Do Not Call list enforcement system and method

• US 8,363,803 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/415,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.02, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/207.13, 379/207.14
• US Class Current: 379/142.02
• 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 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject

Abstract

A system and method for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls may include storing a contact list for users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number. An incoming telephone call from a caller may be intercepted and a determination may be made as to whether the caller is in the contact list. In response to determining that the caller is in the contact list, the incoming call may be connected to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number. Otherwise, in response to determining that the caller is not in the contact list, the caller may be prompted with an audible message, and, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, the incoming call may be blocked from connecting to the called telephone. Otherwise, in response to a second response, the incoming call may be connected.

Claims

1. A system for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls, said system comprising:

a contact list manager module configured to manage a contact list of users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number;

a call interceptor module configured to intercept an incoming telephone call to the telephone number and determine whether a telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call is in the contact list;

a call handler module in communication with said call interceptor module, configured to;

in response to said call interceptor module determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call is in the contact list, connect the incoming call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number;

otherwise, in response to said call interceptor module determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming call is not in the contact list;

prompt a caller with an audible message;

in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, block the incoming telephone call from connecting to the called telephone; and

otherwise, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a second response, connect the incoming call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number; and

a call history manager module that is configured to present a list of telephone numbers from callers that were determined not to be in the contact list, wherein said call interceptor is further configured to determine if the telephone number associated with the incoming call is on the list of telephone numbers that were determined to not be in the contact list, and wherein said call handler module is further configured to block the incoming telephone call from connecting to the called telephone and to report the telephone number of the incoming call.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call history manager module is further configured to enable a user to assign a name to each of the telephone numbers in the list of telephone numbers not in the contact list.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a caller reporting module configured to enable the called party to report the telephone number of the incoming call.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said caller reporting module is further configured to disconnect the telephone call prior to reporting the telephone number.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call handler module is further configured to, in response to the caller entering the first response, communicate a second audible message to the caller.

6. A method for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls, said method comprising:

storing, at a contract list manager, a contact list for users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number;

intercepting, at a call interceptor, an incoming telephone call to the telephone number;

determining, at the call interceptor, whether a telephone number associated with a telephone used to place the incoming telephone call is in the contact list;

in response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call is in the contact list, connecting, at a call handler module, the incoming call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number;

otherwise, in response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming call is not in the contact list;

prompting, at the call handler module, a caller with an audible message;

in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, blocking, at the call handler module, the incoming call from connecting to the called telephone;

otherwise, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a second response, connecting, at the call handler module, the incoming call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number

displaying, at a call history manager module, a list of telephone numbers from callers that were determined not to be in the contact list;

determining, at the call interceptor, if the telephone number associated with the incoming call is on the list of telephone numbers that were determined to not be in the contact list;

blocking, at the call handler module, the incoming call from connecting to the called telephone; and

reporting, at the call handler module, the telephone number of the incoming call.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising enabling, at the call history manager module, a user to assign a name to each of the telephone numbers in the list of telephone numbers not in the contact list.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising enabling, at a caller reporting module, the called party to report the telephone number of the incoming call.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising disconnecting, at the caller reporting module, the telephone call prior to reporting the telephone number.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, in response to the caller entering the first response, communicating, at the call handler module, a second audible message to the caller.

11. A system for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls, said system comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a data repository;

an input/output unit configured to communicate over a communications network;

a processing unit in communication with said storage unit and input/output unit, and configured to;

store a contact list in the data repository for users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number;

intercept an incoming telephone call to the telephone number;

determine whether a telephone number associated with a telephone used to place the incoming telephone call is in the contact list;

in response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call is in the contact list, connect the incoming telephone call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number;

otherwise, in response to determining that the telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call is not in the contact list;

prompt a caller with an audible message;

in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, block the incoming call from connecting to the called telephone;

otherwise, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a second response, connect the incoming call to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number;

add the telephone number of the incoming call to a do not call list in the data repository in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering the first response;

determine if the telephone number associated with the incoming call is on the list of telephone numbers that were determined to not be in the contact list;

block the incoming call from connecting to the called telephone; and

report the telephone number of the incoming call.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to enable a called party to disconnect from the telephone call and add the telephone number to a do not call list to prevent the caller from calling the called telephone number again.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to enable the called party to report the telephone number of the incoming call.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to communicate a second audible message to the caller in response to the called party entering a code after the incoming telephone call has been connected to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the audible message is a question to the caller requesting that the caller indicate whether the call is a telemarketing call.