Method and system for providing call screening in a packet-switched network

• US 8,447,019 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbins, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US13/039,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20110158132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370260-262, 379 3201- 3204, 379/35, 379/201.01, 37921102-21105, 379/221.09, 379/229, 379/207.01, 37920201-20601
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for determining whether a call in a packet-switched network to a first destination is to be forwarded, forwarding the call to a second destination based on a determination that the call is to be forwarded, notifying the first destination that the call has been forwarded, receiving a request from the first destination to screen the call, and enabling the first destination to screen the call.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable media for storing codes; and

at least one programmable processor configured execute the codes to perform;

receiving a call to a first destination from a caller;

determining whether a call forwarding is active at the first destination;

forwarding the call to a second destination based at least in part on the determination that the call forwarding is active;

notifying the first destination that the call has been forwarded;

determining whether the first destination wants to screen the call within a predetermined time period;

enabling the first destination to screen the call based at least in part on the determination that the first destination wants to screen the call, wherein enabling the first destination to screen the call comprises creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination; and

wherein notifying the first destination that the call has been forwarded comprises transmitting a notification message to the first destination, the notification message comprising at least one of an identification of a dialog with the caller, an address associated with the second destination, and the predetermined time period.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein forwarding the call to a second destination comprises transmitting a request to the second destination to create a dialog with the second destination.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the first destination wants to screen the call comprises receiving a notification of a detected device control condition at the first destination.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein enabling the first destination to screen the call further comprises receiving a request at an address associated with the first destination.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the request comprises at least one of an identification of a dialog with the caller and a session description.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein enabling the original destination to screen the call further comprises creating a dialog with the first destination.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination comprises assigning a conference uniform resource identifier (URI) to the conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination further comprises transmitting a conference message to the first destination, wherein the conference message comprises at least one of the conference uniform resource identifier (URI) and a parameter associated with the conference.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the codes to perform:

receiving a request to create a two-way media session with the first destination.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the request to create the two-way media session comprises a request that enables the first destination to transmit audio data to at least one of the second destination or a caller associated with the call.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the codes to perform:

determining whether the first destination wants to eject the second destination from the call.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein determining whether the first destination wants to eject the second destination from the call comprises receiving a refer request from the first destination, wherein the refer request comprises at least one of an address associated with the second destination and an indication to eject the second destination from the call.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by at least one programmable processor, a call to a first destination from a caller;

determining, by the at least one programmable processor, whether a call forwarding is active at the first destination;

forwarding, by the at least one programmable processor, the call to a second destination based at least in part on the determination that the call forwarding is active;

notifying, by the at least one programmable processor, the first destination that the call has been forwarded;

determining, by the at least one programmable processor, whether the first destination wants to screen the call within a predetermined time period;

enabling, by the at least one programmable processor, the first destination to screen the call based at least in part on the determination that the first destination wants to screen the call, wherein enabling the first destination to screen the call comprises creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination; and

wherein notifying the first destination that the call has been forwarded comprises transmitting a notification message to the first destination, the notification message comprising at least one of an identification of a dialog with the caller, an address associated with the second destination, and the predetermined time period.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein forwarding the call to a second destination comprises transmitting a request to the second destination to create a dialog with the second destination.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein determining whether the first destination wants to screen the call comprises receiving a notification of a detected device control condition at the first destination.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein enabling the first destination to screen the call further comprises receiving a request at an address associated with the first destination.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the request comprises at least one of an identification of a dialog with the caller and a session description.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein enabling the original destination to screen the call further comprises creating a dialog with the first destination.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination comprises assigning a conference uniform resource identifier (URI) to the conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein creating a conference between the caller, the first destination, and the second destination further comprises transmitting a conference message to the first destination, wherein the conference message comprises at least one of the conference uniform resource identifier (URI) and a parameter associated with the conference.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the at least one programmable processor, a request to create a two-way media session with the first destination.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the request to create the two-way media session comprises a request that enables the first destination to transmit audio data to at least one of the second destination or a caller associated with the call.

23. The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining, by the at least one programmable processor, whether the first destination wants to eject the second destination from the call.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein determining whether the first destination wants to eject the second destination from the call comprises receiving a refer request from the first destination, wherein the refer request comprises at least one of an address associated with the second destination and an indication to eject the second destination from the call.