Automatic number identification blocking system

• US 5,161,181 A
• Filed: 01/10/1990
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dialogic, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dialogic, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Zwick, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US07/463,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/142, 379/196, 379/197, 379/201, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/246, 379/247, 379/249, 379/127, 379/245
• US Class Current: 379/88.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0003 Mechanical characteristics of the stretch film
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

ANI Blocking System (ABS) logically interfaces between a calling party and a called party in a telephone network which provides CallerID and CallerID blocking. The ABS automatically: (1) accepts a call from the calling party; (2) places a call to the called party; and (3) connects the called party with the calling party.

Claims

1. Apparatus, whose use in a telephone network which automatically transmits calling party identification and called party identification and which offers a blocking service by transferring a telephone call from a calling party which utilizes the blocking service, along with the calling and called party identifications, over the telephone network to the apparatus, causes blocking of the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network from the calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party, the apparatus comprising:

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for receiving the telephone call from the calling party which was transferred over the telephone network in response to commands from a controller means;

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for placing a call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing the called party identification in response to commands from the controller means;

one or more voice and data processing means, any one of which may be switchably interconnected to one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

(a) for obtaining the called party identification transmitted by the telephone network, (b) for transmitting the called party identification to the controller means, and (c) for transmitting signals to the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces or to the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, all in response to commands and information sent thereto from the controller means;

a connection and switching means for connecting and switching one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces to either one of the one or more voice and data processing means or to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

wherein the controller means comprises means which causes the apparatus;

(a) to receive the transferred call from the calling party at one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to obtain the called party identification by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means and the connection and switching means;

(b) to place a call to the called party by interaction with one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means, and the connection and switching means;

(c) to connect the calling party and the called party by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection and switching means --whereby the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network to the called party is blocked;

(d) to detect whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces; and

(e) to terminate the call between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection and switching means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller means further comprises means for obtaining the calling party identification transmitted by the telephone network by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means and the connection and switching means and wherein the controller means further comprises communications means for transmitting at least a portion of the calling party identification and called party identification to remote apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller means further comprises means which utilizes the communications means for sending information pertaining to the telephone interaction between the called party and the calling party to a remote data base.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller means further comprises a local data base for retrieving and storing information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces receives calls in digital form.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces receives calls in analog form.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the placing one or more network line interfaces places calls in digital form.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the placing one or more network line interfaces places calls in analog form.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connection and switching means connects and switches in digital form.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connection and switching means connects and switches in analog form.

5. Apparatus, whose use in a telephone network which automatically transmits calling party identification and called party identification and which offers a blocking service by transferring a telephone call from a calling party which utilizes the blocking service, along with the calling and called party identifications, over the telephone network to the apparatus, causes blocking of the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network from the calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party, the apparatus comprising:

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for receiving the telephone call from the calling party which was transferred over the telephone network in response to commands from a controller means;

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for placing a call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing the called party identification in response to commands from the controller means;

one or more voice and data processing means, any one of which may be interconnected to one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

(a) for obtaining the called party identification transmitted by the telephone network, (b) for transmitting the called party identification to the controller means, and (c) for transmitting signals to the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces or to the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, all in response to commands and information sent thereto from the controller means;

a connection means for connecting one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces to either one of the one or more voice and data processing means or to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

wherein the controller means comprises means which causes the apparatus;

(a) to receive the transferred call from the calling party to one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to obtain the called party identification by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means and the connection means;

(b) to place a call to the called party by interaction with one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means, and the connection means;

(c) to connect the calling party and the called party by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection means--whereby the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network to the called party is blocked;

(d) to detect whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces; and

(e) to terminate the call between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller means further comprises means for obtaining the calling party identification transmitted by the telephone network by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means, and the connection means and wherein the controller means further comprises communications means for transmitting at least a portion of the calling party identification and called party identification to remote apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller means further comprises means which utilizes the communications means for sending information pertaining to the telephone interaction between the called party and the calling party to a remote data base.

14. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces receives calls in digital form.

15. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces receives calls in analog form.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the placing one or more network line interfaces places calls in digital form.

17. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the placing one or more network line interfaces places calls in analog form.

18. A method for blocking automatic transmittal of calling party identification from a calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party by a telephone network, which telephone network automatically transmits calling party identification, the blocking being effected by having the telephone network transmit an identification other than that of the calling party to the called party, which telephone network offers a blocking service by transferring a telephone call from the calling party which utilizes the blocking service, along with a called party telephone number supplied to the telephone network by the calling party, to apparatus associated with another telephone number other than the calling party identification, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the apparatus associated with the another telephone number, the telephone call from the calling party which was transferred thereto by the telephone network;

obtaining the called party telephone number transferred by the telephone network;

placing a new telephone call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing the called party telephone number, the new telephone call being placed in such a manner that the telephone network utilizes the another telephone number as a new calling party identification which is associated with the new telephone call, the telephone network transmitting the new calling party identification to the called party;

connecting the calling party and the called party;

detecting whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook; and

terminating the connection between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook.

19. A method for blocking automatic transmittal of calling party identification from a calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party by a telephone network, which telephone network automatically transmits calling party identification, the blocking being effected by having the telephone network transmit an identification other than that of the calling party to the called party, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call through the telephone network from the calling party at apparatus associated with a telephone number other than the calling party identification;

prompting the calling party to transmit a called party telephone number and receiving the called party telephone number;

placing a telephone call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing the called party telephone number, the telephone call to the called party being placed in such a manner that the telephone network utilizes the other telephone number as a new calling party identification which is associated with the telephone call to the called party, the telephone network transmitting the new calling party identification to the called party;

connecting the calling party and the called party whereby the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network to the called party is blocked;

detecting whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook; and

terminating the connection between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook.

20. Apparatus for blocking automatic transmittal of calling party identification from a calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party by a telephone network, which telephone network automatically transmits calling party identification, which apparatus comprises:

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which of which may be used for receiving a telephone call through the telephone network from the calling party in response to commands from a controller means;

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for placing a call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing called party identification in response to commands from the controller means;

one or more voice and data processing means, any one of which may be switchably interconnected to one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

(a) for obtaining the called party identification from the calling party during a dialogue, (b) for transmitting the called party identification to the controller means, and (c) for transmitting signals to the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces or to the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, all in response to commands and information sent thereto from the controller means;

a connection and switching means for connecting and switching one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces to either one of the one or more voice and data processing means or to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

wherein the controller means comprises means which causes the apparatus;

(a) to receive the call from the calling party at one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to obtain the called party identification from the calling party during a dialogue by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means and the connection and switching means;

(b) to place a call to the called party by interaction with one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means, and the connection and switching means;

(c) to connect the calling party and the called party by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection and switching means--whereby the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network to the called party is blocked;

(d) to detect whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces; and

(e) to terminate the call between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection and switching means.

21. Apparatus for blocking automatic transmittal of calling party identification from a calling party'"'"'s central office to a called party by a telephone network, which telephone network automatically transmits calling party identification, which apparatus comprises:

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which of which may be used for receiving a telephone call through the telephone network from the calling party in response to commands from a controller means;

one or more network line interfaces, any one of which may be used for placing a call to the called party over the telephone network utilizing called party identification in response to commands from the controller means;

one or more voice and data processing means, any one of which may be interconnected to one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

(a) for obtaining the called party identification from the calling party during a dialogue, (b) for transmitting the called party identification to the controller means, and (c) for transmitting signals to the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces or to the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, all in response to commands and information sent thereto from the controller means;

a connection means for connecting one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces to either one of the one or more voice and data processing means or to one of the placing one or more network line interfaces;

wherein the controller means comprises means which causes the apparatus;

(a) to receive the call from the calling party at one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and to obtain the called party identification from the calling party during a dialogue by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means and the connection means;

(b) to place a call to the called party by interaction with one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, one of the one or more voice and data processing means, and the connection means;

(c) to connect the calling party and the called party by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection means --whereby the automatic transmittal of the calling party identification by the telephone network to the called party is blocked;

(d) to detect whether the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces and the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces; and

(e) to terminate the call between the calling party and the called party when either the calling party or the called party has gone on-hook by interaction with the one of the receiving one or more network line interfaces, the one of the placing one or more network line interfaces, and the connection means.