Identifying and filtering incoming telephone calls to enhance privacy

• US 10,135,976 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Inventors: Farrand, Toby, Snow, Kevin, Peng, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US15/208,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method for filtering a telephone call is provided. The method may comprise receiving from a caller the telephone call directed to a communication device associated with an intended call recipient. The received telephone call may be scored based on predetermined scoring criteria to create a score indicative of a desirability of the telephone call. Furthermore, the method may comprise comparing the score to a predetermined threshold score. Based on the comparison, the method may further comprise selectively classifying the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call. Furthermore, the method may comprise selectively rejecting the unwanted telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for generating a community blacklist comprising:

determining, using a processor, a first telephone call originates from an originating telephone number, the first telephone call being directed to a first telephone number, the first telephone number being assigned to a first user;

determining, using the processor, a second telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the second telephone call being directed to a second telephone number, the second telephone number being assigned to a second user and being non-sequential from the first telephone number;

determining, using the processor, a third telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the third telephone call being directed to a third telephone number, the third telephone number being assigned to a third user and being non-sequential from the first and second telephone numbers;

adding, using the processor, the originating telephone number to the community blacklist, when the originating telephone number is in at least one of a first user blacklist associated with the first user, a second user blacklist associated with the second user, and a third user blacklist associated with the third user, and the first telephone call, the second telephone call, and the third telephone call originate from the originating telephone number; and

rejecting a fourth telephone call from the originating telephone number using the community blacklist.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first telephone call, the second telephone call, and the third telephone call originate from the originating telephone number is based at least on one of a caller ID and a callback number.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first telephone number, the second telephone number, and the third telephone number are each associated with a telephone service.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving, using the processor, the first, second, and third telephone calls through the Internet.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining, using the processor, a plurality of telephone calls originates from the originating telephone number; and

adding, using the processor, the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on the plurality of telephone calls being greater than or equal to a predetermined proportion of all telephone numbers associated with a service provider.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

adding, using the processor, the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on at least one of time of day, day of week, and time of year.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the predetermined proportion is 0.0001.

8. A system for generating a community blacklist comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising;

determining a first telephone call originates from an originating telephone number, the first telephone call being directed to a first telephone number, the first telephone number being assigned to a first user;

determining a second telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the second telephone call being directed to a second telephone number, the second telephone number being assigned to a second user and being non-sequential from the first telephone number;

determining a third telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the third telephone call being directed to a third telephone number, the third telephone number being assigned to a third user and being non-sequential from the first and second telephone numbers;

adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist, when the originating telephone number is in at least one of a first user blacklist associated with the first user, a second user blacklist associated with the second user, and a third user blacklist associated with the third user, and the first telephone call, the second telephone call, and the third telephone call originate from the originating telephone number; and

rejecting a fourth telephone call from the originating telephone number using the community blacklist.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein determining the first telephone call, the second telephone call, and the third telephone call originate from the originating telephone number is based at least on one of a caller ID and a callback number.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first telephone number, the second telephone number, and the third telephone number are each associated with a telephone service.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, using the processor, the first, second, and third telephone calls through the Internet.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

determining, using the processor, a plurality of telephone calls originates from the originating telephone number; and

adding, using the processor, the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on the plurality of telephone calls being greater than or equal to a predetermined proportion of all telephone numbers associated with a service provider.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

adding, using the processor, the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on at least one of time of day, day of week, and time of year.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the predetermined proportion is 0.0001.

15. A system for generating a community blacklist comprising:

means for determining a first telephone call originates from an originating telephone number, the first telephone call being directed to a first telephone number, the first telephone number being assigned to a first user;

means for determining a second telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the second telephone call being directed to a second telephone number, the second telephone number being assigned to a second user and being non-sequential from the first telephone number;

means for determining a third telephone call originates from the originating telephone number, the third telephone call being directed to a third telephone number, the third telephone number being assigned to a third user and being non-sequential from the first and second telephone numbers;

means for adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist, when the originating telephone number is in at least one of a first user blacklist associated with the first user, a second user blacklist associated with the second user, and a third user blacklist associated with the third user, and the first telephone call, the second telephone call, and the third telephone call originate from the originating telephone number; and

means for rejecting a fourth telephone call from the originating telephone number using the community blacklist.