System and method for restricting and monitoring telephone calls

• US 8,155,293 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• 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: Moss, John Wesley, Tiliks, Dianna Inara, Crockett, Susanne Marie, Book, Nancy Ann, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/178,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080279359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/200
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

Communications from a first communications address identified by a service user are controlled. Data of a communication from the first communications address to a third party communications address is received. The communication is disallowed when an identification number received from a party requesting the communication is not a personal identification number specified by the service user, the first communications address is a restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, and the third party communications address is not a priority communications address for which the service user has elected to allow communications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling communications from a first communications address identified by a service user, comprising:

receiving data of a communication to a third party communications address from the first communications address;

determining, by a network controller, whether the first communications address is a restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, whether the third party communications address is a priority communications address for which the service user has elected to allow communications when the first communications address is the restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, and whether an identification number received from a party requesting the communication is a personal identification number specified by the service user when the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address,

disallowing the communication when the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address;

determining whether the third party communications address is an escape address for which the service user does not have an option to disallow communications, and

disallowing the communication when the third party communications address is not the escape address, and the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the communication when the third party communications address is the escape address without regard to whether the third party communications address is the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the escape address comprises a public emergency address.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 3,

wherein the public emergency address comprises 911.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the third party communications address is the restricted address, and

allowing the communication when the first communications address is not the restricted address and the third party communications address is not the restricted address without regard to whether the third party communications address is the priority communications address.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first communications address, the third party communications address, the priority communications address and the restricted communications address are all telephone numbers.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting and storing a plurality of restricted addresses for which the service user has elected to disallow communications.

8. The method according to claim 1,

accepting and storing a plurality of priority communications addresses for which the service user has elected to allow communications when the first communications address is the restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the identification number in real time when the third party communications address is not the priority communications address.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the communication is a telephone call, and

wherein, when the identification number is the personal identification number, the telephone call is connected between the third party communications address and the first communications address, and when the identification number is not the personal identification number, the telephone call is terminated.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the data of the communication in a database accessible by the service user through a packet switched data network.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a time of the communication is within a restricted time period previously identified by the service user,

wherein, when the time of the communication is not within the restricted time period, the communication is allowed without regard to whether the third party communications address is the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a call control schedule is active; and

determining whether the first communications address is a restricted address and whether the third party communications address is a priority communications address only when the restricted call control schedule is active and only in accordance with the restricted call control schedule.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

when the restricted call control schedule is not active, allowing the communication between the third party communications address and the first communications address without regard to whether the third party communications address is the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to deactivate the active call control schedule via a packet switching network; and

deactivating the active call control schedule in near real time.

16. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the restricted address comprises an area code and the priority communications address comprises a complete number within the area code.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program, recorded on the computer readable medium, that, when executed by a processor of a network controller, controls communications from a first communications address identified by a service user, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, that receives data of a communication to a third party communications address from the first communications address;

a determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, that determines whether the first communications address is a restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, whether the third party communications address is a priority communications address for which the service user has elected to allow communications when the first communications address is the restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, and whether an identification number received by a party requesting the communication is a personal identification number specified by the service user when the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address, and

a first disallowing code segment that disallows the communication when the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address;

a determining code segment that determines whether the third party communications address is an escape address for which the service user does not have an option to disallow communications, and

a second disallowing code segment that disallows the communication when the third party communications address is not the escape address, and the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17,

wherein the data of the communication is stored and is retrievable in near real time by the service user over a packet switching network.

19. A network controller for controlling communications from a first communications address identified by a service user, comprising:

a receiver that receives data of a communication to a third party communications address from the first communications address;

a determiner that determines whether the first communications address is a restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, whether the third party communications address is a priority communications address for which the service user has elected to allow communications when the first communications address is the restricted address for which the service user has elected to disallow communications, and whether an identification number received from a party requesting the communication is a personal identification number specified by the service user when the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address, and

a disallower that disallows the communication when the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address;

wherein the determiner also determines whether the third party communications address is an escape address for which the service user does not have an option to disallow communications, and

wherein the disallower disallows the communication when the third party communications address is not the escape address, and the identification number is not the personal identification number, the third party communications address is not the priority communications address and the first communications address is the restricted address.

20. The network controller of claim 19,

wherein the network controller comprises a service controller for a telecommunications network.