METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VERIFYING INCOMING TELEPHONE NUMBERS

• US 20080112553A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Keith Raymond, Chen, Yen-Fu, Morgan, Fabian F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

A system for automatically verifying an incoming telephone number. In response to detecting an incoming communication, a determination is made as to whether a telephone number associated with the incoming communication matches one of a plurality of telephone numbers in a storage unit. In response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming communication does not match one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the storage unit, telephone number verification rules are applied to determine whether to continue with the incoming communication. In response to a determination not to continue with the incoming communication based on the telephone number verification rules, an alert is provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a communication device for automatically verifying an incoming telephone number, the method comprising:

responsive to detecting an incoming communication, determining if a telephone number associated with the incoming communication matches one of a plurality of telephone numbers in a storage unit;

responsive to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming communication does not match the one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the storage unit, determining whether to continue with the incoming communication by applying telephone number verification rules; and

responsive to a determination not to continue with the incoming communication based on the telephone number verification rules, providing an alert.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination to continue with the incoming communication based on the telephone number verification rules, updating the storage unit to include the telephone number associated with the incoming communication; and

sending an update message to the telephone number associated with the incoming communication.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the storage device stores data, and wherein the data includes contact names, telephone numbers, electronic mail addresses, and instant messaging screen names, and wherein the data is located within one or more contact lists.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is one of a telephone call, text message, electronic mail, or instant message.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert is one of a text message or indicator within a display of the communication device;

and wherein the indicator is one of a background color or symbol within the display.

6. A computer program product for automatically verifying an incoming telephone number, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to determine if a telephone number associated with an incoming communication matches one of a plurality of telephone numbers in a storage unit in response to detecting the incoming communication;

computer usable program code configured to determine whether to continue with the incoming communication by applying telephone number verification rules in response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming communication does not match the one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the storage unit; and

computer usable program code configured to provide an alert in response to a determination not to continue with the incoming communication based on the telephone number verification rules.