Priority incoming call alerting system for a wireless communication system

Abstract

The priority incoming call alerting system for a wireless communication system functions to automatically identify the subscriber's need for privacy in terms of the present location of a wireless subscriber or the subscriber's manually indicated preference, and process incoming calls as a function of this desired privacy and the priority of the incoming call. This is accomplished by providing a wireless communication system with a priority incoming call alerting system that includes call priority identification apparatus and optionally subscriber location identifying apparatus to thereby enable the wireless communication system to automatically screen incoming calls that are directed to the wireless subscriber and only alert the subscriber of the presence of a priority incoming call from a calling party, yet routes all non-priority calls to a call coverage point. The priority incoming call alerting system functions to identify various locales in which the call alerting system should be automatically activated and incoming calls to a subscriber's wireless communication device are not processed unless the incoming call has assigned thereto a predetermined priority. The activation of this capability can be effected in numerous ways, including the use of a low power infrared transmitter located in the selected privacy environments which activate the subscriber's wireless communication device to enter the call screening mode. This mode setting can also be accomplished by the wireless subscriber manually activating the wireless communication device to select this call screening feature.