System and method of managing communications policy settings in a wireless network

• US 20070099600A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Patterson, Ian, Plumb, Marc, Goggin, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• 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

The present invention provides a system and method of modifying policy settings in a network having a plurality of subscriber devices. An embodiment includes a plurality of base stations, each capable of wirelessly transmitting across a geographic region and a server. A cell-phone, capable of roaming between regions, is operable to establish a wireless link with the base stations and through the base stations, with the server. The network contains a communication policy determining from which other communication devices a subscriber device can receive voice calls. The communication policy is updated, by the server, based on requests from the subscriber devices. Once a request is received from a subscriber device, the determination whether to update the communication policy can be based on a record of rejections respective to the caller requested to be blocked. Alternatively, the communication policy can be updated according to a trust policy maintained on the server respective to the subscriber device making the request; the trust policy represents the procedure to follow when a request is received from that subscriber device.

Claims

1. A method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;

said method comprising the steps of;

maintaining, at said server, a central communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local communication policy;

said local communication policy corresponding to said central communication policy;

receiving a voice call at one of said subscriber devices;

said voice call having an originator identifier;

receiving a user-input at said one of said subscriber devices representing a marker of said originator identifier;

accessing said local common policy at said one of said subscriber devices;

updating said local common policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said subscriber devices; and

updating said central common policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said updating said central common policy comprises the step of:

propagating said central common policy to said plurality of subscriber devices such that said local communication policy at each said plurality of subscriber devices is synchronized with said central common policy.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said propagating step is performed after said step of updating said central common policy.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said propagating step is performed once over a given time period.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said propagating step is performed after said steps of claim 1 are performed a predetermined number of times.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said user-input is received prior to said voice call being answered.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said user-input is received after said voice call is answered.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said originator identifier is a Caller-ID string.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifier in said central communication policy comprises a Caller-ID string.

10. A policy server comprising:

a network interface for communicating with a plurality of subscriber devices via a voice telephony network interconnecting said devices and said interface;

at least one persistent storage device for maintaining, a central communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

a processor interconnecting said interface and said at least one persistent storage device;

said processor for receiving a local common policy maintained at one of said plurality of subscriber devices;

said local communication policy corresponding to said central communication policy;

said local common policy updated at said one of said plurality of subscriber devices to comprise an originator identifier such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said plurality of subscriber devices; and

said processor operable to update said central common policy with said originator identifier, such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices.

11. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of programming instructions;

said programming instructions implementing a method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;

said method comprising the steps of;

maintaining, at said server, a central communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local communication policy;

said local communication policy corresponding to said central communication policy;

receiving a voice call at one of said subscriber devices;

said voice call having an originator identifier;

receiving a user-input at said one of said subscriber devices representing a marker of said originator identifier;

accessing said local common policy at said one of said subscriber devices;

updating said local common policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said subscriber devices; and

updating said central common policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices.

12. A method of managing a communication policy in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices comprising the steps of:

maintaining a communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

receiving a notice of a rejection of said voice call by one of said subscriber devices;

said voice call having an originating identifier;

updating a record of rejections respective to said originating identifier based on said notice;

said record of rejections comprising said one of said subscriber devices and said originating identifier; and

updating said communication policy if said record of rejections match a predefined criteria.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said record of rejections represents a number of times calls have been rejected from said identifier.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said record of rejections represents a number of different said subscriber devices that have rejected a call from said identifier.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said criteria is above a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising, after said step of receiving, the further step of:

receiving a second notice of rejection respective to said originating identifier, after a passage of time from said receiving of said record of rejection;

wherein said criteria is an extent of time;

said updating of said communication policy being performed such that said originating identifier is removed from said communication policy if said passage of time is greater than said extent of time.

17. A policy server comprising:

a server network interface for communicating with a plurality of subscriber devices via a voice telephony network interconnecting said devices and said network; and

at least one persistent storage device for maintaining a communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

a processor interconnecting said interface and said at least one persistent storage device;

said processor for receiving a notice of a rejection of said voice call by one of said subscriber devices;

said voice call having an originating identifier;

said processor operable to update a record of rejections respective to said originating identifier based on said notice;

said record of rejections comprising said one of said subscriber devices and said originating identifier; and

said processor further operable to update said communication policy if said record of rejections match a predefined criteria.

18. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of programming instructions;

said programming instructions implementing a method of managing a communication policy in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices comprising the steps of;

maintaining a communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;

receiving a notice of a rejection of said voice call by one of said subscriber devices;

said voice call having an originating identifier;

updating a record of rejections respective to said originating identifier based on said notice;

said record of rejections comprising said one of said subscriber devices and said originating identifier;

updating said communication policy if said record of rejections match a predefined criteria.