System and method for identifying and handling unwanted callers using a call answering system

• US 10,110,739 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Youmail Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Youmail Incorporated
• Inventors: Quilici, Alexander E., Rudolph, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc D
• Application Number:
  US15/412,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 37914206, 379 8819
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party

Abstract

A method and system for identifying an unwanted caller using a call answering system. The method comprises receiving, by a call records server, information about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, classifying, by the call records server, one or more of the callers as either wanted or unwanted callers based on the received information, and storing, by the call records server, the received information and the classification of the one or more of the callers into a directory. The method further comprises identifying, by a call answering server, that a call from a given caller from a phone number to a receiving telephony device is from an unwanted caller by searching the directory, and handling, by the call answering server, the call from the given caller according to one or more preferences of the user, the one or more preferences including rejecting the call from the receiving telephony device, playing a recorded message, and disposing of the call.

Claims

1. A method performed by a call answering system for identifying an unwanted caller using a call answering system, comprising:

collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time and categorization of the given caller to one of a plurality of commercial entities, wherein the categorization is provided from the plurality of telephony devices;

classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

storing the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identifying a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller that corresponds to one of the plurality of commercial entities using the directory; and

handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying comprises classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller when the number of calls placed by the given caller over the period of time exceeds a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting data about callers further comprises collecting call logs from the plurality of telephony devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data about callers further comprises collecting contact and address book information stored on the plurality of telephony devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data about callers further comprises collecting billing records and call detail records from service providers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data about callers further comprises collecting voicemail data for voicemails left by the given caller to a plurality of telephony devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller comprises comparing the voicemail data left by the given caller across telephony devices and classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data compared across telephony devices matches.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving agreement or disagreement with the classification of the one or more of the callers as unwanted from users of the plurality of telephony devices.

9. A method performed by a call answering system for identifying an unwanted caller using a call answering system, comprising:

collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including voicemail data for voicemails left by callers to the plurality of telephony devices;

comparing the voicemail data for voicemails left by a given caller across the telephony devices and classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data compared across the telephony devices matches;

storing the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identifying a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein comparing voicemail data comprises transcribing the voicemails left by the given caller and determining whether the transcribed voicemails are the same.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein comparing voicemail data comprises generating hashed content of the voicemails and determining whether the hashed voicemail content of the voicemails are the same.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the given caller as a telemarketer.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing voicemail data for one or more voicemails left by a second caller on one or more telephony devices to the voicemail data for voicemails left by the given caller, and classifying the second caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data for the second caller matches the voicemail data for the given caller.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller comprises playing a message to the given caller that simulates an out of service message from a telco service carrier of the telephony device receiving the call from the given caller.

15. A system for identifying an unwanted caller, the system comprising:

a memory device having executable instructions stored therein; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

collect data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time and categorization of the given caller to one of a plurality of commercial entities, wherein the categorization is provided from the plurality of telephony devices;

classify the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

store the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identify a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller that corresponds to one of the plurality of commercial entities using the directory; and

handle the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to classify the given caller as an unwanted caller when the number of calls placed by the given caller over the period of time exceeds a threshold value.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to collect call logs from the plurality of telephony devices.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to collect contact and address book information stored on the plurality of telephony devices.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to collect billing records and call detail records from service providers.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to collect voicemail data for voicemails left by the given caller to the plurality of telephony devices.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processing device is further operative to:

compare the voicemail data left by the given caller across the telephony devices; and

classify the given caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data compared across the telephony devices matches.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing device is further operative to receive agreement or disagreement with the classification of the one or more of the callers as unwanted from users of the plurality of telephony devices.

23. A system for identifying an unwanted caller, the system comprising:

a memory device having executable instructions stored therein; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

collect data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including voicemail data for voicemails left by callers to the plurality of telephony devices;

compare the voicemail data for voicemails left by a given caller across the telephony devices and classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data compared across the telephony devices matches;

store the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identify a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handle the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the processing device is further operative to:

transcribe the voicemails left by the given caller; and

determine whether the transcribed voicemails are the same.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the processing device is further operative to:

generate hashed content of the voicemails; and

determine whether the hashed voicemail content of the voicemails are the same.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the processing device is further operative to identify the given caller as a telemarketer.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the processing device is further operative to:

compare voicemail data for one or more voicemails left by a second caller on one or more telephony devices to the voicemail data for voicemails left by the given caller;

and classify the second caller as an unwanted caller when the voicemail data for the second caller matches the voicemail data for the given caller.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the processing device is further operative to play a message to the given caller that simulates an out of service message from a telco service carrier of the telephony device receiving the call from the given caller.

29. Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program code that when executed by a programmable processor causes execution of a method for identifying an unwanted caller, the computer-readable media comprising:

computer program code for collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time and categorization of the given caller to one of a plurality of commercial entities, wherein the categorization is provided from the plurality of telephony devices;

computer program code for classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

computer program code for storing the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

computer program code for identifying a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller that corresponds to one of the plurality of commercial entities using the directory; and

computer program code for handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

30. A method performed by a call answering system for identifying an unwanted caller using a call answering system, comprising:

collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time and contact and address book information stored on the plurality of telephony devices;

classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

storing the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identifying a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

31. A system for identifying an unwanted caller, the system comprising:

a memory device having executable instructions stored therein; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

collect data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time and contact and address book information stored on the plurality of telephony devices;

classify the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

store the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identify a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handle the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

32. A method performed by a call answering system for identifying an unwanted caller using a call answering system, comprising:

collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time, billing records, and call detail records from service providers;

classifying the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

storing the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identifying a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handling the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.

33. A system for identifying an unwanted caller, the system comprising:

a memory device having executable instructions stored therein; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

collect data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the data collected including a number of calls placed by a given caller to the plurality of telephony devices over a period of time, billing records, and call detail records from service providers;

classify the given caller as an unwanted caller based on the collected data;

store the classification of the given caller as an unwanted caller into a directory;

identify a call from the given caller to a receiving telephony device as an unwanted caller using the directory; and

handle the call from the given caller as an unwanted caller.