not limited to the manner of this disclosure. 
     In one embodiment, the register module  101  sends the answer rules to the communication module  105  of the telephone devices  20  which has a “connected” status. The communication module  105  of the mobile phone  201  receives the answer rules, and makes the mobile phone  201  ready in accordance with the answer rules. 
     In one embodiment, when there is an incoming call, the communication module  105  of the mobile phone  201  transfers the call to the telephone device with a higher or the highest priority in accordance with the priority sequence in the answer rules. When the mobile phone  201  is the telephone device with highest priority, the mobile phone  201  answers the call, and the communication module  105  updates the usage information to the register module  101  when the call is completed. The usage information comprises the beginning time of the call, the duration, and other information that indicate the usage status after the call. In addition, when the mobile phone  201  makes a call, the communication module  105  also updates the usage information to the register module  101 . 
     In one embodiment, the register module  101  sends the usage information to the other telephone devices after receiving the usage information sent by the mobile phone  201 .  FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example synchronization of usage information. In  FIG. 6 , after the telephone device  2  has made a call, the telephone device updates the usage information to the server, the server receives the information and transfers the information to the other telephones  1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 . In this embodiment, all the telephone devices  20  connected with the server  10  will update the server  10  with their usage information after answering or making a call. The server  10  synchronizes the usage information to the other telephone devices. In other embodiment, the server  10  may also send the usage information to all of the telephone devices  20 . 
     In one embodiment, the sequence module  103  calculates a sequence according to the usage information of all the telephone devices. The sequence module  103  selects the telephone devices which are “connected,” sorts them in sequence according to their last call time, and sets the telephone device having the most recent call in first place, wherein first place has the highest priority in the sequence. For instance, the current time is 15:53, the last call time of the mobile phone  201  was 15:30, the last call time of the ordinary telephone  203  was 10:29, and the last call time of the internet protocol telephone  205  was 12:07. Therefore, the mobile phone will be set in first place for priority purposes since it had the most recent call. In other embodiment, the sequence module  103  also can give first place to the telephone device having the most recent call within a preset time period. For instance, the preset time period can be half an hour, and when there is an telephone device having a call in the last half an hour, the sequence module  103  sets that telephone device in first place. 
     The sequence module  103  can sequence the plurality of other telephone devices for call forwarding according to the answer rules and the usage information, and the sequence module  103  updates the sequence for transference in real time based on the usage information. For instance, in the current time, the answer rules of the telephone devices are: telephone 1 first, telephone 2 second, telephone 3 third, telephone 4 fourth, telephone 5 fifth. If the telephone 2 is the telephone device having the most recent call, then the telephone 2 will be set in first place, and the transferring sequence will be: telephone 2 first, telephone 1 second, telephone 3 third, telephone 4 fourth, telephone 5 fifth. Since all of the telephone devices receive the same answer rules and usage information from the server, the transferring sequence calculated by the sequence modules  103  of all the telephone devices will be the same. 
     In one embodiment, when the mobile phone  201  has been called, the transfer module  107  will transfer the incoming call to a particular one of the plurality of other telephone devices according to a sequencing. As part of the transfer function, the transfer module  107  also determines whether the current destination telephone answers the call within a certain time. The transfer module transfers the call to one of the other telephone devices, based on the current order, upon condition that the telephone device having first place in the sequence has failed to answer the call within a certain time. If none of the telephone devices answer the call, the transfer module  107  can return a voice signal to the caller, such as “the user is busy, please dial again later”, and the transfer module  107  can also record the caller&#39;s telephone number. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for automatically transferring incoming calls. In one embodiment, the method functions by the modules in  FIG. 2  in the following manner. 
     In block S 701 , all the telephone devices are connected to the server, and update their usage information to the server, and the server sets rules for answering for all the telephone devices. When a telephone device is first connected to the server, the communication module  105  sends the registration information to the register module  101 , and when and after the telephone device makes a call, the communication module  105  sends the usage information to the register module  101 . The registration information comprises the phone number of the mobile phone  201 , and the usage information can include the time of call and the call duration. 
     In block S 703 , the server sends the rules for answering and usage information to all the telephone devices. The register module  101  receives the usage information sent by the communication module  105 , and sends the usage information and the rules for answering to all the telephone devices. 
     In block S 705 , all the telephone devices calculate a call transfer sequence according to the rules for answering and usage information. The sequence module  103  selects the “connected” telephone devices, sorts them in sequence according to their last call time, and sets the telephone device having the most recent call in first place, wherein the device which has been given first place has the highest priority in the sequence. On the basis of the rules for answering, combined with the sequence according to the usage information, the sequence module  103  can calculate the transfer sequence at different times, and the sequence module  103  updates the transfer sequence in real time based on the usage information. 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the transferring of an incoming call. 
     In block S 801 , when one of the telephone devices has been called, the telephone device will transfer the incoming call based on the call transfer sequence. The transfer module  107  transfers the incoming call based on the call transfer sequence. 
     In block S 803 , the telephone device to which the call has been transferred determines whether the current destination telephone answers within a certain time. If the current destination telephone answers, go to block S 805 . If the current destination telephone does not answer the call in a certain time, repeat the step of block S 803 , where telephone device transfers the incoming call to the next telephone device based on the call transfer sequence. If none of the telephone devices answer, the telephone device can return a voice signal to the caller, such as “the user is busy, please dial again later”, and the telephone device can also record the caller&#39;s telephone number. 
     In block S 805 , when the current destination telephone answers, the call is established, and the flow of transferring calls is finished. 
     The telephone devices and the method for automatically transferring an incoming call can transfer an incoming call according to the transfer sequence.