Importance

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Abstract

A method for operating a wireless communication system includes steps of setting a context-sensitive facility in one of a mobile station or in a wireless network; informing a caller of the setting; and overriding the setting by sending a signal from the caller to the context-sensitive facility. The context-sensitive facility can be implemented as an answering service, the signal can be a DTMF signal generated in response to an input from the caller, and in this case the step of overriding forces the call through to a called parties' mobile station when the setting is to not allow calls to be made to the called parties' mobile station. A further aspect of these teachings provides a method for operating a wireless communication system using steps of specifying context information at a calling parties' mobile station; transmitting signaling during a call origination phase to selectively exchange context information between the calling party and a called party, the context information being in the form of at least one of graphical icons, text, or information codes specifying graphical icons; and displaying the context information to at least one of the calling party or the called party prior to establishing a voice call. The step of specifying can be performed manually by the calling party or it can be performed at least in part in an automatic fashion based on the outputs of one or more sensors that are responsive to a context of the calling party. The step of transmitting occurs over a control channel, prior to establishment of a voice channel. A graphical icon may be displayed by first accessing a memory of the mobile station to retrieve a prestored icon bit-map, which may have been downloaded from a source of icons, or one previously received from the other party. Additional information can be transmitted during call termination. For a case where the called party does not accept the call or does not answer the call, the method includes further steps of storing the context information, and subsequently displaying the context information in conjunction with a display of missed calls. In general, a single displayable graphical icon of n pixels is specified by transmitting m messages, each conveying up to n/m pixels, where m is equal to or greater than one.

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First Claim