Systems and methods for call screening
First Claim
1. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:
- receiving over a switched network at a call manager system a forwarded call from a calling party intended for the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the forwarded call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number;
playing a greeting to the calling party;
originating a second call from the call manager system to the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number so that the second call appears to be originating from the calling party; and
bridging the forwarded call with the second call.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides flexible, user-definable call screening processes. The user can optionally define to which telecommunication terminals a screened call is to be broadcast to and under what conditions. An incoming call is forwarded to a call management system that asks the caller to leave a voice message. The call management system selectively couples the call to a POTS line or a VoIP-capable device so that the user can listen to the incoming message and thereby screen the incoming call. Based on the screening, the user can instruct the call management system to connect the caller to the user.
212 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:
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receiving over a switched network at a call manager system a forwarded call from a calling party intended for the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the forwarded call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number;
playing a greeting to the calling party;
originating a second call from the call manager system to the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number so that the second call appears to be originating from the calling party; and
bridging the forwarded call with the second call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of processing calls, comprising:
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receiving over a switched network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for a called party, wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller; and
placing a new call from the call processing system over the switched network to a terminal associated with the called party, the new call including signaling information having at least a selected portion of the phone number of the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call and thereby screen the caller. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of providing a called party the ability to selectively accept phone calls, the method comprising:
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receiving at a call processing system a first call from a calling party intended for the called party, wherein the first call includes at least a first portion of the calling party'"'"'s phone number; and
initiating a second call from the call processing system to the called party, the second call including at least part of the first portion of the calling party'"'"'s phone number to thereby provide the called party with information related to the identity of the calling party so that the called party can screen the first call. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A call screening apparatus, comprising:
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a first instruction stored in computer readable memory, the first instruction configured to cause a call from a calling party intended for a called party to be answered;
a second instruction stored in computer readable memory, the second instruction configured to play a greeting to the calling party;
a third instruction stored in computer readable memory, the third instruction configured to maintain a communication channel over the Internet with a networked computer associated with the called party while the greeting is being played;
a fourth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the fourth instruction configured to receive and stream speech from the calling party over the Internet communication channel to the networked computer, wherein the streamed speech is intended to be screened by the called party by the networked computer;
a fifth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the fifth instruction configured to receive a command, via the Internet communication channel, from the called party to connect the calling party to the called party;
a sixth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the sixth instruction configured to cause the called party'"'"'s networked computer to go offline; and
a seventh instruction stored in computer readable memory, the seventh instruction configured to originate a second call from the call manager system to the called party, and to bridge the calling party'"'"'s call with the second call. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:
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receiving at a first call processing apparatus a call from a first user for a second user;
receiving a voice communication from the first user at the first call processing apparatus; and
multi-casting at least a portion of the voice communication to a plurality of client devices at substantially the same time so that the first user'"'"'s call can be screened. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:
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receiving at a first call processing apparatus a call from a first user for a second user; and
multi-casting a call alert to a plurality of client devices at substantially the same time so that the first user'"'"'s call can be screened. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification