Apparatus, method and system for personal telecommunication call screening and alerting

An apparatus for personal telecommunication call screening and alerting, the apparatus comprising:

• a network interface for receiving an incoming telecommunication call;
• a receiver coupled to the network interface, the receiver for decoding caller identification information from a received incoming telecommunication call;
• a memory, the memory storing an affinity database having a plurality of affinity numbers;
• a user input interface coupled to the processor for entry of a number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call;
• a user output interface coupled to the processor, the user output interface for generating a user alert;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, to the user input interface, to the user output interface and to the receiver, wherein the processor includes instructions for determining whether decoded caller identification information from the received incoming telecommunication call is associated with an affinity number from the affinity database;
• the processor having further instructions for determining the plurality of affinity numbers by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call and by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to a received incoming telecommunication call having a predetermined minimum off-hook duration;
• the processor having further instructions for assigning a first priority and providing the user alert to the received incoming telecommunication call when the decoded caller identification information is associated with an affinity number and when the incoming telecommunication call is received during a first user determined period of time, and for assigning a second priority and not providing the user alert to the received incoming telecommunication call when the decoded caller identification information is not associated with an affinity number or when the incoming telecommunication call is received during a second user determined period of time.

A system for personal telecommunication call screening and alerting, the system comprising:

• a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment, the line unit for reception of a number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call and for generating a user alert;
• a network signaling interface for receiving network signaling information;
• a network trunk interface for receiving corresponding network communications;
• a memory, the memory storing an affinity database having a plurality of affinity numbers;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, to the line unit, to the network signaling interface, and to the network trunk interface, wherein the processor includes instructions for determining whether received network signaling information includes caller identification information which is associated with an affinity number from the affinity database;
• the processor having further instructions for determining the plurality of affinity numbers by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call and by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to a user received incoming telecommunication call having a predetermined minimum off-hook duration;
• the processor having further instructions for assigning a first priority and providing the user alert to a corresponding network communication when the caller identification information is associated with an affinity number and when the corresponding network communication is during a first user determined period of time, and for assigning a second priority and not providing the user alert to the corresponding network communication when the caller identification information is not associated with an affinity number or when the corresponding network communication is during a second user determined period of time.

A system for personal telecommunication call screening and alerting, the system comprising:

• a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment, the line unit for reception of a number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call and for generating a user alert;
• a memory, the memory storing the affinity number in an affinity database having a plurality of affinity numbers;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and to the line unit, wherein the processor includes instructions for determining whether caller identification information is associated with an affinity number from the affinity database;
• the processor having further instructions for determining the plurality of affinity numbers by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call and by including in the affinity database a number corresponding to a user received incoming telecommunication call having a predetermined minimum off-hook duration;
• the processor having further instructions for assigning a first priority and providing a user alert to a corresponding communication when the caller identification information is associated with an affinity number and when the corresponding communication is during a first user determined period of time, and for assigning a second priority and not providing a user alert to the corresponding communication when the caller identification information is not associated with an affinity number or when the corresponding communication is during a second user determined period of time.