Patent ID: 7239693

Claim:
A timed ring suppression system, comprising: a telecommunications server in communication with a communications network, the telecommunications server processing an incoming communication, the incoming communication from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number associated with a receiving party's communications device, the incoming communication comprising an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal, the telecommunications server also processing a timed ring suppression signal for the called telephone number, the timed ring suppression signal for suppressing a ringer of the receiving party's communications device after the receiving party's communications device activates the ringer to produce an initial audible alert of the telephone call such that subsequent audible alerts are silenced according to a timing parameter wherein the timed ring suppression signal is communicated by the communications network to the called telephone number associated with the receiving party's communications device such that the ringer of the receiving party's communications device produces the initial audible alert and such that subsequent audible alerts are silenced according to the timing parameter.