Telephone call handling list for multiple users

• US 7,894,588 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: McMullin, William P., Smith, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US11/016,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20060147014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.2, 379/210.03, 379/112.04
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• 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 3/436 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 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

Enabling handling of incoming phone calls includes receiving an indication from one or more call recipients reflecting a desire to block future calls from a call source. A number of received indications reflecting a desire to block future calls from the call source is determined and compared to a threshold. An identifier of the call source is added to a list of call sources from which future calls are specially handled when the number of indications meets the threshold. Handling an incoming call from an undesired call source includes receiving an indication of a call placed to a call recipient. A source of the call is identified. Whether the identified call source is included in the list of call sources from which future calls are specially handled is determined. Special handling is applied to the call when the identified call source is included in the list.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for handling an incoming call from a call source, the method comprising:

electronically receiving an indication of a call placed to a call recipient;

electronically identifying a source of the call;

electronically determining if the identified call source is included in a first set of call sources, a second set of call sources, or a third set of call sources;

electronically applying a first call treatment to the call when the identified call source is determined to be included in the first set of call sources; and

electronically applying a second call treatment to the call when the identified call source is determined to be included in the second set of call sources; and

electronically applying a third call treatment to the call when the identified call source is determined to be included in the third set of call sources, the first, the second, and the third call treatments being distinct from each other,

wherein the call source is included in the first set of call sources when a number of received indications is zero, said indications reflect a desire of corresponding call recipients to block future calls from the call source,

wherein the call source is included in the second set of call sources when a number of said indications is greater than zero but less than a threshold number, and

wherein the call source is included in the third set of call sources when a number of said indications is greater than or equal to the threshold number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

electronically applying the first call treatment comprises causing the call to ring on a phone of the call recipient using a first ring tone,

electronically applying the second call treatment comprises causing the call to ring on the phone of the call recipient using a second ring tone, and

electronically applying the third call treatment comprises causing the call to ring on the phone of the call recipient using a third ring tone, the first, the second and the third ring tones being different from each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

electronically applying the first call treatment comprises providing a first visual notification of the call to the call recipient,

electronically applying the second call treatment comprises providing a second visual notification of the call to the call recipient, and

electronically applying the third call treatment comprises providing a third visual notification of the call to the call recipient,

the first, the second and the third visual notifications being visually distinct from each other.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the first visual notification is presented in a first color,

the second visual notification is presented in a second color, and

the third visual notification is presented in a third color, the first, the second and the third colors being distinct from each other to reflect inclusion of the call source in the first, the second, and the third sets of call sources, respectively.