WO1999005841A1

WO1999005841A1 - Answering machine, method and system for call screening

Info

Publication number: WO1999005841A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/015110
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sunny Behl
Original assignee: Sunny Behl
Priority date: 1997-07-28
Filing date: 1998-07-22
Publication date: 1999-02-04
Also published as: AU8414598A

Abstract

An answering machine and method for screening voice phone calls is disclosed herein. The answering machine includes a call screening controller (12) and a memory (16) for storing an access code. The call screening controller (12) connects with the telephone system (30) to receive an access request in the form of a voice phone call. Upon receipt of the access request, the controller (12) presents a pre-recorded voice invitation and accepts a response to the voice invitation. The call screening controller (12) compares the response to stored access code. If the response matches the stored access code, the controller (12) communicates the voice phone call to a telephone (18) and causes the telephone (18) to ring.

Description

IN THE RO/UNITED STATES

PCT APPLICATION FOR LETTERS PATENT

Answering Machine, Method and System for Call

Screening

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to telephone answering systems, and more particularly to answering machines and methods which screen telephone calls.

Answering machines are common household items, which typically attach between a phone jack and a telephone to automatically answer phone calls. Most answering machines provide a greeting, which invites callers to record a voice message. The answering machine user can, at his or her own convenience, playback the recorded voice message.

Some answering machine users manually screen calls using their answering machine. When the answering machine answers an incoming call, the answering machine plays a pre-recorded greeting. Upon completion of the greeting, the machine normally records a voice message communicated by the caller. During recording, the answering machine may play the incoming voice message aloud. If the called party decides to interrupt the recording and converse with the caller, he or she simply lifts the receiver of the phone and interrupts the message. Disregarding the caller effectively screens the call until the time of message playback.

There are still unresolved problems associated with telephones, answering machines and answering systems. One problem faced by telephone users are nuisance phone calls including advertising, soliciting and harassing calls. Nuisance phone calls can be both unpleasant and disruptive. Busy people may find nuisance phone calls especially troublesome because such phone call take time from a busy schedule.

Nuisance calls are not always convenient or time effective to manually screen. The called party generally attends to the answering machine during incoming calls in order to manually screen each call. Manual call screening thus, draws the called party from more desirable activities. What is desired is an automatic and time effective way to screen nuisance calls.

Caller LD service is a telephone system feature which enables automatic call screening. Before an incoming call is answered the phone displays the caller information to the called party. Conventionally, such information includes the date and time of the call and the caller's phone number. Caller ID service relies upon a digital data message, preceded by a channel seizure signal, which is sent in conjunction with the ringing signal from a central telephone center to the called party. The data message is sent with each call automatically. Typically, the data message is sent during the silent interval after the first 20- Hz, 2-second ringing phase. Upon receipt of the caller LD, an appropriately configured phone system can automatically screen calls from unidentified and undesired callers. Caller ID service has several advantages. Identification of the calling party, as provided by the caller ID service, allows the called party to screen an incoming call manually, or automatically, to determine whether or not it is desirable to answer the call. Nuisance calls, such as advertising and solicitation calls can be avoided if the identity of the caller is determined beforehand. Knowledge of the caller identity also serves as a resource for dealing with and curtailing harassment calls.

Despite the advantages of caller LD service, objections to caller ID service have been raised with respect to privacy rights. For example, callers with unlisted numbers will have their numbers published with each call. Many others simply object to having their phone numbers and other information specifically disseminated to those who may wish to initiate a nuisance call at some other time. Privacy afforded to callers with both listed and unlisted numbers is compromised by caller ID service.

In response to privacy objections, caller LD service subscribers have been offered a caller LD blocking service. With caller ID blocked, a call is directed to the called party for completion in the standard manner and the functionality of caller ID is intended to be lost.

Due to various failures of telephone companies, consumers remain weary of efficacy of caller LD blocking, many wish to be more certain that their privacy is protected.

Additionally, caller ID and caller ID blocking services are not available in every area. Even when available, there are shortfalls. Caller LD service may also not be available to phone customers on all commercial and residential phone systems yet many of these phone customers desire the benefits of call screening.

What is desired is an automatic way of call screening. What is also desired is call screening which is independent of caller LD service so that the call screening can be used with any telephone, or telephone system

DESCRIPTION A method for screening phone calls enables call screening which is independent of caller ID service. This method may be implemented on all phone systems and individual telephones The privacy of the called party is protected because the name of the called party is not required to be presented to the caller Likewise, the privacy of the calling party is protected because this method, does not require the caller to present a name Implementation of this method effectively stops virtually all nuisance calls from ringing a telephone system user's phone

A system employing the method of the present invention first assigns an access code to an answering machine Next the system receives an access request Typically, the access request will be in the form of a normal voice phone call In response to the voice phone call, the system invites access code entry with a pre-recorded voice invitation An exemplary voice invitation could include the statement, "Please enter the access code" The caller then prepares a response to the invitation and the system receives the response Upon receipt of the response, the system compares the response with the assigned access code to determine if the response matches the assigned access code If the response matches the assigned access code, the system generates a notification signal to notify a system user of the phone call

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the notification signal causes the telephone system user's telephone to ring When the system user answers the phone, the system communicates the phone call to the telephone It can be appreciated, however, that the system user (called party) can be notified in any of a variety of alternate ways

Preferably, the response is an alpha-numeric keypad entry which matches the access code. This enables the caller to use a conventional telephone keypad to communicate a response to the invitation In an alternate embodiment, the controller includes voice recognition capability

The response includes a vocal response The assigned access code is a pre-recorded word or phrase, and the response includes a word or phrase Accordingly, comparing the response with the assigned access code can match a vocal response with the assigned access code

When the response fails to match the access code, the voice phone call is communicated to a voice message recorder This effectively screens callers who do not know the access code

User names are not required for implementation of the present invention to protect privacy of both callers and called parties It can be appreciated, however, that in some cases it may be preferable to program an access code which corresponds to a particular caller The access code could then be used to identify the caller to the called party. Programming multiple access codes would enable call prioritization

Brief Description of the Drawings'

For a further understanding of the advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like pans are given like reference numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a call screening system in accordance with the present invention FIG. 2 shows a method for screening phone calls in accordance with the present invention Detailed Description of the Invention FIG 1 shows a call screening system in accordance with the present invention, generally designated with the reference numeral 10 The system 10 includes a call screening controller 12, a switch 14, a memory 16, a phone 18, a voice message recorder 20, a controller activator 22, an access code selector 24, and incoming call indicator 26 and a screened call indicator 28 The call screening controller 12 couples with the memory 16, the switch 14, the indicators 26 and 28, the controller activator 22 and the access code selector 24 The system 10 communicates with a conventional telephone system 30 The message recorder 20 and the phone 18 couple with the switch 14

A caller generates a phone call via the telephone system 30 The system 10 receives the phone call and directs the phone call to the call screening controller 12 The controller 12 answers the incoming call and invites the caller to enter an access code The caller responds to the invitation and communicates the response to the call screening controller 12 which receives the caller's response An access code is assigned and stored in the memory 16 The controller 12 compares the response with the assigned access code to determine whether or not the response entered by the caller matches the assigned access code

The controller couples with and operates the switch 14 When the response matches the access code stored in memory 16, the controller sends a signal to the switch 14 which causes the switch 14 to direct the phone call to the telephone 18 The controller 12 also sends a signal to the phone 18, via the switch 14, causing the phone 18 to ring.

When the response does not match the assigned access code, the controller 12 sends a signal to the switch 14 which causes the switch 14 to communicate the phone call to the voice message recorder 20

The indicator 26 couples with the controller 12 to indicates when a call is incoming to notify the system user when a caller access to the system 10 The indicator 28 communicates with the call screening controller 12 and indicates when a caller fails to provide a response which matches the access code Preferably, notification of screened calls is accomplished in a manner which does not disrupt the system user, for example by illuminating a LED The controller generates a signal which causes the phone 18 to ring when the caller response matches the access code. It can be appreciated that the system may be modified in any of a number of ways to notify the system user of incoming calls For example, lights, sounds and rings may be effectively used to notify a user of the status and frequency of incoming calls

"Matching" responses with access codes can, but does not necessarily require that the response and access code be exact reflections of each other In fact, in comparing a response with the access code when the response is vocal, generally recognized voice recognition principals are applied to identify whether the response matches the access code. Various degrees of precision can be used to eliminate errors due to interference from telephone line noise and other interference

The call screening activator 22 selectively activates, and deactivates the call screening controller 12 Deactivation of the system 10 allows the telephone 18 and the voice message recorder 20 to operate without call screening capability

The access code selector 24 enables a system user to store at least one access code in the memory 16 Actuating the access code selector 24 can selectively change this access code.

According to one aspect of the invention, an answering machine 11 connects to a telephone system 30 and to a telephone 18 for screening voice phone calls The answering machine 11 includes the message recorder 20 and the programmable memory 16. The programmable memory 16 stores the assigned access code The answering machine 11 includes the system 10 The call screening controller 12 couples with the memory 16 and with the message recorder 20 The call screening controller 12 connects with the telephone system 30 to receive access requests in the form of voice phone calls. The controller 12 provides a pre-recorded voice invitation, the caller responds to the invitation with a keypad entry, and the controller 12 accepts the keypad entry in response to the voice invitation

The call screening controller 12 couples with the telephone 18 The controller compares the response to the invitation with stored access code If the response matches the stored access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the telephone, causing the telephone to ring When the response fails to match the stored access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the message recorder.

FIG. 2 shows a method for screening phone calls in accordance with the present invention. The method includes the step 32 of assigning an access code to the phone answering system 10, the step 34 of receiving an access request, the step 36 of inviting access code entry, the step 38 receiving a response to the invitation, and the step 40 of comparing the response to the assigned access code

When a caller places a phone call to the system user, the system receives the access request 34 by automatically answering the call automatically Preferably, the system answers the call with a pre-recorded voice The pre-recorded voice asks the caller to provide a valid access code

When the system receives the response, compares the response to the assigned access code, and determines that the response matches the access code, the system generates a notification signal. The notification signal notifies a system user that an incoming caller has provided a response which matches the access code Typically, the system sends a signal to the telephone, causing the phone to ring. After the phone rings, and is answered, the system communicates the voice phone call to the telephone

42. If the caller's response fails to match the access code, then the system communicates the voice phone call to the voice message recorder 44 More particularly, communicating the voice call to a voice message recorder 44 is accomplished by communicating the incoming phone call to voice mail, or to a conventional desktop answering machine, for example

Normally, the system user's phone remains silent when the response to the access request does not match the access code Phone silence prevents disruption of the system user by unauthorized callers It can be appreciated that silence is but one alternative, in fact, any tone distinguishable from the telephone ring of step 42 can be used in accordance with the present invention so that the user knows that an unauthorized user is calling

In an alternate embodiment, the incoming call is terminated when the response fails to match the access code

Assigning an access code 32 includes assigning a single access code to a telephone answering system The assigned access code is selectively modifiable It can be appreciated that the system can be adapted to have multiple assigned access codes. In this way, distinct callers can have distinct access codes

According to one aspect of the invention, the access code is an alpha-numeric sequence which matches responses in the form of the same alpha-numeric sequence The alpha-numeric sequence is communicated via a telephone keypad entry

According to another aspect of the invention, the access code includes a vocalized word or phrase The access code matches responses is in the form of a particular vocalized word or phrase

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, comparing the response with the assigned access code includes associating a range of prohibited codes with the assigned access code The system compares the response with the range of prohibited codes. The system rejects the phone call when the response matches one of the prohibited codes, sending the call to a voice message recorder

According to one aspect of the invention, the system can include levels of access, a single level of access for each access code Each level of access has a particular notification method to enable the system user to distinguish the access level of each caller Various tones or rings can make access level differentiation, for example. Receiving the access request 34 entails answering the voice phone call While the access request is normally in the form of a voice phone call, it can be appreciated that the access request can also be in the form of a facsimile or data call, or some combination of voice and data. Inviting access code entry 36 asks the caller for the access code Normally, the system plays a pre-recorded voice message to the incoming caller in order to invite the access code entry 36. The caller responds to the invitation Receiving a response to the invitation 38 enables the controller 12 (FIG. 1) to compare the response to the assigned access code 40 If the response matches the access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the telephone The controller also generates a ring signal and sends the ring signal to the phone to cause the phone to notify the system user that an incoming caller has provided a matching access code

While the foregoing detailed description has described various embodiments of the invention it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the appended claims

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method for screening phone calls, comprising: (a) assigning an access code to a phone answering system;

(b) receiving an access request in the form of a voice phone call;

(c) inviting access code entry with a pre-recorded voice invitation;

(d) receiving a response to the invitation;

(e) comparing the response with the assigned access code to determine if the response matches the assigned access code; and

(f) when the response matches the assigned access code, generating a notification signal to notify a system user of the phone call.

2. A method as set forth in Claim 1, wherein when the response fails to match the access code, the voice phone call is communicated to a voice message recorder.

3. A method as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the step of generating the notification signal includes ringing the telephone and communicating the phone call to a telephone.

4. A method as set forth in Claim 1 , wherein the access code is an alpha-numeric code, the response is an alpha-numeric keypad entry which matches the assigned access code.

5. A method as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the response includes a vocal response, the access code is a pre-recorded vocal access code which matches the vocal response.

6. A method as set forth in Claim 5, wherein the response includes a word or phrase, the access code matches the word or phrase.

7. An answering machine connectable to a telephone system and to a telephone for screening voice phone calls, comprising: a memory; an assigned access code stored in the memory; a call screening controller, the call screening controller being connectable with the telephone system to receive access requests in the form of voice phone calls, the controller provides a pre-recorded voice invitation and accepts a response to the voice invitation; and the call screening controller compares the response to the invitation with stored access code, if the response matches the stored access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the telephone, causing the telephone to ring.

8. An answering machine as set forth in Claim 7, wherein the answering machine includes a screened call indicator in communication with the call screening controller, the screened call indicator activates when the response does not match the assigned access code.

9. An answering machine as set forth in Claim 7, wherein the answering machine includes an incoming call indicator in communication with the call screening controller, the incoming call indicator activates in response to a voice call.

10. An answering machine as set forth in Claim 7, wherein the answering machine includes an access code selector coupled with the call screening controller for selectively changing the access code.

11. An answering machine as set forth in Claim 7, wherein the answering machine includes a call screening actuator coupled with the call screening controller for selectively activating and deactivating the call screening controller.

12. An answering machine connectable to a telephone system and to a telephone for screening voice phone calls, comprising: a message recorder; a programmable memory, the memory being capable of storing an assigned access code; a call screening controller coupled with the memory and with the message recorder, the call screening controller being connectable with the telephone system to receive access requests in the form of voice phone calls, the controller provides a prerecorded voice invitation and accepts a keypad entry in response to the voice invitation; and the call screening controller couples with a telephone, the controller compares the response to the invitation with stored access code, if the response matches the stored access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the telephone, causing the telephone to ring; and when the response fails to match the stored access code, the controller communicates the voice phone call to the message recorder.

13. An answering machine as set forth in claim 12, wherein the answering machine includes a controller activator coupled with the controller.

14. An answering machine as set forth in claim 12, wherein the answering machine includes an access code selector coupled with the controller for programming the memory.

15. An answering machine as set forth in claim 12, wherein the answering machine includes an incoming call indicator.

16. An answering machine as set forth in claim 12, wherein the answering machine includes a screened call indicator.