One of the main reasons I chose to start this blog was the time stamp of my ideas that a blog like this provides.  Today’s idea stems from another idea from way back in the day, but with a twist it suddenly has new applications for today.  It was just after caller ID was brought online for everyone, and before the “do not call” list had been created.  My invention was a small box that would intercept incoming phone calls.  If the caller ID recognized the number on your list of friends / family it will just pass the call through and your phone will start ringing normally. (keep in mind, for home phone traffic, we usually have a short list that makes up 90% of all calls)  Now, if a call comes in and it is not recognized, the device will answer the phone, quietly for you on the first ring, and play the following message, “hello, the persons at this number do not accept calls for solicitation of any kind.  if you are a solicitor please hang up now.  To confirm you are not a solicitor, please press 5” (this would be a randomly generated number).   After sensing the appropriate tone, the device would then connect the outside call to the house phones and they would start to ring normally.  The residents would know that the phone ringing was not a solicitor and there would be more comfort in picking up the phone.  If the caller was to hang up or not press the correct key, then the call would be terminated and the resident would never be bothered. This whole process would occur silently.

This would eliminate nonsense calls.  For those aggressive types there would be a hotline to call and complain, and official and wide reaching complaints would be able to be leveraged against certain firms that can’t take no for an answer.  For each complaint brought against a telemarketing firm, there would be an opportunity for press coverage to this device that wars against the evil telemarketers.

That was around 20 years ago.  Another example of me taking an idea to someone I thought on the cutting edge, and they shot it down as a tough sell.  Over 10 years later it got so bad the government had to step in with a do not call list.  Another opportunity missed.  Oh well, lesson learned. Certainly in 2012, there is a smaller need for such a thing but for those with landlines, there is still a value and function to it.  It still could be easily built and sold for less than $20 and would be well worth it, but now I have a new twist for it that adds more value to all.

Looking at yesterdays idea of the voicemail system built into your phone, you could easily add this into the add as a feature.  Automated call screening with response requirements.  I still occasionally get calls from nonsense people, or bots that actually try to put me on hold when I pick up.  If they were given that same anti-telemarketer message, and required to hit a particular, randomly generated number, it would eliminate the nonsense calls and again, could all be handled quietly by the smartphone.

You could really add a host of applications to this process.  “I’m taking a nap, please leave a message, but if it’s an emergency, press 9.”  Now you can go to take an afternoon nap, turn your phone to silent and know that it won’t ring unless someone thinks it’s an emergency, and even then you can still see the call ringing and opt out of answering it.  (“i don’t care what they are going to say to me, even if they think it’s an emergency”).  The applications are many.  Eventually, the ability to press a particular key and be then connected, will be a feature offered by the carrier.  That is inevitable, but putting it right on the phone, we can make it a reality today.