CALL ABUSE PREVENTION FOR PAY-PER-CALL SERVICES

• US 20080080691A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gary E. Gallaher, Marcus Larner, Stein E. Dolan
• Inventors: Gallaher, Gary E., Dolan, Stein E., Larner, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6027 Fraud preventions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A VoIP-enabled communications system monitors abuse criteria for web initiated telephone calls. A hyperlink in user interface code allows a web-based user to initiate a telephone call to a target telephone number associated with the hyperlink, particularly to merchants of goods and services. If the user clicks on the hyperlink, the target telephone number will be provided to the communications application to facilitate making a telephone call. However, before the call is connected, the user enter a telephone number where the system will call back to bridge the call, and abuse criteria relative to the web-based user'"'"'s telephone number are evaluated. If the abuse criteria are met, then the call is not connected. For example, one abuse criterion counts the number of times that calls back to the user go unanswered. Another abuse criterion counts the number of times that the target telephone number has been called. If abuse criteria are met, then a voice connection is precluded. Multiple levels of restrictions can be imposed on either the web-based user'"'"'s telephone number or the target telephone number for repeated violations of the abuse criteria.

Claims

1. A method for establishing voice communications between a computing device and a telephone, comprising:

receiving a link selection from the computing device, said link selection identifying a target telephone number;

receiving a user telephone number associated with the user of the computing device;

evaluating abuse criteria with respect to at least one of the user telephone number and target telephone number; and

establishing a voice connection between the target and user telephone numbers if the abuse criteria are not met.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating step includes evaluating abuse criteria with respect to both telephone numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a hyperlink in a first web page that identifies the target telephone number for the voice connection, and the voice connection is a VoIP connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step includes the step of calling back the user telephone number, and wherein the evaluating step defines a first abuse criteria that counts a number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the user telephone number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the evaluating step includes setting a first limit on the number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the first telephone number, and precluding the voice connection for a first blackout period if the count exceeds the first limit.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the evaluating step includes setting a second limit on the number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the user telephone number, and precluding the voice connection for a second blackout period if the count exceeds the second limit, wherein the second limit is greater than the first limit and the second blackout period is greater than the first blackout period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the evaluating step includes precluding the voice connection indefinitely if more than one first blackout period has been imposed on the user telephone number at least twice within twenty-four hours.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating step defines a second abuse criteria that counts a number of times that the target telephone number has been called.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the evaluating step includes setting a first limit on the number of times that the target telephone number can be called within a first time period, and precluding the voice connection for a first blackout period if the count exceeds the first limit within the first time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the evaluating step includes setting a second limit on the number of times that the target telephone number can be called within a second time period, and precluding the voice connection for a second blackout period if the count exceeds the second limit within the second time period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the evaluating step includes precluding the voice connection indefinitely if more than one second blackout period has been imposed on the target telephone number at least twice within twenty-four hours.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step includes a step of calling back the user telephone number, and wherein the evaluating step includes setting a first limit on the number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the user telephone number, and precluding the voice connection for a first blackout period if the count exceeds the first limit, and wherein the evaluating step further includes setting a second limit on the number of times that the target telephone number can be called within a first time period, and precluding the voice connection for a second blackout period if the count exceeds the second limit within the second first period.

13. A method for establishing voice communications between a first communications device and a second communications device over a network, comprising:

receiving a link selection from the first communications device, said link selection identifying a second telephone number associated with the second communications device; and

receiving a first telephone number associated with the first communications device;

establishing abuse criteria with respect to the first and second telephone numbers;

establishing a voice connection between the first communications device and the second communications device if the abuse criteria are not met.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of establishing a voice connection includes a step of calling back the first telephone number, and wherein the step of establishing abuse criteria defines a first abuse criteria that counts a number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the telephone number.

16. A method for establishing voice communications between a first telephone number and a second telephone number, comprising:

receiving a request from a VoIP device to connect the first telephone number to the second telephone number;

evaluating abuse criteria with respect to at least one of the first and second telephone numbers; and

connecting the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the abuse criteria are not met.

15. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of establishing abuse criteria defines a second abuse criteria that counts a number of times that the second telephone number has been called within a time period.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the connecting step includes a step of calling back the first telephone number, and wherein the step of evaluating abuse criteria defines a first abuse criterion that counts a number of times that the calling back step results in unanswered calls back to the telephone number.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of precluding the connecting step for a blackout period if the first abuse criterion is met.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of evaluating abuse criteria defines a second abuse criteria that counts a number of times that the second telephone number has been called within a time period.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of precluding the connecting step for a blackout period if the second abuse criterion is met.