Techniques for bypassing call screening in a call messaging system

• US 8,681,968 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Vendrow, Vlad
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Thjuan K
• Application Number:
  US13/615,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.01, 379/142.01, 379/93.17, 379/211.02, 379/67.1, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/211.01, 379/207.15, 379/221.01, 379/220.01, 379/219, 455/445, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable media for bypassing call screening in a call messaging system includes storing a call screening rule for a callee specifying one or more conditions under which the call screening rule applies to an incoming call to the callee and specifying one or more call screening actions to take when an incoming call to the callee is received under the one or more conditions. When an incoming call from the caller'"'"'s device to the callee'"'"'s device is received under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule, a determination is made whether a bypass condition exists, and if a bypass condition exists, the incoming call is connected to the callee'"'"'s device without taking the one or more call screening actions.

Claims

1. A method for bypassing call screening in a call messaging system, the method comprising:

storing a call screening rule for a callee;

wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more conditions under which the call screening rule applies to an incoming call to the callee;

wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more call screening actions to take when an incoming call to the callee is received under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

receiving an incoming call from a device of a caller to the callee under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

determining whether a bypass condition exists; and

in response to determining that the bypass condition exists, connecting the incoming call to a device of the callee without taking the one or more call screening actions;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more screening actions include presenting one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device;

and wherein the method further comprises connecting the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without presenting the one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions include sending the incoming call to a voicemail box of the callee;

and wherein the method further comprises connecting the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without sending the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s voicemail box, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining a priority of the incoming call and determining whether a bypass condition exists based on the priority.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device was disconnected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device could not be connected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined identity of the caller'"'"'s device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined time of the incoming call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone;

and wherein the callee device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of a method for bypassing call screening in a call messaging system, the method comprising:

storing a call screening rule for a callee;

wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more conditions under which the call screening rule applies to an incoming call to the callee;

wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more call screening actions to take when an incoming call to the callee is received under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

receiving an incoming call from a device of a caller to the callee under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

determining whether a bypass condition exists; and

in response to determining that the bypass condition exists, connecting the incoming call to a device of the callee without taking the one or more call screening actions.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the one or more screening actions include presenting one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device;

and wherein the method further comprises connecting the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without presenting the one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the one or more actions include sending the incoming call to a voicemail box of the callee;

and

wherein the method further comprises connecting the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without sending the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s voicemail box, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining a priority of the incoming call and determining whether a bypass condition exists based on the priority.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device was disconnected.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device could not be connected.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined identity of the caller'"'"'s device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined time of the incoming call.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the caller device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone;

and wherein the callee device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone.

19. A call messaging system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a call rule configuration manager stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors and configured to store a call screening rule for a callee, wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more conditions under which the call screening rule applies to an incoming call to the callee, wherein the call screening rule specifies one or more call screening actions to take when an incoming call to the callee is received under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

an incoming call handler stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors and configured to receive an incoming call from a device of a caller to the callee under the one or more conditions of the call screening rule;

a screening engine stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors and configured to;

determine whether a bypass condition exists; and

connect the incoming call to a device of the callee without taking the one or more call screening actions, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more screening actions include presenting one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device;

and wherein the screening engine is configured to connect the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without presenting the one or more prompts at the caller'"'"'s device, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a voicemail box of the callee;

wherein the one or more actions include sending the incoming call to the voicemail box of the callee; and

wherein the screening engine is configured to connect the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s device without sending the incoming call to the callee'"'"'s voicemail box, in response to determining that the bypass condition exists.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the screening engine is configured to determine a priority of the incoming call and to determine whether a bypass condition exists based on the priority.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the screening engine is configured to determine that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device was disconnected.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the screening engine is configured to determine that a bypass condition does exist based on determining that a previous call from the callee'"'"'s device to the caller'"'"'s device could not be connected.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising a caller identification module stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors and configured to determine an identity of the caller'"'"'s device;

and wherein the screening engine is configured to determine that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined identity of the caller'"'"'s device.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein determining whether a bypass condition exists includes determining that a bypass condition does exist based on a determined time of the incoming call.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the caller device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone;

and wherein the callee device is a device selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, an Internet Protocol (IP) phone, a computing device executing a softphone application, or a hand-held cellular telephone.