System and process for automatic storage, enforcement and override of consumer do-not-call requests

• US 7,194,075 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gryphon Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gryphon Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Fotta, Keith Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Escalante; Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US10/877,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 379/182, 379/189, 379196-200, 379/201.01, 379/207.01, 379/207.02, 379/207.11, 379/207.14, 379/208.01, 379/210.02, 379/211.01, 379/213.01, 379/265.01, 379/266.07, 379/266.1, 379/88.16, 379/215.01, 379/210.03, 379/217.01, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 379/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, the method involving: receiving a call from a caller on an incoming connection; enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate an outgoing call on an outgoing connection; receiving over the incoming connection an identifier of a destination to which a call is to be initiated over the outgoing connection; checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination; if it is determined that the destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place over the outgoing connection; and if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.

Claims

1. A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, said method comprising:

receiving a dialed call from a caller;

in response to receiving the dialed call, establishing an incoming connection with the caller;

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate an outgoing call on an outgoing connection;

receiving over the incoming connection an identifier of a destination to which a call is to be initiated over the outgoing connection;

checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination;

if it is determined that the destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place over the outgoing connection; and

if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central facility is a central switching facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving said call involves receiving a telephone call from the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a telephone number of the destination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein checking the do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination involves determining whether the called telephone number is present in the do-not-call database and if it is in the do-not-call database treating the destination as a do-not-call destination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal from the caller, said update signal being an indication to identify said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, detecting an update signal from the caller and in response to detecting said update signal identifying said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming connection is a 1-800 line.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate a next outgoing call;

receiving over the incoming connection a next identifier of a next destination to which the next outgoing call is to be initiated;

checking the do-not-call database for an indication of whether the next destination is a do-not-call destination;

if it is determined that the next destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place; and

if it is determined that the next destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place.

11. A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility, said method comprising:

receiving a call from a caller;

in response to receiving the call from the caller, establishing an incoming connection;

enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate a plurality of outgoing calls from the central facility;

receiving over the incoming connection a plurality of identifiers of destinations to which calls are to be initiated from the central facility;

for each of the plurality of identifiers, (1) checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination for that received identifier is a do-not-call destination;

(2) if it is determined that the destination for that received identifier is a do-not-call destination, blocking the one of the plurality of outgoing call corresponding to that received identifier from taking place; and

(3) if it is determined that the destination for that received identifier is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the one of the plurality of outgoing call corresponding to that received identifier to take place from the central facility.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the central facility is a central switching facility.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving said call involves receiving a telephone call from the caller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of identifiers are telephone numbers of the destinations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein checking the do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination for the received identifier is a do-not-call destination involves determining whether the telephone number corresponding to the received identifier is present in the do-not-call database, and if it is in the do-not-call database treating the destination as a do-not-call destination.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination of the received identifier is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination of the received identifier is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, monitoring the call for an occurrence of an update signal from the caller, said update signal being an indication to identify said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, if it is determined that the destination of the received identifier is not a do-not-call destination and after allowing the call to take place, detecting an update signal from the caller and in response to detecting said update signal identifying said destination as a do-not-call destination in said database.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the incoming connection is a 1-800 line.