System and method for controlling telephone use

• US 5,864,613 A
• Filed: 09/16/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Flood, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Application Number:
  US08/714,475
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 379/200, 379/188, 379/189, 379/192, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/102.01, 379/88, 379/190, 379/88.12
• US Class Current: 379/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13251 Restricted service, class of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the use of a telephone based on usersupplied access criteria. The system includes a database for storing the access criteria. The access criteria can be modified in response to commands received from the telephone. The system also includes a switch, electrically coupled between the telephone and a telephone network, for selectively coupling the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in the database.

Claims

1. A system for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, comprising:

a database for storing the access criteria;

means for modifying the access criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

a switch, electrically coupled between the telephone and the telephone network, for selectively coupling the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

means for rejecting calls to the telephone from at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls from said telephone number are blocked;

means for rejecting calls from the telephone to at least one further telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said further telephone number are blocked;

means for allowing calls between the telephone and a blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

means for allowing calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number.

2. A method for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, comprising the steps of:

storing the access criteria on a database;

modifying the access criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

selectively coupling the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

rejecting calls to the telephone from at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls from said telephone number are blocked;

rejecting calls from the telephone to at least one further telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said further telephone number are blocked;

allowing calls between the telephone and a blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

allowing calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number, wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number.

3. In a system for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer, said computer readable program code means comprising:

a computer readable first program code means for causing the computer to store the access criteria in a database;

a computer readable second program code means for causing the computer to modify the criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

a computer readable third program code means for causing the computer to selectively couple the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

a computer readable fourth program code means for causing the computer to reject calls to the telephone from at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls from said telephone number are blocked;

a computer readable fifth program code means for causing the computer to reject calls from the telephone to least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said telephone number are at blocked;

a computer readable sixth program code means for causing said computer to allow calls between the telephone and a blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

a computer readable seventh program code means for causing said computer to allow calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number, wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls between the telephone and said blocked telephone number.

4. A system for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, comprising:

a database for storing the access criteria;

means for modifying the access criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

a switch, electrically coupled between the telephone and the telephone network, for selectively coupling the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

means for rejecting calls from the telephone to at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said telephone number are blocked;

means for allowing calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

means for allowing calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number, wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number.

5. A method for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, comprising the steps of:

storing the access criteria on a database;

modifying the access criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

selectively coupling the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

rejecting calls from the telephone to at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said telephone number are blocked;

allowing calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

allowing calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number, wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number.

6. In a system for controlling access between a telephone and a telephone network based on user-supplied access criteria, a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer, said computer readable program code means comprising:

a computer readable first program code means for causing the computer to store the access criteria in a database;

a computer readable second program code means for causing the computer to modify the criteria stored in said database in response to commands received from the telephone;

a computer readable third program code means for causing the computer to selectively couple the telephone and the telephone network based on the access criteria stored in said database;

a computer readable fourth program code means for causing the computer to reject calls from the telephone to at least one telephone number when the access criteria stored in said database indicates that calls to said telephone number are blocked;

a computer readable fifth program code means for causing the computer to allow calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number during a validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said validity period for said blocked telephone number; and

a computer readable sixth program code means for causing the computer to allow calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number for a duration during said validity period when the access criteria stored in said database includes said duration for said blocked telephone number, wherein said duration is a sum of lengths of time for multiple calls from the telephone to said blocked telephone number.