Outgoing call screening

• US 6,724,874 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simino, John E., Stroud, Kenneth Robert, Fleischer, Harold C. III, Morales, Louis Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US09/760,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/45, 379/200, 379/221.03
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• 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: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method and system include restricting destinations of a telephone call from a calling station, which has been assigned a privilege class. A service control point (SCP) stores blocking tables, based on privilege classes, and a privilege class control table, which associates the blocking tables with each privilege class. The SCP ascertains the assigned privilege class of the calling station and determines whether the telephone call corresponds to one of the types of blocking tables. When the telephone call does correspond, the SCP determines whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the blocking table that corresponds to the attempted call. When there is no privilege class correspondence, the SCP bypasses validation of the called number. When there is privilege class correspondence, the SCP validates the called number and blocks the call when the called number is validated or continues call processing when the called number is not validated.

Claims

1. A method for restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the method comprising:

ascertaining the assigned privilege class of the calling station;

associating at least one blocking table with each privilege class, each blocking table having a blocking table type;

determining whether the telephone call corresponds to one of the blocking table types;

when a telephone call correspondence exists, determining whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the blocking table corresponding to the telephone call;

when a privilege class correspondence does not exist, bypassing validation of the called number; and

when the privilege class correspondence exists, validating the dialed telephone number, and either blocking the call when the called number is validated or continuing call processing when the called number is not validated;

wherein the blocking tables are enabled based on privilege classes.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the determining whether the telephone call corresponds further comprises determining whether a call type code, which is based on the calling station and the called destination, corresponds to one of the blocking table types;

and when a call type code correspondence exists, determining whether the called number corresponds to one of the blocking table types; and

in which the determining whether the assigned privilege class corresponds further comprises determining whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the blocking table corresponding to the called number.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the validating further comprises looking up the called number in each blocking table associated with the assigned privilege class, the called number being validated when the called number is found during the look up.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the blocking table types comprise toll free telephone calls.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the blocking table types comprise international telephone calls.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the blocking table types comprise domestic telephone calls.

7. A system for restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the system comprising:

a service control point that stores at least one blocking table and a privilege class control table, the privilege class control table associating the at least one blocking table with each privilege class, each blocking table having a blocking table type, the service control point ascertaining the assigned privilege class of the calling station, and determining whether the telephone call corresponds to one of the blocking table types;

wherein when a telephone call correspondence exists, the service control point determines whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the blocking table corresponding to the telephone call;

wherein when a privilege class correspondence does not exist, the service control point bypasses validation of the called number, and when the privilege class correspondence exists, the service control point validates the called number, and either blocks the call when the called number is validated or continues call processing when the called number is not validated; and

wherein the blocking tables are enabled based on privilege classes.

8. The system of claim 7, in which the service control point determining whether the telephone call corresponds further comprises the service control point determining whether a call type code, which is based on the calling station and the called destination, corresponds to one of the blocking table types;

and when a call type code correspondence exists, the service control point determines whether the called number corresponds to one of the blocking table types; and

in which the service control point determining whether the assigned privilege class corresponds further comprises the service control point determining whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the blocking table corresponding to the called number.

9. The system of claim 7, in which the service control point validating further comprises looking up the called number in each blocking table associated with the assigned privilege class, the called number being validated when the called number is found during the look up.

10. A computer readable medium for restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the computer readable medium comprising:

at least one blocking table storing a list of telephone numbers that are blocked from call completion, each blocking table having a blocking table type; and

a privilege class control table that associates the at least one blocking table with each privilege class;

a first program that determines whether the telephone call corresponds to one of the blocking table types, and when a telephone call correspondence exists, that determines whether the assigned privilege class corresponds to the corresponding blocking table; and

a second program that, when the privilege class correspondence exists, validates the called number in the corresponding blocking table, and either blocks the call when the called number is validated or continues the call processing when the called number is not validated;

such that the blocking tables are enabled based on privilege classes.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, in which the second program further comprises looking up the called number in each blocking table associated with the assigned privilege class, the called number being validated when the called number is found during the look up.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, in which the at least one blocking table comprises a toll free telephone call blocking table.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, in which the at least one blocking table comprises an international telephone call blocking table.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, in which the at least one blocking table comprises a domestic telephone call blocking table.

15. A method for handling emergency calling scenarios by restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number during the emergency calling scenario, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the method comprising:

ascertaining the assigned privilege class of the calling station;

determining whether the assigned privilege class is permitted to complete calls during the emergency calling scenario;

when the privilege class does not permit calls to complete, blocking the call; and

when the privilege class does permit calls to complete, continuing call processing;

wherein emergency calling privileges are enabled based on privilege classes so that each privilege class can be turned on and off.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the continuing call processing further comprises completing the telephone call to the destination over a private trunk group.

17. A system for handling emergency calling scenarios by restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number during the emergency calling scenario, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the system comprising:

a service control point that stores an emergency calling table that indicates whether each privilege class is allowed to complete calls during the emergency scenario, the service control point ascertaining the assigned privilege class of the calling station, and determining whether the assigned privilege class is permitted to complete calls during the emergency calling scenario by looking up the assigned privilege class in the emergency calling table;

wherein when the privilege class does not permit calls to complete, the service control point blocks the call; and

wherein when the privilege class does permit calls to complete, the service control point continues call processing; and

wherein emergency calling privileges are enabled based on privilege classes so that each privilege class can be turned on and off.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a private trunk group over which the call is routed when the call processing continues.

19. A computer readable medium for handling emergency calling scenarios by restricting destinations that a telephone call from a calling station can reach, the calling station subscribing to an abbreviated dialing plan and attempting to call a destination at a called number during the emergency calling scenario, at least one privilege class being assigned to the calling station, the computer readable medium comprising:

an emergency calling table that indicates whether each privilege class is allowed to complete calls during the emergency scenario; and

a program that blocks the call when the privilege class does not permit calls to complete, and continues call processing when the privilege class does permit calls to complete;

wherein emergency calling privileges are enabled based on privilege classes so that each privilege class can be turned on and off.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the program continues call processing by routing the call to the destination over a private trunk group.