Telecommunications System and Method for a Mobile Device Allowing Escalation Through Notification Levels
OwnerGeorge Cessna Grahaminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Upon receipt of a communication, the mobile device performs an escalation from visual to tactile to audible notification. The user can designate particular “contacts” listed in a database as being authorized to send high priority communications to the device. Designated contacts are then able to mark communications as high priority. Upon receipt of a high priority communication from a designated contact, the mobile communication device escalates from visual to tactile to audible notification, but for communications from all other contacts uses a default notification (ie. visual, tactile, or audible).
Claims18
A method of using a mobile communication device having a connection to a network of a service provider, the mobile communication device being capable of alerting a user to an incoming communication by a notification having a plurality of notification levels, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. transmitting a communication to the mobile communication device, the communication being identified as a high priority communication;
- b. the mobile communication device, upon receiving the communication, generating a continuous notification at a default notification level for a period of time, the default notification level being set by the user of the mobile communication device;
- c. the mobile communication device, after the period of time, escalating the continuous notification to a next higher level for a period of time;
- d. repeating step c until the highest notification level is reached:
- and
- e. once the highest notification level is reached, continuing the notification level until the user responds.
A telecommunications system comprising:
- a. a network operated by a wireless service provider or internet telephony provider;
- b. first and second mobile communication devices connected to said network;
- c. a database of contacts listing certain people designated by a user of the second mobile communication device as people from which the second mobile communication device will accept and process a high priority communication;
- d. a user interface on the first mobile communication device allowing a user of the first mobile communication device to selectively mark a communication as high priority before sending it;
- e. the network being adapted to receive from the first device the communication marked as high priority and to deliver the communication to the second mobile communication device along with the high priority mark;
- f. the second mobile communication device being adapted to determine whether the communication is marked as high priority and, if so marked, confirm that the sender of the high priority communication is designated in the database as a person from which the second mobile communication device will accept and process a high priority communication;
- and
- g. the second mobile device having means for generating a continuous notification first at a default notification level set by the user of the second mobile communication device and then escalating the notification to a next higher level after affording the user a period of time to respond to the notification at the default notification level.
11-12. (canceled)
A mobile communication device comprising:
- a. means for receiving a communication;
- and
- b. means for generating a continuous notification at a default notification level set by a user of the mobile communication device and then escalating the notification to a next higher notification level after affording the user a period of time to respond to the notification at the default notification level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.