System and method for disconnecting and preventing unwanted telephone calls and for enhancing desired calls
First Claim
1. A telephony service provider system for detecting, interpreting and implementing control signal acquired from a user/customer'"'"'s telephony device which, disconnects unwanted telephone calls and prevents subsequent unwanted telephone calls, and plays back digitized-content, said system comprising:
- a.) means for establishing a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
b.) means for establishing a telephony link with a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device;
c.) at least one customer-editable database capable of storing a record of unwanted calls pertaining to each customer'"'"'s telephony device, wherein the record of each of said unwanted calls includes the call-initiator'"'"'s telephone number a customer chooses to block;
d.) system memory;
e.) at least one intelligent controller with software routines for;
iii. detecting and acquiring control signal from a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
iv. receiving and storing user-configurable system control parameters;
x. receiving and storing data in said database and for editing said data;
xi. determining call-initiator telephone numbers;
xii. storing call-initiator telephone numbers in said database;
xiii. detecting when a call-initiator is attempting to establish a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
xiv. querying database data pertaining to the customer a call-initiator is attempting to call and determining if the call-initiator'"'"'s phone number matches any telephone number that customer has previously chosen to block;
xv. triggering the playback of at least one digitized file from a file playback means through at least one telephony link;
xvi. triggering a phone call disconnecting means to terminate unwanted calls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephony service provider-based system and method to disconnect and prevent unwanted phone calls such as unsolicited telephone sales calls, harassment calls, prank calls, rude calls, and the like, comprising apparatus for bi-directional telephony, and methods for a user receiving an unwanted phone call to send a control signal to a telephone service provider in order for the service provider to then play back a message which, will dissuade the caller from calling again and will automatically terminate the call. Another embodiment permits a user to playback engaging and entertaining messages of his or her choosing by pressing one or more buttons on a telephone keypad.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A telephony service provider system for detecting, interpreting and implementing control signal acquired from a user/customer'"'"'s telephony device which, disconnects unwanted telephone calls and prevents subsequent unwanted telephone calls, and plays back digitized-content, said system comprising:
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a.) means for establishing a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
b.) means for establishing a telephony link with a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device;
c.) at least one customer-editable database capable of storing a record of unwanted calls pertaining to each customer'"'"'s telephony device, wherein the record of each of said unwanted calls includes the call-initiator'"'"'s telephone number a customer chooses to block;
d.) system memory;
e.) at least one intelligent controller with software routines for;
iii. detecting and acquiring control signal from a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
iv. receiving and storing user-configurable system control parameters;
x. receiving and storing data in said database and for editing said data;
xi. determining call-initiator telephone numbers;
xii. storing call-initiator telephone numbers in said database;
xiii. detecting when a call-initiator is attempting to establish a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
xiv. querying database data pertaining to the customer a call-initiator is attempting to call and determining if the call-initiator'"'"'s phone number matches any telephone number that customer has previously chosen to block;
xv. triggering the playback of at least one digitized file from a file playback means through at least one telephony link;
xvi. triggering a phone call disconnecting means to terminate unwanted calls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17)
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13. A telephony service provider system for detecting, interpreting and implementing control signal acquired from a user/customer'"'"'s telephony device which, disconnects unwanted telephone calls and prevents subsequent unwanted telephone calls, said system comprising:
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a.) means for establishing a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
b.) means for establishing a telephony link with a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device;
c.) at least one customer-editable database capable of storing a record of unwanted calls pertaining to each customer'"'"'s telephony device, wherein the record of each of said unwanted calls includes the call-initiator'"'"'s telephone number a customer chooses to block;
d.) system memory;
e.) at least one intelligent controller with software routines for;
i. detecting and acquiring control signal from a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
receiving and storing user-configurable system control parameters;
ii. receiving and storing data in said database and for editing said data;
iii. determining call-initiator telephone numbers;
iii. storing call-initiator telephone numbers in said database;
iv. detecting when a call-initiator is attempting to establish a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
v. querying database data;
vi. triggering a phone call disconnecting means to terminate unwanted calls.
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14. A telephony service provider system for detecting, interpreting and implementing control signal acquired from a user/customer'"'"'s telephony device which, disconnects unwanted telephone calls, said system comprising:
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a.) means for establishing a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
b.) means for establishing a telephony link with a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device;
c.) at least one intelligent controller with software routines for;
i. detecting and acquiring control signal from a customer'"'"'s telephony device while a bi-directional telephony link exists between said customer'"'"'s telephony device and a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device;
ii. interpreting and implementing said control signal to trigger a phone call disconnecting means to terminate a call-initiator telephony link to said customer'"'"'s telephony device.
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16. A method of disconnecting unwanted telephone calls and preventing subsequent unwanted telephone calls, comprising the steps of:
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a.) a call-initiator establishing a telephony link between a call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device and a telephony service provider (TSP) system;
b.) a customer establishing a telephony link between the customer'"'"'s telephony device and said TSP system;
c.) a customer determining that a telephone call from a call-initiator is unwanted and transmitting unwanted call control signal from his telephony device to said TSP system while a telephony link exists between said call-initiator'"'"'s telephony device and said TSP system;
d.) during said telephony link of said call-initiator and said customer to said TSP system, at least one TSP system intelligent controller with software routines and system memory providing the steps of;
i. detecting and acquiring control signal from a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
ii. said control signal triggering a phone call disconnecting means to terminate the unwanted call;
iii. said control signal triggering a recording of the telephone number pertaining to said unwanted call placed by said call-initiator in at least one customer-editable TSP system database capable of storing a record of unwanted calls pertaining to each customer'"'"'s telephony device, wherein the record of each of said unwanted calls includes the call-initiator'"'"'s telephone number a customer chooses to block; and
e.) said at least one TSP system intelligent controller with software routines and system memory providing the subsequent steps of;
vi. detecting when a call-initiator is attempting to establish a telephony link with a customer'"'"'s telephony device;
vii. querying database data pertaining to the customer a call-initiator is attempting to call and determining if the call-initiator'"'"'s phone number matches any telephone number said customer has previously chosen to block and upon finding a match, blocking any attempt to ring the customer'"'"'s telephony device, unless and until said customer performs steps to delete database data blocking said call-initiator'"'"'s calls.
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Specification