Wireless communication device with call screening
View Patent ↗A cellular telephone maintains a screening list of calling party numbers, and specifies call handling therefor. A mobile switching center is responsive to selected types of the specified call handling. The call handling can depend on whether the call is local or non-local, which is affected by the location of the cellular telephone. The call handling can also depend on the time at which the call is made. A subscriber updates his or her screening list via personal computer, and transmits via a communication network the updated screening list to a message center which sends the updated screening list to the cellular telephone via wireless communication. A calling party number can be specified as a wildcard.
1. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:
a calling party number field value in the record; and
plural call handling field values in the record, the plural call handling field values including a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the plural call handling field values, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local, wherein at least one of the plural call handling field values indicates handling responsive to call handling instructions received from a subscriber on a call-by-call basis, and wherein the call handling instructions for the call are to be selected by the subscriber from among one or more call handling options displayed to the subscriber when the call is received.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party name field value.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more records includes a Boolean not operator, and wherein the Boolean not operator consists of a single operator in a field, the single operator negating a field value in the field together with the single operator.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, one or more of the plural call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling.
7. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 1 .
8. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 1 .
9. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.
10. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 1 .
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.
12. A method of call handling using the screening list of claim 1 , wherein a calling party number for a received call matches the calling party number field value of one of the one or more records, the method comprising:
directing handling of the received call according to one or more of the plural call handling field values of the record with the matched calling party number field value.
13. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:
a calling party number field value in the record, wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling parry number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling; and
one or more call handling field values in the record, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the one or more call handling field values, wherein at least one of the one or more call handling field values indicates handling responsive to call handling instructions received from a subscriber on a call-by-call basis, and wherein the call handling instructions for a call are to be selected by the subscriber from among one or more call handling options displayed to the subscriber when the call is received.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the one or more call handling field values include a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein at least one of the one or more records includes a Boolean not operator, and wherein the Boolean not operator consists of a single operator in a field, the single operator negating a field value in the field together with the singe operator.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one of the one or more call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.
18. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 13 .
19. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 13 .
20. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.
21. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 13 .
22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.
23. A method of call handling using the screening list of claim 13 , wherein a calling party number for a received call matches the calling party number field value of one of the one or more records, the method comprising:
directing handling of the received call according to one or more of the one or more call handling field values of the record with the matched calling party number field value.
24. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:
a calling party number field value in the record; and
plural call handling field values in the record, the plural call handling field values including a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the plural call handling field values, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local;
wherein at least one of the one or more records includes a Boolean not operator, and wherein the Boolean not operator consists of a single operator in a field, the single operator negating a field value in the field together with the single operator.
25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party name field value.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.
27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, one or more of the plural call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.
28. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling.
29. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 24 .
30. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 24 .
31. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.
32. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 24 .
33. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.
34. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a screening list that defines functional and structural interrelationships with computer hardware and software for call handling, wherein the screening list comprises one or more records, each of the one or more records comprising:
a calling party number field value in the record, wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one digit in the calling party number field value is specified with a wildcard symbol, thereby indicating a numerical range of calling party numbers for incoming call handling; and
one or more call handling field values in the record, wherein the calling party number field value is functionally interrelated with call handling according to the one or more call handling field values;
wherein at least one of the one or more records includes a Boolean not operator, and wherein the Boolean not operator consists of a single operator in a field, the single operator negating a field value in the field together with the single operator.
35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the one or more call handling field values include a local call handling field value and a non-local call handling field value different than the local call handling field value, wherein the local call handling field value specifies how to handle a call that has the calling party number field value in the record if the call is local, and wherein the non-local call handling field value specifies how to handle the call if the call is non-local.
36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein at least one of the one or more records further comprises a calling party location field value.
37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein, for at least one of the one or more records, at least one of the one or more call handling field values specifies handling according to one or more of day and time of day.
38. A wireless communication device including the computer-readable medium of claim 34 .
39. A mobile switching center including the computer-readable medium of claim 34 .
40. A network element including the computer-readable medium of claim 34 , wherein the network element operates in conjunction with a home location register.
41. A message center including the computer-readable medium of claim 34 .
42. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the call handling includes plural options, and wherein the plural options include accept, deny, forward to another telephone number, and forward to voice mail.