Call screening apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A call processing method in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:
- receiving a call placed by a calling party for a called party at a called communication station;
retrieving a subscriber profile for the called party;
playing to the calling party one of a called party-provided greeting and a greeting announcement;
if a recorded name screening feature is active, prompting the calling party for identification, and recording the spoken identification provided by the calling party;
if the called party is engaged in a call, providing an announcement and entering a call waiting process;
otherwise, routing the call to a directory number in accordance with the subscriber profile;
playing to the called communication station one of a predefined announcement and the recorded spoken identification;
determining from the subscriber profile if caller ID screening is active for the called party;
if so, determining if a calling directory number is available for the call;
if so, providing the calling party directory number to the called communication station;
otherwise, if the calling directory number is not unknown, announcing an unavailable directory number to the called communication station;
prompting the called party to enter a call routing option;
detecting a call routing option entered at the called communication station;
if the entered call routing option corresponds to rejecting the call, routing the call to a reject-call default destination; and
if the entered call routing option corresponds to accepting the call, connecting the call between the calling party with the called party.
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Abstract
A method of screening incoming telephone calls and programming screening options and apparatus that allows incoming calls to be screened according to various criteria programmed by a subscriber.
9 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A call processing method in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:
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receiving a call placed by a calling party for a called party at a called communication station;
retrieving a subscriber profile for the called party;
playing to the calling party one of a called party-provided greeting and a greeting announcement;
if a recorded name screening feature is active, prompting the calling party for identification, and recording the spoken identification provided by the calling party;
if the called party is engaged in a call, providing an announcement and entering a call waiting process;
otherwise, routing the call to a directory number in accordance with the subscriber profile;
playing to the called communication station one of a predefined announcement and the recorded spoken identification;
determining from the subscriber profile if caller ID screening is active for the called party;
if so, determining if a calling directory number is available for the call;
if so, providing the calling party directory number to the called communication station;
otherwise, if the calling directory number is not unknown, announcing an unavailable directory number to the called communication station;
prompting the called party to enter a call routing option;
detecting a call routing option entered at the called communication station;
if the entered call routing option corresponds to rejecting the call, routing the call to a reject-call default destination; and
if the entered call routing option corresponds to accepting the call, connecting the call between the calling party with the called party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A call processing method for a platform operating in a telecommunications system, the call processing method comprising:
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receiving a call at the platform, the call placed by a calling party for a called party at a called communication station;
at the platform, retrieving a subscriber profile for the called party;
playing to the calling party one of a called party-provided greeting and a greeting announcement;
determining if a screening list feature is active;
if so, determining if a number associated with the calling party is available;
if so, determining if the number associated with the calling party is on a screening list of the called party;
if so, routing the call to a default destination at the platform;
if the number associated with the calling party is not available or if the number associated with the calling party is not on the screening list, determining if a recorded name screening feature is active;
if so, prompting the calling party for identification;
recording the spoken identification provided by the calling party;
determining status of the called party;
if the called party is engaged in a call, providing an announcement and entering a call waiting process;
otherwise, routing the call to a directory number in accordance with the subscriber profile;
directing network equipment able to communicate with the called communication station to play to the called communication station one of a predefined announcement and the recorded spoken identification;
determining from the subscriber profile if caller ID screening is active for the called party;
if so, determining if a calling directory number is available;
if so, announcing the calling party directory number to the called communication station;
otherwise, if the calling directory number is not unknown, announcing an unavailable directory number to the called communication station;
prompting the called party to accept or reject the call;
detecting a call routing option entered at the called communication station;
if the call routing option corresponds to rejecting the call, routing the call to a default destination; and
if the call routing option corresponds to accepting the call, connecting the call between the calling party with the called party.
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Specification