Mobile station having priority call alerting function during silent service mode

A mobile station of a type that is bidirectionally coupled through an RF interface to a network, comprising:

• a RF receiver for receiving an incoming call indication from the network, the incoming call indication including a calling party telephone number;
• a user interface for enabling a user to enter information;
• a memory for storing at least one predetermined telephone number that is entered by the user;
• and
• a controller, responsive to the receipt of an incoming call indication when a silent service mode (SSM) is active, for comparing at least a portion of the telephone number of the calling party to the stored at least one predetermined telephone number and, if at least the portion of the received calling party telephone number matches one of the stored numbers, for overriding the active SSM by generating an audible alert to inform the user of the presence of the incoming call, said controller being further responsive to a condition wherein at least the portion of the received calling party telephone number does not match one of the stored numbers, for inhibiting the generation of an audible alert.

A method for operating a mobile station of a type that is coupled through an RF interface to a network, comprising the steps of:

• storing at least one Silent Service Mode (SSM override telephone number in a first memory area of a mobile station;
• storing at least one other telephone number in a second memory area of the mobile station;
• setting a flag associated with at the at least one other telephone number stored in the second memory area for indicating that the associated telephone number is also an SSM override telephone number;
• in response to the receipt of an incoming call indication, determining if the SSM is active;
• if the SSM is determined to be active, comparing at least a portion of a telephone number of the calling party to the at least one stored SSM override
• telephone number stored in the first memory area and, if a match is not found, comparing at least the portion of the telephone number of the calling party to any telephone number stored in the second memory area that has the associated flag set;
• and
• upon an occurrence of at least the portion of the telephone number of the calling party matching one of the compared telephone numbers, generating an audible alert.