Abstract: A cellular radio communications system and method including an answering delay for accepting a telephone call from a source telephone without establishing voice communications between the cellular telephone and the source telephone. The answering delay is actuated by selection of a hold selection by the user of the cellular telephone after the user has been alerted of an impending telephone call. Thereafter, voice communications can be established between the cellular telephone and the source telephone of the accepted telephone call by actuation of a release hold selection by the user of the cellular telephone. Accordingly, a user can accept an incoming telephone call without conversing with the calling party such that the user can complete their prior activities prior to establishing voice communications with the source telephone. Thus, the convenience and safety of accepting incoming cellular telephone calls is further enhanced.

Abstract: A cellular radio communications system maintains a prioritized routing list of several telephone numbers associated with a predetermined subscriber for efficiently establishing a communications link between a calling party and the subscriber. The telephone numbers of the several telephones associated with the subscriber are initially assigned relative priorities such that the telephones are sequentially alerted according to the prioritized routing lists of telephone numbers when a telephone call is placed to the subscriber. The prioritized routing list is subsequently reordered such that the telephone number from which the telephone from which the subscriber responded to the prior alert is assigned the highest priority will be initially alerted in response to the next telephone call placed to the subscriber.

Abstract: A cellular radio communications system includes a cellular radio network for establishing communications, via a communications link such as a voice channel, with a cellular terminal and open communications link maintaining means for maintaining the communications link in an open state for a predetermined time period following termination of the communications with the cellular terminal. Accordingly, the user of the cellular terminal may continue to access the cellular radio network within the predetermined time period via the open communications link or voice channel. The cellular radio communications system may also include a feature node for providing predetermined functions to the cellular terminals associated with the cellular radio network. The open communications link maintaining means typically includes a timer and related controller for initiating and monitoring the predetermined time period.

Abstract: A cellular telephone includes a speaker, a microphone and voice channel establishing components for opening a voice channel between the cellular telephone and a source telephone requesting communications with the cellular telephone without opening the speaker and microphone. Thus, voice communications between the cellular telephone and the source telephone are prevented until a predetermined signal from the user of the cellular telephone is received. The cellular telephone also include delayed speaker and microphone connecting components for receiving and processing data from the source telephone without opening the speaker and the microphone. The data may include the identity of the source telephone or a message which may be displayed for the user of the cellular telephone. Based upon the identity of the source telephone, the user of the cellular telephone may selectively ignore or respond to the request for communications, or may route the request to an automated answering device or another telephone.