Priority-based phone call filtering
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorAnantakrishna Kanti Varanasi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile phone filters phone calls based on priority. The mobile phone determines a call priority of an incoming phone call based on the caller's telephone number. The mobile phone also determines a threshold priority for the current time period based on a priority schedule. The mobile phone compares the call priority with the threshold priority to determine whether to block the incoming call. If the mobile phone blocks the incoming phone call, it may transmit a message to the caller suggesting a time for the caller to make the phone call again.
Claims16
A method for filtering incoming calls by a mobile communication device, the method being performed by one or more processors of the mobile communication device and comprising:
- receiving a user input:
- in response to receiving the user input, placing the mobile communications device in a priority mode for a period of time, wherein the priority mode is associated with a priority setting;
- during the period of time:
- receiving an incoming call from a caller;
- determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;
- determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority setting;
- determining whether the threshold priority for the current time period exceeds the call priority of the incoming call by comparing the threshold priority and the call priority;
- and
- responsive to determining that the threshold priority exceeds the call priority of the incoming call, blocking the incoming call;
- and
- after the period of time has elapsed, terminating the priority mode.
A non-transitory computer readable medium with stored instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- receiving a user input;
- in response to receiving the user input, activating a priority mode for a period of time, wherein the priority mode is associated with a priority setting;
- during the period of time:
- receiving an incoming call from a caller;
- determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;
- determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority setting;
- determining whether the threshold priority for the current time period exceeds the call priority of the incoming call by comparing the threshold priority and the call priority;
- and
- responsive to determining that the threshold priority exceeds the call priority of the incoming call, blocking the incoming call;
- and
- after the period of time has elapsed, terminating the priority mode.
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a radio unit configured to communicate with a network;
- a memory resource configured to store instructions;
- and
- a processing unit coupled to the radio unit and the memory resource, the processing unit configured to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processing unit to:
- receive a user input;
- in response to receiving the user input, place the mobile computing device in a priority mode for a period of time, wherein the priority mode is associated with a priority setting;
- during the period of time:
- receive an incoming call from a caller;
- determine a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller;
- determine a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority setting;
- determining whether the threshold priority for the current time period exceeds the call priority of the incoming call by comparing the threshold priority and the call priority;
- and
- responsive to determining that the threshold priority exceeds the call priority of the incoming call, block the incoming call;
- and
- after the period of time has elapsed, terminate the priority mode.
A method for filtering incoming calls by a mobile communication device, the method being performed by one or more processors of the mobile communication device and comprising:
- receiving an incoming call from a caller;
- identifying a suggested priority of the incoming call, the suggested priority being set by the caller;
- determining a call priority of the incoming call based on an identity of the caller, wherein determining the call priority of the incoming call comprises:
- (i) identifying a telephone number of the incoming call, (ii) determining an allowable range of call priorities of the telephone number, and (iii) in response to the suggested priority being within the allowable range of call priorities, determining the suggested priority as the call priority;
- determining a threshold priority for a current time period based on the priority schedule;
- determining whether the threshold priority for the current time period exceeds the call priority of the incoming call by comparing the threshold priority and the call priority;
- and
- responsive to determining that the threshold priority exceeds the call priority of the incoming call, blocking the incoming call.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.