WO2001017206A1

WO2001017206A1 - Telephone interceptor

Info

Publication number: WO2001017206A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/023378
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raj Mahadevaiah
Original assignee: Raj Mahadevaiah
Priority date: 1999-08-27
Filing date: 2000-08-25
Publication date: 2001-03-08
Also published as: AU7074200A

Abstract

An apparatus (310) for intercepting telephone calls on a telephone channel connected to a telephone includes a ring detector, that is in communication with the telephone channel. The ring detector is capable of detecting an incoming telephone call and generates a ring signal upon detection of a incoming telephone call. A user input receives an input from a user indicating that the user desires not to be called. A counter (320), that is responsive to the user input, is programmed to count a selected amount of time from assertion of the user input. A delay circuit (330), that is responsive to the counter, the ring signal and the user input, is programmed to allow the telephone to ring if an incoming call has been detected and if more than the selected amount of time has passed since the user input was asserted.

Description

TELEPHONE INTERCEPTOR

CROSS REFERENCE TO A PROVISIONAL APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority on Provisional Application Serial

Number 60/151,177, filed on August 27, 1999, the entirety of which is hereby

incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to telephone communications and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for intercepting and, if necessary, delaying telephone calls.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Existing telephones often ring at inopportune moments, such as a just few

minutes after a child has begun a nap, a few minutes after a telephone user has stepped into a bath, or when the user simply desires privacy. Several approaches to this

problem are typically employed. For example, one may ignore the telephone and allow

an answering machine to answer the telephone. However, this approach may be

irritating to the user and may wake the freshly fallen asleep child. The user may also

turn the telephone ringer "off." However, this approach requires that every telephone in a house be turned off also. The user may take the telephone off of the hook. However, this approach causes incoming callers to believe that the user is actively

accepting telephone calls, causing considerable frustration. Also, the user may not be able to place outgoing calls with the off-hook approach.

Some telephone sets employ "do not disturb" buttons that inhibit all ringing

once activated. However, users often forget to release the do not disturb function

once they desire to start receiving calls again and, thus, miss desired incoming calls.

Furthermore, such "do not disturb" buttons usually only apply to a single telephone and not an entire household telephone loop.

Therefore, there is a need for a system that allows a user to inhibit ringing of

every telephone in a household and, if the user desires, to generate a message

indicating that the user wishes not to be called for a selected period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention

which, in one aspect, is an apparatus for intercepting telephone calls on a telephone channel connected to a telephone. A ring detector, that is in communication with the

telephone channel, is capable of detecting an incoming telephone call and generates a

ring signal upon detection of a incoming telephone call. A user input receives an input

from a user indicating that the user desires not to be called. A counter, that is responsive to the user input, is programmed to count a selected amount of time from assertion of the user input. A delay circuit, that is responsive to the counter, the ring

signal and the user input, is programmed to allow the telephone to ring if an incoming

call has been detected and if more than the selected amount of time has passed since the user input was last asserted. The delay circuit is also programmed to prevent the

telephone from ringing if an incoming call has been detected and if less than the selected amount of time has passed since the user input was last asserted.

In another aspect, the invention is a method of intercepting telephone calls on a

telephone channel connected to a telephone and a user input that indicates that a user desires not to be called. An incoming telephone call is detected on the telephone

channel. A ring signal is generated upon detection of a incoming telephone call. It is

determined if the user input has been asserted by the user. The telephone is allowed to ring if an incoming call has been detected and if more than a selected amount of time

has passed since the user input was last asserted. The telephone is prevented from

ringing if an incoming call has been detected and if less than the selected amount of time has passed since the user input was last asserted.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the

following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the

following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and

scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a flow chart showing the timing function.

FIG. 2B is a flow chart showing the inhibiting function.

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of an interceptor.

FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a timer usable in the embodiment of FIG.

3A.

FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of a DTMF detector usable in the embodiment

of FIG. 3 A.

FIG. 3D is a schematic diagram of a power supply driver usable in the

embodiment of FIG. 3 A.

FIG. 3E is a schematic diagram of voltage regulator usable in the embodiment

of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3F is a schematic diagram of a message generator usable in the

embodiment of FIG. 3 A. FIG. 3G is a schematic diagram of a message recording system usable in the

embodiment of FIG. 3 A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring

to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the

description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings

explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and

"on." Also, as used herein, "global computer network" includes the Internet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention 100, includes an interceptor 110 that

intercepts telephone calls received from a local exchange carrier (LEC) 102 to a

household telephone loop 104. The telephone loop 104 includes one or more

telephones 112 connected to a common telephone channel, such as a hard wired

telephone line.

The interceptor 110 intercepts incoming telephone calls on the telephone

channel and selectively inhibits ringing of the telephone sets 112 connected to the

telephone channel for a selected period of time. In one embodiment, a user presses a

button, or other user input, that acts like a "snooze bar" on an alarm clock by inhibiting

the ringing of the telephone. Once a preselected period from the time the button is

depressed has expired, the telephone is allowed to ring normally. Unlike an answering machine, the invention 100 provides the capability of

answering all incoming calls without ringing the telephone sets within a subscriber's

local loop for a selected period of time. In one embodiment, each click of the snooze

button will provide a progressively longer period of ring delay. For example, one click will delay ringing for 15 minutes, a second click will delay ringing for 30 minutes, a

third click will delay ringing for one hour, etc. Even if the invention is currently active,

outgoing calls are allowed any time. Unlike a do not disturb button, the inhibitor 110

is capable of inhibiting ringing for only a selected amount of time, after which the user is able to receive telephone calls normally.

The invention may be embodied as a "do not disturb" device, in which the invention detects the ac ring signal on the telephone line and immediately sets the

device to an "off-hook" condition. This action completes the circuit to the local

telephone exchange (LEC) and DC current flows to the user's local loop. The LEC

removes the ringing signal and the ring-back tone from the circuit. This prevents the ringing signal from reaching any of the telephone sets within the user's local loop. In

one embodiment, the invention then plays an audio message to the caller with

instructions regarding when to call back. The device then returns the line to the on-

hook condition.

The device may also generate a call-in-progress indication to the user. This

may be done with an indicator light, a text or graphic indication on a video display

(e.g., a television or computer screen), or even by playing soft music. The message could even include a caller identification. The user would then have the option to lift the handset and accept the call. In one embodiment, the invention could automatically activate an answering machine during the delay period, allowing the caller to leave a message.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the inhibitor waits until it senses a user input 202

indicating that the user desires not to be called for a selected amount of time. Upon

sensing the user input, the inhibitor starts a timer 204. The inhibitor also continuously

waits for mcoming calls 210. Upon sensing an incoming call, the device asserts a ring

signal 212 and determines if the user input has been asserted 214. If not, then the

telephone is allowed to ring 222, otherwise the inhibitor determines if time remains on

the timer 216 (which is typically a count-down timer). If the timer has not timed out

then ringing is inhibited 220, otherwise the telephone is allowed to ring 222.

The user input could be a button on a telephone handset, or other device. It

could also be entered by pressing a preselected set of keys on a telephone key pad.

For example, by entering "*47" (or some other sequence of keys) the user could activate the inhibitor. This could be done by circuitry installed in the local telephone,

or could be done by software maintained by the LEC. In fact, all of the functions of

the invention could be done either locally or at the LEC.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3G, one embodiment of the invention 310 includes: a

unit activator circuit 320 that allows the user to interface with the device, allowing the

user to indicate that the user desires not to be called for a selected period; a ring

detector and off-hook activator circuit 330 that detects incoming telephone calls and generates a ring signal upon detection of a incoming telephone call, thereby inhibiting

ringing of the telephones in a household loop; a voice message playback circuit 340

that generates a voice message to the caller, if the user desires such a message to be

generated; and a voice message recording circuit 350 that is used to record voice

messages.

The unit activator circuit 320 includes a settable timer circuit, which may be

activated by any telephone in the household. The unit activator circuit 320 also

includes a circuit 320b that detects DTMF tones on the telephone channel. The ring

detector and activator circuit 330 provides a visual indicator that calls are being

intercepted and includes a power supply 330a that drives the ring inhibiting function.

The power supply 330a allows outgoing calls and allows answering of calls during an

interception period. The ring detector and off-hook activator 330 also includes an

off-hook activator 330b.

The voice message playback circuit 340 transmits a user-recorded message

indicating that the user is not currently answering telephone calls. The playback circuit

340 could also be programmed to provide an indication to the caller of the amount of

time remaining until the caller should try calling again. The voice message recording

circuit 350 records messages from callers and acts as an answering machine. As will be clearly understood by those of skill in the art, the invention could be applied to both hard wired telephone lines, wireless telephone lines and virtual

telephone lines (e.g., those formed via the global computer network).

The above described embodiments are given as illustrative examples only. It

will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific

embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather

than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for intercepting telephone calls on a telephone channel connected to a telephone, comprising:

a. a ring detector, in communication with the telephone channel, that is

capable of detecting an incoming telephone call and that generates a

ring signal upon detection of a incoming telephone call; b. a user input that is capable of receiving an input from a user indicating

that the user desires not to be called;

c. a counter, responsive to the user input, programmed to count a selected amount of time from assertion of the user input; and

d. a delay circuit, responsive to the counter, the ring signal and the user

input, that is programmed to: i. allow the telephone to ring if an incoming call has been detected

and if more than the selected amount of time has passed since

the user input was last asserted; and

ii. prevent the telephone from ringing if an incoming call has been detected and if less than the selected amount of time has passed

since the user input was last asserted.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a telephone selection circuit,

operatively coupled to a plurality of telephones, that includes a user input that indicates to the controller which of the plurality of telephones are to have

ringing inhibited.

3. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a message playback circuit,

responsive to the controller, that plays a message to an incoming caller when the controller inhibits ringing of the telephone.

4. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a visual incoming call indicator

that provides a visual indication that a telephone call is incoming while the

telephone inhibited from ringing.

5. The apparatus of Claim 4, wherein the visual incoming call indicator comprises an indicator light.

6. The apparatus of Claim 4, wherein the visual incoming call indicator comprises: a. a video display generator that generates an icon representing an

incoming call; and b. a video display circuit that superimposes the icon onto a video display.

7. The apparatus of Claim 6, wherein the video display circuit comprises a text message generator.

8. The apparatus of Claim 6, wherein the video display circuit comprises a symbol

generator.

. A method of intercepting telephone calls on a telephone channel connected to a

telephone and a user input that indicates that a user desires not to be called,

comprising the steps of: a. detecting an incoming telephone call on the telephone channel;

b. generating a ring signal upon detection of a incoming telephone call; c. determining if the user input has been asserted by the user; and

d. allowing the telephone to ring if an incoming call has been detected and

if more than a selected amount of time has passed since the user input

was last asserted; and

e. preventing the telephone from ringing if an incoming call has been

detected and if less than the selected amount of time has passed since the user input was last asserted.

10. The method of Claim 9, wherein the deteπnining step comprises sensing

closing of a switch local to the telephone.

11. The method of Claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises sensing of a

code entered on a keypad of the telephone.

12. The method of Claim 11, further comprising the step of deteπnining a length of a delay during which ringing of the telephone is to be inhibited, the length being

based on a selection of keys depressed on a telephone keypad..

13. The method of Claim 9, wherein the determining step is completed by a circuit that is integrated into the telephone.

14. The method of Claim 9, wherein the determining step is completed by a circuit

controlled by a telephone exchange carrier.