Systems and Methods to Selectively Provide Telephonic Connections

• US 20080310604A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, VAN DER LINDEN, Sean, AGARWAL, Anuj
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to selectively provide communication connections based on an automated procedure to test whether a caller is a human or a machine. One embodiment includes: receiving at a connection server a telephone call from a caller; presenting a message to the caller in response to the telephone call; receiving from the caller a response to the message; and comparing the received response with a predetermined response to determine whether the caller is a human or a machine.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a connection server a telephone call from a caller;

presenting a message to the caller in response to the telephone call;

receiving from the caller a response to the message; and

comparing the received response with a predetermined response to determine whether the caller is a human or a machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the received response is different from the predetermined response, the caller is determined to be a machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message is presented via a connection established via the telephone call.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message is presented in a visual form or in an audio form.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA).

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the message is presented prior to answering the telephone call.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

answering the telephone call at the connection server in response to a determination that the caller is a human.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving the telephone call comprises receiving a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call at the connection server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the VoIP call is in accordance with a session initiation protocol (SIP);

and the connection comprises a connection for early media.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the telephone call is received from a plain old telephone set (POTS) via a gateway bridging a circuit switched network and a packet switched network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a telephone number of a callee; and

connecting the telephone call from the connection server to the callee.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the telephone call comprises receiving a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call at the connection server;

the connecting of the telephone call to the callee comprises;

initiating a separate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call from the connection server to the callee; and

causing a media connection to be established to bridge the VoIP call received at the connection server and the separate VoIP call initiated from the connection server;

wherein the media connection does not go through the connection server; and

wherein call control signals of the VoIP call received at the connection server and the separate VoIP call initiated from the connection server go through the connection server.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the message is presented via a telephone connection established after answering the telephone call;

and the method further comprises;

terminating the call in response to the determination that the caller is a machine.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is presented via a connection separated from a connection via which the telephone call is received.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the telephone call is from a payphone;

wherein the message is presented in response to a determination that the telephone call is from a payphone.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining likelihood of the telephone call being from an autodialer in response to the telephone call;

wherein the message is presented in response to a determination that the likelihood of the telephone call being from an autodialer is above a threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing a central office to present the message to the caller.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the central office whether the caller is a human or a machine.

19. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving at a connection server a telephone call from a caller;

presenting a message to the caller in response to the telephone call;

receiving from the caller a response to the message; and

comparing the received response with a predetermined response to determine whether the caller is a human or a machine.

20. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a telephone call from a caller;

means for presenting a message to the caller in response to the telephone call;

means for receiving from the caller a response to the message; and

means for comparing the received response with a predetermined response to determine whether the caller is a human or a machine.