Abstract:
A telephone system is provided which allows a user to indicate their availability to receive phone calls and allows users to determine which other users are available to receive phone calls. The system allows for connection of phone calls between available parties, thereby eliminating unnecessary missed telephone calls and leaving and/or listening to repeated voicemails for the user. The system removes the uncertainty of whether a telephone call recipient is available eliminating frustration and wasted time for the caller. In one implementation, the system comprises an application or button installed on a telephone which may be activated to indicate to other users that the first user is available to receive and answer telephone calls.

Description:
[0001]    This generally relates to telephony and phone calling between parties. More specifically, it relates to methods and systems to avoid the repeated missing of telephone calls and/or recording of voicemails between two or more parties attempting to reach each other by telephone. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The practice of telephony, the general use of equipment to provide voice communication over a distance, specifically by connecting telephones to each other, has evolved such that in modern times, a telephone may record and report missed telephone calls to its user, and users may leave voicemails, recorded messages that may be listened to by their recipient at a later time. Additionally, the advent of portable telephones such as mobile phones has simultaneously increased the use of telephones to conduct time sensitive conversations as well as the likelihood of missed telephone calls. “Phone tag,” the situation wherein two or more users repeatedly miss each other&#39;s telephone calls and/or leave multiple voicemails may be frustrating, particularly when the reason for the repeated calls is time sensitive. Additionally, phone tag causes both parties to waste time making fruitless telephone calls and leaving and/or listening to multiple voicemail messages before finally connecting in a live telephone conversation. 
         [0003]    Conventional online chatting platforms often contain a functionality which alerts other platform users when a given platform user is available to “chat,” or exchange written online messages. For example, the Gmail email server from Google (www.gmail.com) contains a “Gchat” functionality which alerts a Gmail user when their Gmail contacts are available to chat. When Gmail User 1, a Gmail contact of Gmail User 2, is signed into Gmail and has enabled the Gchat function, a green circle icon appears next to Gmail User 1&#39;s name in Gmail User 2&#39;s contact list, indicating that Gmail User 1 is available to chat. If Gmail User 1 is signed onto the Gmail server but idle for a certain time period, this icon turns orange, indicating that Gmail User 1 may be away from their computer and thus unavailable to chat. Additionally, Gmail User 1 may disable the chat function, which turns the icon red when they are signed onto the Gmail server, indicating that they will not receive chat messages. Finally, Gmail User 1 may simply sign out of Gchat while remaining logged onto the Gmail server, which causes Gmail to display the icon in gray to Gmail User 2, indicating that Gmail User 1 is not signed onto the Gmail server. However, this functionality does not permit users to talk on the phone. 
         [0004]    Conventional online chatting platforms have been extended to function on mobile telephones. Google Talk is an offshoot of Gchat embracing similar functionality. Google Talk applications exist for many modern “smart phones,” including the Blackberry by Research in Motion and the Droid by Motorola. Using Google Talk, a user may hold real time written conversations outside of their home or office using a cellular telephone. However, this functionality requires that both users have a cellular telephone that supports a Google Talk application, a Google Talk account, and high bandwidth such as that available over a third generation or “3G” cellular telephone network. Additionally, typing on such devices occurs on small, hard to manipulate key pads and can be time consuming and inaccurate. This functionality also does not permit users to talk on the phone. 
         [0005]    Conventional users of telephones often experience problems with phone tag. Accordingly, there is a desire to avoid these and other related problems. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In accordance with the methods and systems consistent with the present invention, a method in a phone for connecting a phone call is provided, comprising receiving, on the phone, an indication of availability from a first user to answer the phone call. The method further comprises displaying, on the phone, an indication that the first user is available to answer the phone call to a second user based on the indicated availability of the first user. 
         [0007]    In one implementation, a method in a phone for connecting a phone call, is provided comprising sending an indication of availability of a first user to answer a phone call to the phone of a second user, and receiving the phone call from the second user in response to the sending of the indication of availability of the first user. 
         [0008]    In another implementation, a phone is provided comprising a processor configured to receive an indication of availability to answer a phone call from a first user. The phone further comprises a display configured to display an indication that the first user is available to answer the phone call to a second user based on the indicated availability of the first user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying a phone application implementation consistent with the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  depicts an anterior view of a telephone with a hardware availability button in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an implementation in accordance with voicemail. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an implementation in accordance with a contact list. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates steps in a method for connecting a call between two available telephone users, at least one of whom has left the other a voicemail. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates steps in a method for connecting a call between two available telephone users with a contact list. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Methods and systems in accordance with the present invention provide a software application, switch or button, whereby telephone users may indicate to other telephone users that they are currently ready and available to answer a phone call at a given moment in time. These methods and systems permit an available user to quickly and easily see that another user is available and connect a telephone call with the available user, thereby avoiding phone tag. This call may be connected automatically, simply by one user selecting the other user, or in one implementation, the call is initiated and the available call recipient is selected and connected by the system automatically. 
         [0016]    In one implementation, a user may see who, among callers that have left them a voicemail, is currently available to be called, thus allowing the user to return the call and connect to the caller personally and avoid a game of phone tag. In another implementation, users may see who, among their entire contact list or other telephone “address book,” is available to be called at the moment, thus allowing the user to avoid the first step in a game of phone tag and connect to the desired recipient personally on the first attempt. 
         [0017]    These methods and systems may be implemented on hardwired, home telephones or on mobile telephones such as cellular telephones. They may also be implemented on any suitable mobile communication device including smartphones, PDA&#39;s and walkie-talkies. They may be implemented into the phone in any way, for example a software application may be preloaded onto the telephone at the time of purchase, or they may be downloaded onto the telephones as an application or widget. They may also be implemented with a button, switch, voice activation or any other suitable method on the phone that indicates a user is currently available to talk. 
         [0018]    By various implementations of methods and systems consistent with the present invention, users will realize time savings and avoid the aggravation of phone tag. Users may make telephone calls with confidence that they will connect personally with the desired recipient on the first attempt. Additionally, users will avoid wasting time making fruitless, unanswered telephone calls and/or leaving and/or listening to voicemails. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an exemplary embodiment of an application in accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention. Mobile phone  100  contains screen, which, in this screen view, displays one implementation consistent with the present invention. In this implementation, the user has opened the availability application  102 , which displays availability button  104 , which, when clicked, turns on the user&#39;s availability indicator. The availability indicator may be used by the user when he or she is actually available to talk (as opposed to just the phone being on). After the user has clicked availability button  104 , an icon or other indicator will be displayed to other application users on their phones, indicating that the user is available to receive phone calls. In one implementation, the user may optionally exclude selected people from their contact list from seeing their availability. The availability application  102  may be a cellular or smart phone application such as an iPhone application. It may also be implemented as hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. Mobile phone  100  may be any type of communication device such as a cellular phone, smart phone, PDA, cellular phone, walkie-talkie or any other mobile or non-mobile communication device. 
         [0020]    The system may be implemented with one or more central servers communicating directly or indirectly with the phones. These communications may take place, for example, over cellular networks. The indications of a user&#39;s availability may be sent from a phone to the server(s), stored and sent to other users to indicate the availability of the first user. The phones may store a software application in memory having instructions executable by a processor on the phone to implement methods and systems in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Mobile phone  200  contains hardware availability button  202 . When the user of mobile phone  200  depresses button  202 , the user&#39;s availability is activated and the availability indicator for the user of mobile phone  200  becomes visible to other application users. In one implementation, button  202  may be a switch. In other implementations, Button  202  may be located anywhere on or in mobile phone  200 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an exemplary embodiment of an application in accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention. Mobile phone  100  contains screen, which, in this screen view, displays a list of voicemails in the user&#39;s voicemail box  302 . Column  304  contains a list of callers who have left voicemails for the user. In one implementation, column  304  contains other descriptors of the voicemail message, such as the date and/or time when the voicemail was recorded. Column  306  contains an indication of which of these callers have activated the availability application button  104 , switch or hardware button  202  and are currently available to answer a telephone call. Availability may be indicated by the word “Available” in Column  306 , corresponding to the available caller. In other implementations, this indicator may be represented by any other appropriate word, icon, or indicator. When the user clicks an available caller&#39;s name and/or information in column  304 , the availability application  102  will attempt to connect a telephone call between the two users. Alternatively, the availability application  102  may call back the first available caller upon activation of the availability button  104 . Also the user may select users that are available in their contact list of phone book on their mobile phone  100 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  depicts an anterior view of a telephone displaying an exemplary embodiment of an application in accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention. In this implementation, a contact list  402  is shown on mobile phone  100  displaying a list of the contacts in the user&#39;s cellular phone. Column  404  contains a list of contacts, and in one implementation, column  406  contains an indication of which of these contacts have activated the availability application button  104 , switch or hardware button  202  and are currently available to answer a telephone call. Availability may be indicated by the word “Available” in Column  406 , corresponding to the available contact. In other implementations, this indicator may be represented by any other appropriate word, icon, or indicator. When the user clicks an available contact&#39;s name in column  404 , the availability application  102  will attempt to connect a telephone call between the two users. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates steps in an exemplary implementation of methods and systems consistent with the present invention. First, the user performs whatever action the implementation requires to cause the availability application  102  to indicate that the user is available to receive a call (step  500 ). In one implementation, “Available” may be the default option, and the availability application  102  will display that the user is available whenever the user&#39;s phone is on, unless the user takes some action to change their status to indicate that they are not available. In other implementations, the user may push a button  202  located anywhere on their telephone turning on availability, or it may require the user to open the availability application  102  within their telephone menu and select the availability button  104  from within the application. The availability indication may also be voice activated. Next, the user views a list of callers who have left them voicemails to determine which of them is available to receive a call (step  502 ). The user may select any of the callers indicated as available by the availability application  102 , and the application will connect a telephone call between the user and the caller (step  504 ). In one implementation, this does not require that the first user have their availability indicator turned on. After the user elects to call another party in step  504 , each of the two parties&#39; telephones will display an alert message indicating that their call will be connected shortly (step  506 ). In one implementation, this message may include an exact time until the call is connected (e.g., 5 seconds), while in other implementations it may not indicate a time. Next, the alert message of step  506  will become an active countdown, toggling through the number of seconds remaining until it reaches zero seconds remaining and the call is connected (step  508 ). In another implementation, no countdown is displayed. Finally, the call between the two parties is connected (step  510 ). In one implementation, connection of a telephone call involving an available party causes the availability application  102  to automatically turn off the party&#39;s available indicator, instead indicating that the party is unavailable until the termination of the telephone call. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  illustrates steps in an exemplary implementation of methods and systems consistent with the present invention. First, the user performs whatever action the implementation requires to cause the availability application  102  to indicate that the user is available to receive a call (step  600 ). In one implementation, “Available” may be the default option, and the availability application  102  will display that the user is available unless the user takes some action to change their status to indicate that they are not available. In other implementations, turning on availability may require the user to simply push a button or switch located anywhere on their telephone, or it may require the user to open the availability application  102  within their telephone menu and select available  104  from within the application. Next, the user views their contact list or other telephone “address book” to determine who is available to receive a call (step  602 ). The user may select any of the callers that the availability application  102  indicates as available, and the application will connect a telephone call between the user and the caller (step  604 ). In one implementation, this does not require that the first user have the availability indicator turned on. After the user elects to call another party in step  604 , each of the two parties&#39; telephones will display an alert message indicating that their call will be connected shortly (step  606 ). In one implementation, this message may include an exact time (e.g., 5 seconds) until the call is connected, while in other implementations it may not indicate a time. Next, the alert message of step  606  will become an active countdown, toggling through the number of seconds remaining until it reaches zero seconds remaining and the call is connected (step  608 ). In another implementation, no countdown is displayed. Finally, the call between the two parties is connected (step  610 ). In one implementation, connection of a telephone call involving an available party causes the availability application  102  to automatically turn off the party&#39;s available indicator, instead indicating that the party is unavailable until the termination of the telephone call. 
         [0026]    The foregoing description of various embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice in accordance with the present invention. It is to be understood that the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.