Method and system for identifying telemarketer communications
First Claim
1. A method for identifying telemarketer communications directed to a subscriber of a call screening service comprising:
- receiving a call from a calling party directed to a subscriber of the call screening service;
determining whether a telephone directory number of the calling party is known;
when the telephone directory number of the calling party is known, determining whether the telephone directory number of the calling party matches at least one telephone directory number stored in a database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications;
when the telephone directory number of the calling party matches at least one of the telephone directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications, intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service; and
in response to intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service, requesting that the calling party record a name of the calling party prior to routing the call to the subscriber.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for identifying telemarketer communications directed to a subscriber of a call screening service is provided. A link monitoring system monitors all inbound and outbound calls of a carrier network collecting data such as calling and called telephone directory numbers, and a termination status for at least each inbound call to a calling number. The data is analyzed at a telemarketer detection module to determine calling patterns of calling numbers. If a calling pattern of a calling telephone number matches a profile of telemarketer communications, the calling number is stored in a database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications. A call is received from a calling party directed to a subscriber of the call screening service. Then a determination is made as to whether a telephone directory number of the calling party is known. If the telephone number of the calling party is known, a determination is made as to whether the telephone number of the calling party matches a telephone number stored in the database of telephone numbers associated with telemarketer communications. If a match exists, the call is intercepted from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for identifying telemarketer communications directed to a subscriber of a call screening service comprising:
-
receiving a call from a calling party directed to a subscriber of the call screening service; determining whether a telephone directory number of the calling party is known; when the telephone directory number of the calling party is known, determining whether the telephone directory number of the calling party matches at least one telephone directory number stored in a database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications; when the telephone directory number of the calling party matches at least one of the telephone directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications, intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service; and in response to intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service, requesting that the calling party record a name of the calling party prior to routing the call to the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for identifying solicitor communications directed to one or more subscribers of a privacy screening service comprising:
-
means for receiving one or more calls directed to the subscribers of the privacy screening service; means for determining whether a directory number of a calling party is known; when the directory number of the calling party is known, means for determining whether the directory number of the calling party matches one or more directory numbers stored in a database of directory numbers associated with solicitor communications; means for intercepting the calls determined to match at least one of the directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with solicitor communications from reaching the subscriber of the privacy screening service; and means for requesting that the calling party record a name of the calling party prior to routing the call to the subscribers in response to intercepting the calls from reaching the subscribers of the privacy screening service. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for identifying solicitor communications directed to one or more subscribers of a call screening service, the method comprising:
-
determining whether one or more telephone numbers of calling parties attempting to call one or more of the subscribers are known; if the one or more telephone numbers of the calling parties are known, determining whether the one or more telephone numbers of the calling parties match one or more telephone numbers stored in a database of telephone numbers associated with solicitor communications; if the one or more telephone numbers of the calling parties match one or more of the telephone numbers stored in the database of telephone numbers associated with solicitor communications, intercepting calls from the calling parties having telephone numbers stored in the database from reaching the subscribers of the call screening service; and requesting that the calling party record a name of the calling party prior to routing the call to the subscribers in response to intercepting the calls from reaching the subscribers of the call screening service. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
Specification