The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 2012
Filed:
Nov. 18, 2006
Stefan Johannes Walter Marti, San Francisco, CA (US);
Christopher Schmandt, Winchester, MA (US);
Stefan Johannes Walter Marti, San Francisco, CA (US);
Christopher Schmandt, Winchester, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for handling an incoming telephone call including a call processor coupled to a wired or wireless telephone network for receiving an incoming telephone call directed to a called person, a conversation detector for determining whether a conversation is currently taking place between said called person and one or more other persons who are near to said called person, and a call inhibitor for inhibiting the delivery of, delaying or rerouting said incoming call if said conversation detector determines that a conversation is taking place. Each participant in the conversation is provided with a speech detector, and vibrator for producing a tactile alert when incoming calls directed to a participant arrive, and a manually operated control for issuing a veto command that inhibits the delivery of, delays, or reroutes the incoming call so that the conversation is not interrupted.