Method and apparatus for monitoring telephone status
View Patent ↗The monitor is for monitoring the status of a first client telephone, and for sending this status information via a central server to an authorized second client telephone. The central server stores a database of registered client telephones and corresponding client telephones that the client may monitor. A user of a registered client telephone monitors in real time the telephone status of registered friends, family, or co-workers that have agreed to be monitored by the user.
1. A method comprising:
receiving from a user of a second telephone an indication of a first telephone, in which the user of the second telephone is not authorized to monitor the first telephone;
transmitting to the user of the first telephone a request for permission for the user of the second telephone to monitor the first telephone;
receiving from the user of the first telephone an indication that the user of the second telephone has permission to monitor the first telephone;
receiving a status from the first telephone; and
sending the status to the second telephone.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a first identifier that identifies the first telephone and a second identifier that identifies the second telephone; and
sending the first identifier to the second telephone.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
verifying good standing of a customer account of the second telephone.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a first identifier that identifies the first telephone to the second telephone for storage and display.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes
a request to notify the second telephone when a status change of a predetermined condition of the first telephone occurs.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
storing the status change of the predetermined condition.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recording transmission of the status to the second telephone's customer account.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the status indicates whether the first telephone is off-hook.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the status indicates whether a user of the first telephone has entered at least one predetermined DTMF code into the telephone.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgment from the second telephone of a successful transmission of the status.
11. A computer programmed with executable instructions to perform the method of claim 1 .
12. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for directing a processor to perform the method of claim 1 .
13. A method comprising:
receiving, from a second telephone that is associated with a second user, an identifier that identifies a first user;
receiving an indication that the first user has authorized the second user to receive an indication of a status of a first telephone associated with the first user;
storing an indication that the first user has authorized the second user to receive an indication of a status of the first telephone of the first user;
determining a status of the first telephone that is associated with the first user; and
transmitting an indication of the determined status to the second user.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a request by the second user to receive a status of the telephone of the first user.
15. The method of claim 13 , in which the telephone comprises a cellular telephone.
16. The method of claim 13 , in which the telephone comprises a wireless telephone.
17. The method of claim 13 , in which the telephone comprises a wired telephone.
18. The method of claim 13 , in which the determined status indicates that the first user is not available to talk.