Advanced call screening appliance

• US 7,054,417 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US10/644,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/90.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/373.01, 379/373.04
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/546 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/028 Subscriber network interface devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

According to the invention, a network interface device for processing a telephone call is disclosed. The network interface device includes a first and second communication interfaces, a telephone switch and a controller. The first communication interface is coupled to at least one of a wireless phone network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network. The first communication interface receives the telephone call from any of a number of callers that are remote to the network interface device. The second communication interface coupled to one or more phones at a user location where the one or more phones are associated with a telephone number that any of the callers can use to call the one or more phones. The telephone switch is coupled to both of the first communication interface and second communication interface and optionally routes an incoming phone call to the second communication interface if one or more access control rules permit routing the incoming phone call to the second communication interface. The controller analyzes the one or more access control rules and either routes the incoming phone call from the first communication interface to the second communication interface or prevents the incoming phone call from reaching the second communication interface. The one or more phones ring when the incoming call is routed to the second communication interface.

Claims

1. A network interface device for processing a telephone call, the network interface device comprising:

a first communication interface coupled to at least one of a wireless phone network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a satellite phone network, and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network, wherein the first communication interface receives the telephone call from any of a plurality of callers remote to the network interface device;

a second communication interface coupled to one or more phones at a user location, wherein;

the one or more phones are associated with a telephone number, and

the plurality of callers can call the one or more phones with the telephone number;

a telephone switch coupled to both of the first communication interface and second communication interface, wherein the telephone switch optionally routes an incoming phone call to the second communication interface if one or more access control rules permit routing the incoming phone call to the second communication interface; and

a controller that analyzes the one or more access control rules which comprise either

     1) routing the incoming phone call from the first communication interface to the second communication interface,

     2) routing the incoming phone call to a voice response system, or

     3) preventing the incoming phone call from reaching the second communication interface, wherein the one or more phones ring when the incoming call is routed to the second communication interface,

wherein the controller routes the incoming phone call to a voice response system which queries a caller of the incoming phone call to record a greeting, and on a subsequent phone call from the caller routed to the second communication interface, a ring tone for the subsequent call comprises the greeting; and

wherein the second communication interface comprises both a PSTN interface and an IP network interface, and at least one phone coupled to the PSTN interface and at least one phone coupled to the IP network interface simultaneously participate in the subsequent call.

2. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the greeting is played instead of a ring tone.

3. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the network interface device is located at the user location.

4. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the network interface device is physically accessible from outside the user location.

5. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more access control rules are stored within the network interface device.

6. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the second communication interface is one of a PSTN interface and a VOIP interface.

7. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 6, wherein the VOIP interface is one of a wireless Internet interface, a WIFI™

interface, a power line Internet interface, an ultra-wide band wireless interface, a cable modem interface, an ethernet interface, and a DSL Internet interface.

8. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface uses a first physical transport that is different from a second physical transport of the second communication interface.

9. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more phones are chosen from the group consisting of a POTS phone, a cordless phone, a WIFI™

SIP phone, and a Wired SIP phone.

10. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the network interface device is integral with at least one of the one or more phones.

11. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller routes the incoming phone call to voicemail according to the one or more access control rules.

12. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more access control rules may be modified via a user interface accessible by way of the Internet.

13. The network interface device for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is coupled to at least two of a wireless phone network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a satellite phone network, and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network.

14. A method for processing a telephone call, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a phone call from a first communication interface coupled to at least two of a wireless phone network, a wired phone network, a satellite phone network, and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network, wherein the first communication interface receives the telephone call from any of a plurality of callers remote to the network interface device;

providing a second communication interface coupled to one or more phones at a user location, wherein;

the one or more phones are associated with a telephone number, and

the plurality of callers can call the one or more phones with the telephone number;

analyzing the one or more access control rules; and

performing one of a following steps depending on the analyzing step;

routing the incoming phone call from the first communication interface to the second communication interface, and

preventing the incoming phone call from reaching the second communication interface, wherein the one or more phones ring when the incoming call is routed to the second communication interface,

wherein the second communication interface comprises both a PSTN interface and an IP network interface, and at least one phone coupled to the PSTN interface and at least one phone coupled to the IP network interface simultaneously participate in the phone call.

15. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more access control rules test a caller ID variable associated with the incoming call.

16. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more access control rules block all incoming calls during a time period.

17. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more access control rules route all incoming calls during a time period to a voice response system.

18. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more access control rules block one or more incoming calls during a time period.

19. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 14, wherein a specified number overrides the one or more access control rules to route the incoming phone call to the second communication interface.

20. A method for processing a telephone call, the method comprising steps of:

modifying one or more access control rules based on input from a user received via a user interface accessible by way of the Internet;

receiving a phone call from a first communication interface coupled to at least one of a wireless phone network, a wired phone network, a satellite phone network, and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network, wherein the communication interface receives the telephone call from any of a plurality of callers remote to the network interface device;

providing a second communication interface coupled to one or more phones at a user location, wherein;

the one or more phones are associated with a telephone number, and

the plurality of callers can call the one or more phones with the telephone number;

analyzing the one or more access control rules; and

performing one of a following steps depending on the analyzing step;

routing the incoming phone call from the first communication interface to the second communication interface,

preventing the incoming phone call from reaching the second communication interface, wherein the one or more phones ring when the incoming call is routed to the second communication interface, and

routing the incoming phone call to a voice response system,

wherein the second communication interface comprises both a PSTN interface and an IP network interface, and at least one phone coupled to the PSTN interface and at least one phone coupled to the IP network interface simultaneously participate in the phone call.

21. The method for processing the telephone call as recited in claim 20, wherein the user location is a residence and the method is performed within the user location, but not on the one or more phones.