Central call screening system

• US 7,616,748 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telebuyer LLC
• Original Assignee: Telebuyer LLC
• Inventors: Katz, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi; Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US10/322,842
• Time in Patent Office: 2,519 Days
• Field of Search: 379/200, 379/210.02
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• 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

Abstract

A screening service for individual telephone lines to block unwanted calls based on call character signals and caller identification signals function in conjunction with a public switched telephone network. Calls identified by call character signals, as which identify a facsimile machine, and caller identification signals, as which identify an undesired call source, are recognized selectively in accordance with each program for individual telephone lines to provide blocking service including a termination cue. Using a dial-up connection, a subscriber can modify blocking information by a control program.

Claims

1. A central call screening system in use in conjunction with a public switched telephone network, which network provides call data signals including call data character signals generated by a call source apparatus including a facsimile capability and indicative of call character, the central call screening system for selectively blocking placed calls to specific telephone lines on the basis of detecting the call data character signals received, comprising:

a monitoring unit for detecting calls placed to a specific telephone line and receiving call data signals relating to a placed call including call data character signals generated by the facsimile capability of the call source apparatus designating the character of a call;

signal recognition structure for directly recognizing certain facsimile call data character signals provided from the call source apparatus and received by the monitoring unit to identify unwanted calls placed to the specific telephone line from the call source apparatus; and

a call blocking unit controlled by the signal recognition structure to block unwanted facsimile calls for users of telephones placed by the facsimile capability of the call source apparatus to the specific telephone line.

2. A call screening system according to claim 1 further including a voice generator to vocalize a rejection message to blocked calls.

3. A call screening system according to claim 1 wherein the signal recognition structure recognizes facsimile signals indicating a call of a character to transmit signals representative of scanned images.

4. A call screening system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring unit includes a storage structure for storing reference signals.

5. A call screening system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring unit further detects caller identification signals;

wherein the signal recognition structure recognizes certain caller identification signals provided by the monitoring unit to identify unwanted placed calls to the specific telephone line.

6. A method of screening calls for operation in conjunction with a public switched telephone network, which network provides call data signals, including call data character signals generated by a facsimile capability of a call source apparatus and indicative of call character;

the method selectively blocking placed calls to specific individual telephone lines based on call character, and comprising the steps of;

detecting facsimile calls placed to a specific telephone line and receiving call data signals relating to a placed call including call data character signals generated by the facsimile capability of the call source apparatus;

directly recognizing certain call data character signals generated by the facsimile capability of the call source apparatus designating the nature of a call, as recognized to identify unwanted facsimile calls placed to the specific telephone line; and

based on the certain facsimile call data character signals as recognized, blocking all unwanted facsimile placed calls for users of telephones to the specific telephone line.

7. A method according to claim 6 further including a step of vocalizing a blocked call message to placed calls.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the included call data character signals comprise a FAX tone signal.