Telemarketer screening

• US 7,295,660 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trueman, David W., Higginbotham, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/747,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/200, 379/210.02, 379/210.03
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• 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 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 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

A called party may screen for a telemarketing solicitation made by a calling party by receiving a traditional telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform and using the messaging service platform to perform telemarketer-screening operations. These telemarketer-screening operations may use a telemarketer blacklist and an associated whitelist in processing the traditional telephony call. When the traditional telephony call is not processed using the telemarketer blacklist or the associated whitelist, the calling party may be challenged to identify themselves. The called party may react to the traditional telephony call by selecting a call processing option that enables the traditional telephony call to be processed as a nontelemarketing telephony call, processed as a telemarketing telephony call, or added to the associated whitelist.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a called party to screen a traditional telephony call for a telemarketing solicitation made by a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telephone network, the traditional telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform;

using the messaging service platform to perform telemarketer-screening operations including;

using a telemarketer blacklist descriptive of one or more telemarketers in deciding to process the traditional telephony call as a telemarketing telephony call when the calling party appears in the telemarketer blacklist, and

using an associated whitelist descriptive of one or more known and approved associates of the called party in deciding to receive the traditional telephony call when the calling party appears in the associated whitelist; and

when the traditional telephony call is not processed using the telemarketer blacklist or the associated whitelist;

soliciting an audio message from the calling party as audio data;

transmitting audio data from the messaging service platform to a computer of the called party while the calling party remains connected, and

enabling the called party to react to the traditional telephony call in response to the audio message by presenting call processing options enabling the called party to select from a list that may include at least one of the following call processing options;

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a nontelemarketing telephony call,

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a telemarketing telephony call and adding information descriptive of the calling party to the telemarketer blacklist, and

enabling the calling party to be added to the associated whitelist.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding calling party information to a multiuser blacklist used by other called parties when the called party indicates the calling party is a telemarketer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the traditional telephony call as a telemarketing telephony call includes generating a special information tone (SIT) to disconnect the traditional telephony call.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding calling party information to a multiuser whitelist used by other called parties when the called party indicates that the calling party is a known associate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a scoring system in determining whether to add the calling party to a multiuser blacklist or a multiuser whitelist by comparing a relative number of times the called party indicates the calling party is a telemarketer or a known associate.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the called party to indicate that the calling party was a telemarketer, and

adding calling party information to the telemarketer blacklist.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

enabling the called party to indicate that the calling party was a known associate, and

adding calling party information to the associated whitelist.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a warning message to the calling party that the called party does not accept unsolicited traditional telephony calls when an identity of the calling party appears indeterminate in response to a user selection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the unsolicited traditional telephony calls include the telemarketing telephony call.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the unsolicited traditional telephony calls include a traditional telephony call where no prior audio communications have been exchanged between the calling party and the called party.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating a violation message to a reporting authority that the calling party has violated conditions set forth in the warning message that the called party does not accept unsolicited traditional telephony calls.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein using the telemarketer blacklist in deciding to process the traditional telephony call as a telemarketing telephony call includes generating a special information tone.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the special information tone is generated in response to determining that the calling party is responsive to the special information tone.

14. A system enabling a called party to screen a traditional telephony call for a telemarketing solicitation made by a calling party, the method comprising:

a communications interface structured and arranged to receive, over a telephone network, the traditional telephony call from the calling party;

a telemarketer screening code segment structured and arranged to use the messaging service platform to perform telemarketer-screening operations by;

using a telemarketer blacklist descriptive of one or more telemarketers in deciding to process the traditional telephony call as a telemarketing telephony call when the calling party appears in the telemarketer blacklist, and

using an associated whitelist descriptive of one or more known and approved associates of the called party in deciding to receive the traditional telephony call when the calling party appears in the associated whitelist; and

when the traditional telephony call is not processed using the telemarketer blacklist or the associated whitelist,

soliciting an audio message from the calling party as audio data;

transmitting audio data from the messaging service platform to a computer of the called party while the calling party is connected, and

enabling the called party to react to the traditional telephony call in response to the audio message by presenting call processing options and enabling the called party to select a call processing option from a list that includes at least one of the following call processing options;

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a nontelemarketing telephony call,

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a telemarketing telephony call and adding information descriptive of the calling party to the telemarketer blacklist, and

enabling the calling party to be added to the associated whitelist.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to add calling party information to a multiuser blacklist used by other called parties when the called party indicates the calling party is a telemarketer.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to generate a special information tone (SIT) to disconnect the traditional telephony call.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to add calling party information to a multiuser whitelist used by other called parties when the called party indicates that the calling party is a known associate.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to use a scoring system in determining whether to add the calling party to a multiuser blacklist or a multiuser whitelist by comparing a relative number of times the called party indicates the calling party is a telemarketer or a known associate.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to:

enable the called party to indicate that the calling party was a telemarketer, and

add calling party information to the telemarketer blacklist.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to:

enable the called party to indicate that the calling party was a known associate after processing the traditional telephony call, and

add calling party information to the associated whitelist.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to transmit a warning message to the calling party that the called party does not accept unsolicited traditional telephony calls when an identity of the calling party appears indeterminate in response to a user selection.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the unsolicited traditional telephony calls include the telemarketing telephony call.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the unsolicited traditional telephony calls include a traditional telephony call where no prior audio communications have been exchanged between the calling party and the called party.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to generate a violation message to a reporting authority that the calling party has violated conditions set forth in the warning message that the called party does not accept unsolicited traditional telephony calls.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to generate a special information tone when using the telemarketer blacklist in deciding to process the traditional telephony call as a telemarketing telephony call.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the telemarketer screening code segment is structured and arranged to generate the special information tone in response to determining that the calling party is responsive to the special information tone.

27. A method for enabling a called party to screen a traditional telephony call for a telemarketing solicitation made by a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telephone network, the traditional telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform;

using the messaging service platform to perform telemarketer-screening operations whereby the telemarketer screening operations may include one or more of the following;

blacklist operations,

whitelist operations, and

graylist operations when an identity of a calling party is indeterminate;

when the traditional telephony call is not processed using the blacklist operations or the whitelist operations,

enabling the called party to react to the traditional telephony call by presenting call processing options enabling the called party to select from one or more of the following call processing options;

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a nontelemarketing telephony call,

enabling the traditional telephony call to be processed as a telemarketing telephony call and adding information descriptive of the calling party to the telemarketer blacklist, and

enabling the calling party to be added to the associated whitelist.