Method and apparatus for indicating a caller's intent

Abstract

When a number of users share one telephone number, the present invention indicates who the callee (the person the caller wants to talk to) is, with personalized rings and information shown on a display, so as to allow each user to quickly identify calls directed to him/her. A mobile phone user could inform the callee his/her intent and/or the urgency level of the call by selecting from options provided by the callee reflecting the callee's preferences.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A mobile telephone, comprising:
 a display;   an audio device;   memory, the memory being configured to store instructions-to-caller;   a processor in communication with the memory, the display and the audio device, the processor being configured to:
 selectively play the instructions-to-caller upon receipt of a telephone call from a caller, the instructions-to-caller being configured to enable the caller to select at least one of a plurality of choices based on an intent of the caller; 
 receive at least one selection, by the caller, of at least one of the plurality of choices communicated to the caller by the instructions-to-caller; and 
 access pre-stored callee attribute data reflective of preferences of a callee and selectively actuate at least one of the display and the audio device based upon the accessed callee attribute data and the intent of the caller indicated by the at least one selection. 
   
     
     
         28 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , further comprising a light and wherein the processor is further configured to selectively actuate at least one of the display, the light, and the audio device based upon the accessed callee attribute data and the intent of the caller indicated by the at least one selection. 
     
     
         29 . The mobile telephone of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the light to emit different colors depending at least upon the intent of the caller. 
     
     
         30 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises at least one of the instructions-to-caller, a callee's ID code, a message-to-callee, a greeting-to-caller, and incoming call information. 
     
     
         31 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises settings enabling the audio device to output a selected at least one of a voice, ring tones, music, and vibrations at different frequencies. 
     
     
         32 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to selectively actuate at least one of the display and the audio device according to the accessed callee attribute data and at least one of an urgency of the telephone call, a name of the caller, a department of the callee, the intent of the caller, a name of the callee, a callee ID code, and received caller ID information, at least some of which being communicated to the callee by the at least one selection by the caller. 
     
     
         33 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to classify incoming telephone calls according to at least one of the accessed callee attribute data and the at least one selection by the caller, and to enable the callee to browse through missed calls and messages-to-callee based on this classification. 
     
     
         34 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to classify at least one of telephone calls and missed calls according to at least one of the accessed callee attribute data, received caller ID information, and the at least one selection by the caller. 
     
     
         35 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises settings enabling the display to display a selected at least one of an icon, text, code, picture, and cartoon. 
     
     
         36 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the display to display the selected at least one of an icon, text, code, picture, and cartoon according to at least one of:
 the intent of the caller as communicated by the at least one selection by the caller, and   the accessed callee attribute data.   
     
     
         37 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the instructions-to-caller enable the caller to select at least one of the plurality of choices depending upon an urgency of the telephone call. 
     
     
         38 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one selection by the caller is communicated to a callee via at least one of the display and the audio device. 
     
     
         39 . The mobile telephone of  claim 38 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the at least one selection by the caller in the memory. 
     
     
         40 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured, when a callee does not answer the telephone call, to select and play a greeting to caller according to the accessed callee attribute data and at least one of:
 the at least one selection by the caller; and   caller ID information.   
     
     
         41 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to accept at least one of voice or keyed-in instructions to set up at least one of the instructions-to-caller, the plurality of choices, and the callee attribute data. 
     
     
         42 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein the selectively actuated at least one of the display and the audio device based upon the at least one selection by the caller and the accessed callee attribute data enable the mobile telephone to communicate the intent of the caller before the telephone call is answered. 
     
     
         43 . The mobile telephone of  claim 27 , wherein a manner in which the at least one of the display and the audio device are actuated enables the callee to decide whether to answer the telephone call or not. 
     
     
         44 . A non-volatile memory for a mobile device comprising a display, an audio device and a processor, the non-volatile memory being configured to store control instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to:
 play instructions-to-caller upon receipt of a call to the mobile device from a caller, the instructions-to-caller being configured to enable the caller to select at least one of a plurality of choices based on an intent of the caller;   receive and store in a memory at least one selection by the caller, the at least one selection comprising at least one of the plurality of choices communicated to the caller by the instructions-to-caller; and   access pre-stored callee attribute data reflective of preferences of a callee and cause a selective actuation of at least one of the display and the audio device based upon the accessed callee attribute data and the intent of the caller as indicated by the at least one selection.   
     
     
         45 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the mobile device further comprises a light and wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to selectively actuate at least one of the display, the light, and the audio device based upon the accessed callee attribute data and the intent of the caller indicated by the at least one selection. 
     
     
         46 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 45 , wherein the control instructions further configured the processor to cause the light to emit different colors depending at least upon the intent of the caller. 
     
     
         47 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises at least one of the instructions-to-caller, a callee's ID code, a message-to-callee, a greeting-to-caller, and incoming call information. 
     
     
         48 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises settings enabling the audio device to output a selected at least one of ring tones, music, vibrations at different frequencies, and voice. 
     
     
         49 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to actuate at least one of the display and the audio device according to the accessed callee attribute data and at least one of an urgency of the telephone call, a name of the caller, a department of the callee, the intent of the caller, a name of the callee, a callee ID code, and received caller ID information, at least some of which being communicated to the callee by the at least one selection by the caller. 
     
     
         50 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to classify incoming calls according to at least one of the accessed callee attribute data and the at least one selection by the caller, thereby enabling the callee to browse through missed calls and messages-to-callee based on this classification. 
     
     
         51 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 50 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to classify at least one of telephone calls and missed calls according to at least one of the accessed callee attribute data, received caller ID information, and the at least one selection by the caller. 
     
     
         52 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the callee attribute data comprises settings enabling the display to display a selected at least one of an icon, text, code, picture, and cartoon. 
     
     
         53 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to cause the display to display the selected at least one of an icon, text, code, picture, and cartoon according to at least one of:
 the intent of the caller as communicated by the at least one selection by the caller, and   the accessed callee attribute data.   
     
     
         54 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the played instructions-to-caller enable the caller to select and the mobile device to receive and store at least one of the plurality of choices depending upon an urgency of the call. 
     
     
         55 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to communicate the at least one selection to a callee via at least one of the display and the audio device. 
     
     
         56 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 55 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to store the at least one selection by the caller in the memory. 
     
     
         57 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor, when a callee does not answer the call, to select and play a stored greeting to caller according to the accessed callee attribute data and at least one of:
 the at least one selection; and   caller ID information.   
     
     
         58 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions further configure the processor to accept at least one of voice or keyed-in instructions to set up at least the instructions-to-caller, the plurality of choices, and the callee attribute data. 
     
     
         59 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the selectively actuated at least one of the display and the audio device based upon the selection by the caller and the accessed callee attribute data enable the mobile device to communicate the intent of the caller before the call is answered. 
     
     
         60 . The non-volatile memory of  claim 44 , wherein the control instructions configure the processor to actuate the at least one of the display and the audio device in a manner that enables the callee to decide whether to answer the call or not. 
     
     
         61 . A method implemented by a callee's mobile device comprising a display, an audio device and a processor, the method comprising:
 playing instructions-to-caller upon receipt of a call to the mobile device from a caller, the instructions-to-caller being configured to enable the caller to select at least one of a plurality of choices based on an intent of the caller;   receiving and storing in a memory at least one selection by the caller, the at least one selection comprising at least one of the plurality of choices communicated to the caller by the instructions-to-caller; and   accessing pre-stored callee attribute data reflective of preferences of a callee and selectively actuating at least one of the display and the audio device based upon the accessed callee attribute data and the intent of the caller indicated by the at least one selection.