Patent ID: 8634877

Claim:
A method, in a communication device comprising a processor and a memory, for modifying a notification mode for notifying a user of an incoming communication, comprising: receiving, in a first communication device, the incoming communication from a second communication device; determining whether a total number of received incoming communications from the second communication device within a predetermined period of time meets or exceeds a first predetermined threshold; modifying, in response to the total number of received incoming communications from the second communication device within the predetermined period of time meeting or exceeding the first predetermined threshold, the notification mode of the first communication device to be different from a current notification mode of the first communication device for incoming communications from the second communication device, to thereby generate a modified notification mode, wherein modifying the notification mode of the first communication device to be different from the current notification mode of the first communication device for incoming communications from the second communication device, to thereby generate the modified notification mode comprises: determining whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode of the first communication device, wherein determining whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode of the first communication device comprises: analyzing a historical data structure that stores a history of whether received incoming communications from the second communication device have been accepted or rejected by a user of the first communication device; and determining whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode of the first communication device based on results of the analysis of the history data structure, wherein: in response to the results of the analysis indicating that the user of the first communication device tends to reject received incoming communications from the second communication device, the determination whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode is a determination to degrade the notification mode, and in response to the results of the analysis indicating that the user of the first communication device tends to accept received incoming communications from the second communication device, the determination whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode is a determination to escalate the notification mode; and escalating or degrading the notification mode of the first communication device based on results of the determination as to whether to escalate or degrade the notification mode of the first communication device; and outputting a notification of the incoming communication from the second communication device using the modified notification mode of the first communication device.