Comprehensive telephone call screening system

• US 20040086101A1
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telebuyer LLC
• Original Assignee: Telebuyer LLC
• Inventors: Katz, Ronald A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• 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

Abstract

A dynamic telephone-call screening system detects indications of the character for incoming calls as a basis to determine acceptance. Calls that are identified and indicated to be undesirable, as from a facsimile machine, may be categorically screened on the basis of character. Calls identified to be from an undesired terminal also are recognized and screened. Indications of undesired character calls and undesired calling terminal are stored for reference testing. Upon receiving an undesired call, its character and source may be stored for future reference.

Claims

1. A call screening system for blocking unwanted incoming calls to a telephone instrument which calls are received through a public switched telephone network whereby indications of information signals accompany the incoming calls, the call screening system comprising:

a receiver to interface an incoming call and provide indications of information signals;

a signal recognition unit for recognizing certain of the indications of information signals to provide call character signals indicative of the character of a received call;

an identification unit for identifying select of call character signals to command a screening operation; and

a call screening structure to screen select calls in accordance with the call character signals.

3. A call screening system according to claim 1 further including a storage for select of the call character signals for recognizing the select call character signals to command a screening operations.

4. A call screening system according to claim 3 further including a working register to temporarily store call character signals pending manual operation to store such call character signals for subsequent screening operations.

5. A call screening system according to claim 1 further including a calling number recognition unit for receiving information signals to identify telephone numbers and a call screening structure to screen calls from the select of the telephone numbers.

2. A call screening system for blocking unwanted calls wherein the signal recognition unit recognizes call character indications indicative of a calling facsimile machine.

6. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, the processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of telephone call screening for a telephone instrument for calls received through a public switched telephone network which provides call information indications associated with calls, the method comprising the steps of:

interfacing a called telephone line to receive the information indications provided from the public switched telephone network;

identifying certain select of the received information indications as call character signals indicating unwanted telephone calls to provided a blocking signal; and

terminating the interface of calls under control of the blocking signal.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the method further comprises identifying select received information indications as indicative of a facsimile transmission call.

8. A device according to claim 6 wherein the method further comprises identifying select of the information indications as representative of unwanted calling telephone numbers to provide a blocking signal.

9. A device according to claim 6 wherein the method further includes storing reference information signals as a basis for identifying certain select of the received information indications.

10. A device according to claim 8 wherein the stored reference information indications are call character signals.

11. A device according to claim 8 wherein the stored reference information signals are indicative of a facsimile transmission call.

12. A device according to claim 8 wherein the stored reference information signals are indicative of an unwanted calling telephone number.

13. A device according to claim 8 wherein the method further includes storing certain manually selected of the information signals received from the public switched telephone network.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein the stored information indications are audio.

15. A device according to claim 13 wherein the stored information indications are representative of telephone numbers.

16. A device according to claim 8 wherein the method further includes a step of clearing stored information signals in response to a manual command.

17. A call screening process for blocking unwanted calls to a telephone instrument which are received through a public switched telephone network whereby information indications accompany incoming calls to the telephone instrument, the call screening system comprising:

interfacing incoming call to the telephone instrument to provide information signals;

recognizing select of the information signals as call character signals provided to the telephone instrument;

identifying select of the recognized call character signals to command a screening operation; and

screening incoming calls under control of the screening operation.