Method and system for identifying telemarketer communications

• US 7,623,646 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/765,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

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.

Claims

1. A method for identifying telemarketer communications comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party directed to a subscriber of a call screening service;

determining whether a telephone directory number of the calling party is at least one of known and unknown;

when the telephone directory number of the calling party is known, querying a database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications to determine whether the telephone directory number of the calling party matches at least one telephone directory number stored in the database;

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 purpose for the call prior to routing the call to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is unknown, intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party does not match at least one of the telephone directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications, determining whether the telephone directory number of the calling party is private.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is not private, authorizing the call and routing the call to the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein routing the call to the subscriber comprises:

notifying the subscriber of the calling party'"'"'s name; and

providing at least one option to the subscriber to handle the call, the at least one option comprising at least one of answering the call, ignoring the call, sending a message of unavailability, and sending a no call message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is private, requesting the calling party to unblock a private status of the call.

7. The method of claim 1, prior to determining whether 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 further comprising:

monitoring inbound calls and outbound calls associated with a carrier network;

collecting a calling telephone directory number, a called telephone directory number, and a termination status for each of the inbound calls and the outbound calls monitored wherein the termination status comprises an indicator as to whether a call is answered;

analyzing the termination status of at least each inbound call to the calling telephone directory numbers to determine a calling pattern for each of the calling telephone directory numbers;

determining whether the calling pattern for any of the calling telephone directory numbers match a profile of telemarketer communications; and

when the calling pattern for any of the calling telephone directory numbers match the profile of telemarketer communications, storing those calling telephone directory numbers having a calling pattern that matches the profile in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications.

8. A system for identifying solicitor communications directed to one or more subscribers comprising:

means for receiving one or more calls directed to the subscribers of a privacy screening service;

means for determining whether a directory number of a calling party is at least one of known and unknown;

when the directory number of the calling party is known, means for querying a database of directory numbers associated with solicitor communications to determine whether the directory number of the calling party matches one or more directory numbers stored in the database;

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 purpose for the call prior to routing the call to the subscribers in response to intercepting the calls from reaching the subscribers of the privacy screening service.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is unknown, means for intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party does not match at least one of the telephone directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications, means for determining whether the telephone directory number of the calling party is private.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is not private, means for authorizing the call and routing the call to the subscriber.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for routing the call to the subscriber comprises:

means for notifying the subscriber of the calling party'"'"'s name; and

means for providing at least one option to the subscriber to handle the call, the at least one option comprising at least one of answering the call, ignoring the call, sending a message of unavailability, and sending a no call message.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is private, means for requesting the calling party to unblock a private status of the call.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

means for monitoring inbound calls and outbound calls associated with a carrier network;

means for collecting a calling telephone directory number, a called telephone directory number, and a termination status for each of the inbound calls and the outbound calls monitored wherein the termination status comprises an indicator as to whether a call is answered;

means for analyzing the termination status of at least each inbound call to the calling telephone directory numbers to determine a calling pattern for each of the calling telephone directory numbers;

means for determining whether the calling pattern for any of the calling telephone directory numbers match a profile of telemarketer communications; and

means for storing the calling directory numbers having at least one calling pattern that matches the profile of solicitor communications in the database of directory numbers associated with solicitor communications.