Systems and methods for call screening

• US 7,103,167 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert, Brahm, David, Trandal, David
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/439,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• 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 switched network at a call manager 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;

originating a second call from the call manager system to at least one of a POTs telephone or a wireless phone associated with the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number 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, further comprising causing a computer associated with the called party to cease accessing the Internet before originating the second call.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party is separated from the call manager system by at least a first local carrier switch.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising terminating the bridge between the forwarded call and the second call after a predetermined amount of time.

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

receiving over a switched network at a call manager 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;

originating a second call from the call manager system to the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number so that the second call appears to be originating from the calling party;

bridging the forwarded call with the second call;

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

receiving a voice communication from the second calling party;

originating a third call from the call manager system to a cellular phone associated with the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the third call includes the second calling party'"'"'s phone number so that the third call appears to be originating from the second calling party;

receiving an instruction via the cellular phone from the called party to transmit the voice communication from the second calling party to the cellular phone so that the called party can screen the second caller; and

after at least beginning to transmit the voice communication from the second calling party, receiving an instruction from the called party to connect the second calling party to the cellular phone.

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

receiving over a switched network at a call manager 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;

originating a second call from the call manager system to the called party, wherein signaling information associated with the second call includes the calling party'"'"'s phone number so that the second call appears to be originating from the calling party;

bridging the forwarded call with the second call;

receiving a third call from a second calling party;

streaming a voice communication from the second calling party to a networked computer associated with the called party;

receiving a second instruction from the called party while the voice communication is being streamed; and

playing a predetermined message to the second calling party indicating that the third call is not being accepted at least partly in response to the second instruction.

7. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switched 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 switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal or a wireless telephone 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, wherein at least a portion of an SS7 jurisdictional information data field on the new call from the call processing system is set to a geopgraphic area code of the call processing system.

8. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switched 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 switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal or a wireless telephone 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, wherein the signaling information includes an identifier to be displayed to the called party, wherein the identifier indicates that the new call is being placed by the call processing system.

9. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switched 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 switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal or a wireless telephone 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, wherein the signaling information includes a number associated with the call manager system in a NPA field, and at least a part of the selected portion of the caller phone number in an NXX-YYYY field.

10. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switch 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 switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal of a wireless telephone 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, further comprising providing the called party with a visual indication that the new call is being placed by the call processing system.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising bridging the first call and the new call in response to an instruction from the called party.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising transmitting an audible representation of at least a portion of the caller phone number.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising providing the calling party'"'"'s area code to the called party using an audio signal.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the terminal is a POTs phone.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first call is to a phone number assigned to the call processing system.

16. A method of processing call comprising:

recieving over a switched network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for 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 of the switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal or a wireless telephone 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, further comproising providing the called party with a second portion of the caller phone number after the called party agrees to speak with the caller.

17. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switched network at a call processing system a first call from a caller intended for a called party, wherein the first call includes signals information having a phone number of the caller; and

placing a new call from the call processing system over the switched network to a at least one of a POTs terminal or a wireless telephone 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 determined the identity of the caller of the first call and thereby screen the caller, further comprising providing the called party with a second portion of the caller phone number using digitized audio data.

18. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving over a switched 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;

placing a new call from the call processing system over the switched network to a terminal 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 determined the identity of the caller of the first call thereby screen the caller;

recieving an instruction from the called party to forward the caller to a second terminal; and

placing a third call from the call processing system over the switched network to the second terminal, the third call including signalling information having the phone number of the caller so that a user at the second terminal can determined the identity of the caller and thereby screen the caller.

19. The method as defined in Claim 18, wherein the second terminal is a celular phone.

20. A method of providing a called party the ability to selectively accept phone calls, the method comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a first call from a calling party intended for the called party, wherein the first call includes at least a first portion of the calling party'"'"'s phone number;

initiating a second call from the call processing system to the called party, the second call including at least part of the first portion of the calling party'"'"'s phone number to thereby provide the called party with information related to the identity of the calling party so that the called party can screen the first call; and

determining whether the first call is to be bridged with a wireless phone based at least in part on the calling party'"'"'s phone number.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, further comprising streaming an incoming message in substantially real-time to a plurality of terminals associated with the called party at substantially the same time.

22. A call screening apparatus, comprising:

a first instruction stored in computer readable memory, the first instruction configured to cause a call from a calling party intended for a called party to be answered;

a second instruction stored in computer readable memory, the second instruction configured to play a greeting to the calling party;

a third instruction stored in computer readable memory, the third instruction configured to maintain a communication channel over the Internet with a networked computer associated with the called party while the greeting is being played;

a fourth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the fourth instruction configured to receive and stream speech from the calling party over the Internet communication channel to the networked computer, wherein the streamed speech is intended to be screened by the called party by the networked computer;

a fifth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the fifth instruction configured to receive a command, via the Internet communication channel, from the called party to connect the calling party to the called party;

a sixth instruction stored in computer readable memory, the sixth instruction configured to cause the called party'"'"'s networked computer to go offline; and

a seventh instruction stored in computer readable memory, the seventh instruction configured to originate a second call from the call manager system to at least one of a POTs telephone or a wireless telephone associated with the called party, and to bridge the calling party'"'"'s call with the second call.

23. The call screening apparatus as defined in claim 22, further comprising an eighth instruction configured to provide a caller-ID associated with the calling party to the called party.

24. The call screening apparatus as defined in claim 22, further comprising a client application configured to execute on the called party'"'"'s computer, wherein the client application provides an online indication to a server when the called party'"'"'s computer is connected to the Internet.

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

receiving at a first call processing apparatus a call from a first user for a second user;

receiving a voice communication from the first user at the first call processing apparatus;

multi-casting at least a portion of the voice communication to a plurality of client devices in substantially real time so that the first user'"'"'s call can be screened; and

receiving an instruction via a first of the plurality of client devices to connect the first user to a first of the plurality of client devices.

26. The method as defined in Claim 25, where at least a first of the plurality of client devices is capable of communicating using Internet protocol.

27. The method as defined in Claim 25, where at least a first of the plurality of client devices is a telephone.

29. The method as defined in claim 25, where at least a first of the plurality of client devices is a cellular telephone.

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

receiving at a first call processing apparatus a call from a first user for a second user;

receiving a voice communication from the first user at the first call processing apparatus;

multi-casting at least a portion of the voice communication to a plurality of client devices in substantially real time so that the first user'"'"'s call can be screened; and

receiving an instruction via a first of the plurality of client devices to connect the first user to a first of the plurality of client devices and causing the second user to be bridged to the first of the plurality of client devices.

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

receiving at a first call processing apparatus a voice call from a first user for a second user, wherein the first user places the call with a telephone associated with a first number; and

multi-casting a call alert including an identifier based at least in part on the first number to a plurality of client devices at substantially the same time while the first user call is still in progress so that the first user'"'"'s call can be screened.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, further comprising multi-casting at least a portion of a voice communication received from the first user to the plurality of client devices at substantially the same time.

32. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the call alert includes at least a portion of Caller ID information associated with the first call.

33. The method as defined in claim 30, further comprising receiving an instruction via a first of the plurality of client devices to connect the first user to a first of the plurality of client devices.

34. The method as defined in claim 30, further comprising receiving an instruction via a first of the plurality of client devices to connect the first user to a first of the plurality of client devices and causing the second user to be bridged to the first of the plurality of client devices.