System and process for automatic storage, enforcement and override of consumer do-not-call requests

• US 20050031107A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gryphon Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gryphon Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Fotta, Keith Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, the method involving: receiving a call from a caller on an incoming connection; enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate an outgoing call on an outgoing connection; receiving over the incoming connection an identifier of a destination to which a call is to be initiated over the outgoing connection; checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination; if it is determined that the destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place over the outgoing connection; and if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.

Claims

1. A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, said method comprising:

receiving a call from a caller on an incoming connection;

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate an outgoing call on an outgoing connection;

receiving over the incoming connection an identifier of a destination to which a call is to be initiated over the outgoing connection;

checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination;

if it is determined that the destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place over the outgoing connection; and

if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central facility is a central switching facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving said call involves receiving a telephone call from the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a telephone number of the destination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein checking the do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination involves determining whether the called telephone number is present in the do-not-call database and if it is in the do-not-call database treating the destination as a do-not-call destination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal from the caller, said update signal being an indication to identify said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, detecting an update signal from the caller and in response to detecting said update signal identifying said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming connection is a 1-800 line.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate a next outgoing call;

receiving over the incoming connection a next identifier of a next destination to which the next outgoing call is to be initiated;

checking the do-not-call database for an indication of whether the next destination is a do-not-call destination;

if it is determined that the next destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place; and

if it is determined that the next destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place.

11. A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, said method comprising:

receiving a call from a caller on an incoming connection;

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate a plurality of outgoing calls from the central facility;

receiving over the incoming connection a plurality of identifiers of destinations to which calls are to be initiated from the central facility;

for each of the plurality of identifiers, (1) checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination for that received identifier is a do-not-call destination;

(2) if it is determined that the destination for that received identifier is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place; and

(3) if it is determined that the destination for that received identifier is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.