System and method of managing communications policy settings in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;
- said method comprising the steps of;
maintaining, at said server, a central common communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a first voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network;
maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local common communication policy;
said local common communication policy corresponding to said central common communication policy;
maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local override policy for determining whether to permit said first voice call regardless of contents of said local common communication policy;
receiving a second voice call at one of said subscriber devices;
said second voice call having an originator identifier;
receiving a user-input at said one of said subscriber devices representing a marker of said originator identifier;
accessing said local common communication policy at said one of said subscriber devices;
updating said local common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a third voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said subscriber devices; and
sending a request for an update to said server whereby to update said central common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, and sending updates to said plurality of subscriber devices such that reception of a fourth voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices, unless said local override policy in said at least another one of said subscriber devices indicates that reception of said fourth voice call having said originator identifier is permissible regardless of said central common communication policy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method of modifying policy settings in a network having a plurality of subscriber devices. An embodiment includes a plurality of base stations, each capable of wirelessly transmitting across a geographic region and a server. A cell-phone, capable of roaming between regions, is operable to establish a wireless link with the base stations and through the base stations, with the server. The network contains a communication policy determining from which other communication devices a subscriber device can receive voice calls. The communication policy is updated, by the server, based on requests from the subscriber devices. Once a request is received from a subscriber device, the determination whether to update the communication policy can be based on a record of rejections respective to the caller requested to be blocked. Alternatively, the communication policy can be updated according to a trust policy maintained on the server respective to the subscriber device making the request; the trust policy represents the procedure to follow when a request is received from that subscriber device.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;
- said method comprising the steps of;
maintaining, at said server, a central common communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a first voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network; maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local common communication policy;
said local common communication policy corresponding to said central common communication policy;maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local override policy for determining whether to permit said first voice call regardless of contents of said local common communication policy; receiving a second voice call at one of said subscriber devices;
said second voice call having an originator identifier;receiving a user-input at said one of said subscriber devices representing a marker of said originator identifier; accessing said local common communication policy at said one of said subscriber devices; updating said local common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a third voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said subscriber devices; and
sending a request for an update to said server whereby to update said central common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, and sending updates to said plurality of subscriber devices such that reception of a fourth voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices, unless said local override policy in said at least another one of said subscriber devices indicates that reception of said fourth voice call having said originator identifier is permissible regardless of said central common communication policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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10. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of programming instructions;
- said programming instructions implementing a method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;
said method comprising the steps of;maintaining, at said server, a central common communication policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a first voice call having said at least one identifier is permissible at said subscriber devices in said network; maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local common communication policy;
said local common communication policy corresponding to said central common communication policy;maintaining, at each said subscriber device, a local override policy for determining whether to permit said first voice call regardless of contents of said local common communication policy; receiving a second voice call at one of said subscriber devices;
said second voice call having an originator identifier;receiving a user-input at said one of said subscriber devices representing a marker of said originator identifier; accessing said local common communication policy at said one of said subscriber devices; updating said local common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a third voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said one of said subscriber devices; and
sending a request for an update to said server whereby to update said central common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, and sending updates to said plurality of subscriber devices such that reception of a fourth voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said plurality of said subscriber devices, unless said local override policy in said at least another one of said subscriber devices indicates that reception of said fourth voice call having said originator identifier is permissible regardless of said central common communication policy.
- said programming instructions implementing a method of processing communications in a voice telephony network having a plurality of subscriber devices and a server;
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11. A subscriber device of a voice telephony network comprising:
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a persistent storage device for maintaining, at said subscriber device, a local common communication policy;
said local common communication policy corresponding to a central common communication policy maintained b a server; and
for maintaining, at the said subscriber device, a local override policy for determining whether to permit a first voice call regardless of contents of said local common communication policy;a radio device for receiving a second voice call at said subscriber device;
said second voice call having an originator identifier;an input device for receiving a user-input at said subscriber device representing a marker of said originator identifier; a processor coupled to said persistent storage device and said radio device for accessing said local common communication policy at said subscriber device; said processor being configured to update said local common communication policy with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a third voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at said subscriber device; said processor further being configured to send an update request to said server whereby to update said central common policy at said server with said originator identifier associated with said marker, such that reception of a fourth voice call having said originator identifier is impermissible at a plurality of subscriber devices associated with the server unless said local override policy in said at least another one of said subscriber devices indicates that reception of said fourth voice call having said originator identifier is permissible regardless of said central common communication policy; and said processor further configurable to receive updates from said server whereby to synchronise the local common communication policy at the subscriber device with the central common communication policy at said server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification