System and method for blocking a telephone call

• US 7,907,715 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moss, John W., Schroepfer, Tyler D., Tiliks, Dianna, Heinmiller, Wayne, Herrera, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi; Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US11/137,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20060285676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.02, 379/221.12, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• 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: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A system and method are provided for blocking a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the calling party associated with a calling party directory number, including a local-designated trunk group over which the incoming telephone call from the calling party is received. A service switching point is coupled with the local-designated trunk group, the service switching point receiving the telephone call, generating a query message including the calling party directory number, and sending the query message to a service control point. The service control point is coupled with the service switching point, receives the query message, and determines if the calling party is inter Local Access and Transport Area (interLATA) with respect to the service switching point. Where the calling party is determined to be interLATA, the service control point determines a screening indicator value, and generates a response message to the service switching point to block the telephone call received via the local-designated trunk group where the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call is public telecommunications network provided.

Claims

1. A method of blocking a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, comprising:

receiving a telephone call from the calling party at a local-designated trunk group of a service switching point (SSP) serving the called party;

determining, based on redirection information contained in a redirection field of an Info_Collected query message associated with the telephone call sent to the service control point, if the Local and Access Transport Area (LATA) of the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP, wherein the SSP is within an SSP LATA; and

when the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP,

determining a screening indicator value, wherein the screening indicator value comprises a value of a field, other than the redirection field, in the Info_Collect query message, wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network, and

blocking the telephone call when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the telephone call to proceed when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted entirely using a public network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP includes:

determining a final redirecting party that redirected the telephone call to the called party;

determining a final redirecting party directory number;

determining a final redirecting party LATA responsive to the final redirecting party directory number; and

comparing the SSP LATA with the final redirecting party LATA.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the final redirecting party LATA includes looking up the final redirecting party directory number in a database of a service control point.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the redirection information includes information present in at least one of an OriginalCalledPartyID field and a RedirectingPartyID field of the Info_Collected query message, and wherein the determining the final redirecting party directory number includes:

determining the final redirecting party directory number as the OriginalCalledPartyID of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected one time; and

determining the final redirecting party directory number as the RedirectingPartyID of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected more than one time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP is determined responsive to a trunk-associated trigger encountered on the local-designated trunk group during processing of the telephone call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the trunk-associated trigger is an originating trigger.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the originating trigger is one of a Shared Interoffice Trunk Trigger and an Off-Hook Delay trigger.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the local-designated trunk group is a local incoming interconnection trunk group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the screening indicator value is indicative of whether a termination fee for the telephone call is applicable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the blocking the telephone call includes blocking the telephone call when the screening indicator value is equal to a value of binary 11.

12. A telecommunications network for blocking a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the telephone call having corresponding voice and control information wherein the control information includes screening indicator information, the calling party associated with a calling party directory number, comprising:

a local-designated trunk group over which the telephone call from the calling party is received;

a service switching point (SSP) coupled with the local-designated trunk group, the SSP receiving the telephone call, generating a query message including the calling party directory number, and sending the query message to a service control point; and

the service control point (SCP) coupled with the SSP, the SCP receiving the query message, and determining, based on redirection information contained in a redirection field of an Info_Collected query message associated with the telephone call sent to the service control point, when the calling party is inter Local Access and Transport Area (interLATA) with respect to the SSP, and when the calling party is interLATA, the SCP

determining a screening indicator value, wherein the screening indicator value comprises a value of a field, other than the redirection field, in the Info_Collect query message, wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network, and

generating a response message to the SSP to block the telephone call received via the local-designated trunk group when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network.

13. The telecommunications network of claim 12, including the SCP generating a response message to the SSP to allow the telephone call to proceed when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted entirely using a public network.

14. The telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the SSP is determined to have an SSP LATA, and further comprising

a LATA database at the SCP listing directory number information and corresponding LATA information for a plurality of telephone subscribers, and

the SCP determining whether the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP includes the SCP

determining a directory number of a final redirecting party that redirected the telephone call to the called party,

searching the LATA database for directory number information of the final redirecting party to determine a final redirecting party LATA, and

comparing the final redirecting party LATA with the SSP LATA.

15. The telecommunications network of claim 14, and

the SCP determining the final redirecting party directory number includes the SCP

determining the final redirecting party directory number as an OriginalCalledPartyID of the redirection field of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected one time, and

determining the final redirecting party directory number as a Redirecting PartyID of the redirection field of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected more than one time.

16. The telecommunications network of claim 15, wherein the SCP determining the screening indicator value includes the SCP:

determining the screening indicator value associated with the OriginalCalledPartyID parameter of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected one time; and

determining the screening indicator value associated with the Redirecting PartyID parameter of the Info_Collected query message when the telephone call was redirected more than one time.

17. The telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the SSP generating and sending the query message is accomplished responsive to a trunk-associated trigger on the local-designated trunk group encountered at the SSP during processing of the telephone call.

18. The telecommunications network of claim 17, wherein the trunk-associated trigger is an originating trigger.

19. The telecommunications network of claim 18, wherein the originating trigger is one of a Shared Interoffice Trunk Trigger and an Off-Hook Delay trigger.

20. The telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the local-designated trunk group is a local incoming interconnection trunk group.

21. The telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether a termination fee for the telephone call is applicable.

22. The telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the generating a response message to the SSP to block the telephone call includes generating a response message to the SSP to block the telephone call received via the local-designated trunk group when the screening indicator value is equal to binary 11.

23. A service control point used in the blocking of a telephone call, the telephone call being transmitted from a calling party to the called party over a local-designated trunk group associated with the called party, comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of the service control point; and

a memory device coupled with the controller and including directory number information and corresponding Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) information for a plurality of telephone subscribers;

wherein the controller controlling operation of the service control point includes the controller

determining, based on redirection information contained in a redirection field of an Info_Collected query message associated with the telephone call sent to the service control point, if the calling party is interLATA with respect to a service switching point coupled to the local-designated trunk group, using information from the query message and the memory device,

wherein if it is determined that the calling party is interLATA, the controller determining a screening indicator value, wherein the screening indicator value comprises a value of a field, other than the redirection field, in the Info_Collect query message, wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network, and generating a response message used in the blocking of the telephone call received over the local-designated trunk group when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network.

24. A non-transitory computer readable memory media for use in a telecommunications network device, the memory media comprising instructions executable to:

detect a telephone call from a calling party to a called party at a local-designated trunk group coupled to a service switching point (SSP) servicing the called party;

determine, based on redirection information contained in a redirection field of an Info_Collected query message associated with the telephone call sent to the service control point, when the calling party is inter Local Access and Transport Area (interLATA) with respect to the SSP; and

determine, based on a screening indicator value when the calling party is intreLATA with respect to the SSP, wherein the screening indicator value comprises a value of a field, other than the redirection field, in the Info_Collected query message, wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network, and for generating a response message to block the telephone call received over the local-designated trunk group when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network.

25. The memory media of claim 24, wherein the telecommunications network device is a service control point, and wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether a termination fee for the telephone call is applicable.

26. A non-transitory computer readable memory media for use in a telecommunications network device, the memory media comprising instructions executable to:

receive an indication of a telephone call from a calling party to a called party at a local-designated trunk group coupled to a service switching point (SSP) servicing the called party;

determine, based on redirection information associated with the telephone call contained in a redirection field of an Info_Collected query message sent to the service control point, when the calling party is inter Local Access and Transport Area (interLATA) with respect to the SSP; and

determine, based on a screening indicator value, wherein the screening indicator value comprises a value of a field, other than the redirection field, in the Info_Collect query message, wherein the screening indicator value indicated whether the telephone call has been transmitted at least in part using a private network, when the calling party is interLATA with respect to the SSP, and for generating a response message to block the telephone call received over the local-designated trunk group when the screening indicator value indicates that the telephone call is interLATA with respect to the SSP been transmitted at least in part using a private network.

27. The memory media of claim 26, wherein the telecommunications network device is a service control point, and wherein the screening indicator value indicates whether a termination fee for the telephone call is applicable.