SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CALL SCREENING

• US 20100054432A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert, Brahm, David, Trandal, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.190
• 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 2203/4563 Voicemail monitoring during recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible, user-definable call screening processes. The user can optionally define to which telecommunication terminals a screened call is to be broadcast to and under what conditions. An incoming call is forwarded to a call management system that asks the caller to leave a voice message. The call management system selectively couples the call to a POTS line or a VoIP-capable device so that the user can listen to the incoming message and thereby screen the incoming call. Based on the screening, the user can instruct the call management system to connect the caller to the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:

receiving over a network at a call processing system a forwarded call from a calling party intended for the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the forwarded call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number;

playing a greeting to the calling party, wherein the greeting played to the calling party was originally recorded by the called party;

originating a second call from the call processing system to at least one telephonic destination associated with the called party,

wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes an identifier associated with the calling party'"'"'s call so that the second call appears to be originating from the calling party; and

bridging the forwarded call with the second call.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telephonic destination is a POTs telephone.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telephonic destination is a wireless telephone.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the called party'"'"'s originally recorded greeting is stored in computer memory within the call processing system.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the forwarded call was forwarded based on a condition, wherein the condition includes busy, ring-no-answer, do-not-disturb, or number portability.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

recording a voice message from the calling party at the call processing system; and

transmitting in substantially real time the voice message to the called party.

7. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for a called party,

wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller; and

placing a new call from the call processing system over the network to a telephonic destination associated with the called party,

the new call including signaling information having at least a selected portion of the phone number of the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call and thereby screen the caller.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the telephonic destination is a VoIP phone.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the network is a public switched telephone network or data network.

10. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for a called party,

wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller and a personal number assigned to the called party;

placing a new call from the call processing system to a telephonic destination associated with the called party,

the new call including signaling information having at least a selected portion of the phone number of the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call; and

connecting the new call with the first call.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the personal number assigned to the called party is a wireline telephone number.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the personal number assigned to the called party is a wireless telephone number.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the personal number assigned to the called party is not a number associated with the telephonic destination.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising enabling the called party to audibly listen to the caller leave a message via the connected call.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving a call acceptance instruction; and

enabling the caller to speak to the caller via the connected call.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving a call redirection instruction;

placing a third call from the call processing system; and

connecting the first call and third call.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising terminating the second call only after the third call is answered.

18. A computer system configured to process calls, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory having instructions stored therein that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to;

receive over a network at the computer system a first call from a caller intended for a called party,

wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller and a personal number assigned to the called party;

place a new call from the call processing system to a telephonic destination associated with the called party,

the new call including signaling information having identification information associated with the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call; and

connect the new call with the first call.

19. The computer system as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to enable the called party to audibly listen to the caller leave a message via the connected call.

20. The computer system as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

receive a call acceptance instruction; and

enable the caller to speak to the caller via the connected call.

21. The computer system as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

receive a call redirection instruction;

place a third call from the call processing system; and

connect the first call and third call.

22. The computer system as defined in claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to terminate the second call only after the third call is answered.

23. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving over a network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for a called party,

wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller and a personal number assigned to the called party; and

placing a new call from the call processing system to a telephonic destination associated with the called party,

the new call including signaling information having at least a selected portion of the phone number of the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call; and

connecting the new call with the first call.