Key word programmable caller ID

• US 20090052647A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forsberg, Kevin, Wood, Gennamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing Key Word Programmable Caller ID Screening services. One method monitors a telephone call for a key word call screening request. The telephone call is from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number. An action is taken in response to the key word call screening request. The action could be playing an announcement, terminating the connection, forwarding to voice mail, storing, adding, updating, and or blocking incoming communications matching the ICLID information and/or subscriber identified alphanumeric information. The call screening request may comprise a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, a softkey entry, and/or a data message. Subsequent incoming calls from the calling telephone number are characterized as undesirable and are screened from alerting or otherwise establishing a communications connection to the called telephone number.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing a telephone call, the telephone call from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number;

after a connection between the calling telephone number and the called telephone number, monitoring the telephone call for an alphanumeric call screening request associated with the calling telephone number, the alphanumeric call screening request comprising one of incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number and subscriber identified alphanumeric information associated with the calling number identifying the calling telephone number as an undesirable calling party;

upon entry of the alphanumeric call screening request, taking an action in response to the alphanumeric call screening request.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises playing an announcement.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises terminating the connection.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises forwarding the telephone call to voice mail.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises storing incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number in a database.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises communicating incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number to a Do Not Call list, the Do Not Call list associated with the called telephone number.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises updating a subscriber'"'"'s profile with the incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number, the subscriber'"'"'s profile associated with the called telephone number.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking an action comprises storing the incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number in a subscriber'"'"'s blocked communications list.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring the telephone call for the alphanumeric call screening request comprises monitoring for at least one of a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, a softkey entry, and a data message.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting a telephone call at a telecommunications switch, the telephone call from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number;

decoding the calling telephone number for the line identification information, the line identification information compared with a subscriber'"'"'s profile;

if the line identification information matches alphanumeric data of the subscriber'"'"'s profile to identify the calling telephone number as an undesirable calling party, then taking a call handling action.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises playing an announcement.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises terminating the connection.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises forwarding the telephone call to voice mail.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises storing incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number in a database.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises communicating the incoming line identification information to a Do Not Call list, the Do Not Call list associated with the called telephone number.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises updating a subscriber'"'"'s profile with the incoming line identification information, the subscriber'"'"'s profile associated with the called telephone number.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of taking a call handling option comprises storing the incoming line identification information in a subscriber'"'"'s blocked communications list.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the alphanumeric call screening request comprises receiving at least one of a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, a softkey entry, and a data message.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving a telephone call at a telecommunications switch, the telephone call from a calling telephone number to a called telephone number;

connecting the telephone call to the called telephone number;

receiving a alphanumeric call screening request from the called telephone number, the alphanumeric call screening request associated with the calling telephone number, the alphanumeric call screening request comprising one of incoming line identification information of the calling telephone number and subscriber identified alphanumeric information associated with the calling number identifying the calling telephone number as an undesirable calling party; and

playing an announcement to a communications address of the calling telephone number.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising terminating the telephone call.