Method and apparatus for blocking voice call spam

• US 20070201660A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Yi, Yang, Bo, Liu, Jun, Xie, Bing, Lan, Dong
• Application Number:
  US11/698,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• 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 method and apparatus for determining voice call spam, a method and service server for blocking voice call spam, a voice communication system that has applied the service server and a switch that is used in the voice communication system. The apparatus for determining voice call spam comprises: a pass code generating unit for generating a pass code; a pass code voice generating unit for generating corresponding voice based on said pass code generated by said pass code generating unit; and an acknowledge information receiving unit for receiving acknowledge information from a caller; wherein said voice call is determined as a voice call spam if said acknowledge information from said caller does not contain said pass code.

Claims

1. A method for identifying voice call spam, comprising the steps of:

upon receipt of an incoming call request, generating a pass code;

sending the pass code to a caller in a voice signal;

receiving acknowledge information from said caller; and

identifying the voice call as voice call spam if the acknowledge information from said caller does not contain the pass code.

2. The method for identifying voice call spam according to claim 1, wherein said pass code is one of a random numerical string and a random character string.

3. The method for identifying voice call spam according to claim 1 wherein the step of sending said pass code to a caller in a voice signal comprises the steps of:

generating corresponding voice based on said pass code; and

adding background sound to said corresponding voice.

4. The method for identifying voice call spam according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving acknowledge information from said caller comprises receiving acknowledge information inputted by said caller in a DTMF way.

5. A method for blocking voice call spam, comprising the steps of:

determining if an incoming call request is voice call spam by;

upon receipt of an incoming call request, generating a pass code;

sending the pass code to a caller in a voice signal;

receiving acknowledge information from said caller; and

identifying the voice call as voice call spam if the acknowledge information from said caller does not contain the pass code; and

blocking the voice call if the voice call is determined to be voice call spam.

6. The method for blocking voice call spam according to claim 5, further comprising:

prior to the step of determining, transferring said voice call to a service server for performing said determining.

7. The method for blocking voice call spam according to claim 6, wherein the step of transferring said voice call to a service server comprises:

extracting callee identification information from said voice call;

determining whether said callee has subscribed to a service for blocking voice call spam; and

transferring said voice call to said service server if said callee has subscribed to the voice call spam blocking service.

8. The method for blocking voice call spam according to claim 7, wherein said service server performs the following steps prior to determining whether said voice call is a voice call spam:

extracting caller and callee identification information from said voice call;

determining whether said caller is in a block list set by said callee, and if yes, blocking said voice call; and

determining whether said caller is in an authorization list set by said callee, and if yes, permitting said voice call.

9. An apparatus for identifying voice call spam, comprising:

a pass code generating unit for generating a pass code in response to receipt of an incoming call request;

a pass code voice generating unit for generating corresponding voice based on said pass code generated by said pass code generating unit; and

an acknowledge information receiving unit for receiving acknowledge information from a caller;

wherein said voice call is determined as voice call spam if said acknowledge information from said caller does not contain said pass code.

10. The apparatus for determining voice call spam according to claim 9, wherein said pass code is one of a random numerical string and a random character string.

11. The apparatus for determining voice call spam according to claim 9, wherein said pass code voice generating unit adds background sound to the generated voice.

12. The apparatus for determining voice call spam according to claim 9, wherein said acknowledge information receiving unit receives acknowledge information inputted by said caller in a DTMF way.

13. A service server, comprising:

apparatus for determining voice call spam a pass code generating unit for generating a pass code in response to receipt of an incoming call request comprising;

a pass code voice generating unit for generating corresponding voice based on said pass code generated by said pass code generating unit; and

an acknowledge information receiving unit for receiving acknowledge information from a caller;

wherein said voice call is determined as voice call spam if said acknowledge information from said caller does not contain said pass code; and

means for blocking said voice call when said voice call is determined to be voice call spam.

14. The service server according to claim 13, further comprising:

a call information extracting unit for extracting caller and callee identification information of said voice call;

a block list database for saving each block list set by respective callee who has subscribed the voice call spam blocking service; and

an authorization list database for saving each authorization list set by respective callee who has subscribed the voice call spam blocking service;

wherein said voice call is blocked when it is determined that the caller of said voice call is in the block list set by said callee;

said voice call is permitted when it is determined that the caller of said voice call is in the authorization list set by said callee.

15. A switch, comprising:

a block service triggering database for saving information of users who have subscribed to voice call spam blocking service;

a block service determining means for determining whether the callee of a received voice call has subscribed to the voice call spam blocking service according to the information in said block service triggering database; and

a call transferring means for transferring a voice call;

wherein said voice call is transferred to a service server when it is determined that said callee of the received voice call has subscribed to the voice call spam blocking service.

16. A voice communication system, comprising:

the switch comprising;

a block service triggering database for saving information of users who have subscribed to voice call spam blocking service;

a block service determining means for determining whether the callee of a received voice call has subscribed to the voice call spam blocking service according to the information in said block service triggering database; and

a call transferring means for transferring a voice call;

wherein said voice call is transferred to a service server when it is determined that said callee of the received voice call has subscribed to the voice call spam blocking service;

a service server comprising;

apparatus for determining voice call spam a pass code generating unit for generating a pass code in response to receipt of an incoming call request comprising;

a pass code voice generating unit for generating corresponding voice based on said pass code generated by said pass code generating unit; and

an acknowledge information receiving unit for receiving acknowledge information from a caller;

wherein said voice call is determined as voice call spam if said acknowledge information from said caller does not contain said pass code; and

means for blocking said voice call when said voice call is determined to be voice call spam; and

a plurality of communication terminals with voice communication capability.