Method and apparatus for providing protection against spam

• US 9,100,455 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Zhi, Savoor, Raghvendra, Li, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US13/940,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 370/250, 370/252, 370/261, 370310-357, 370/360, 370400-401, 379/93.14, 379/115.03, 379/142.05, 379/201.05, 379/216.01, 379/221.02, 379/230, 379/266.1, 379/386, 709/206, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229, 709/232, 726 1- 26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing protection against spam calls are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signaling message for setting up a call to a customer, and determines whether the call is from a caller that has been identified as being a spammer. The method processes the call using one or more filter rules for the customer, if the caller has been identified as being a spammer.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a signaling message for setting up the call to an endpoint device of a customer;

determining, by the processor, the call is from a caller that has been identified as being a spammer; and

processing, by the processor, the call using a filter rule for the customer, when the caller has been identified as being a spammer, wherein the filter rule has been configured by the customer, wherein the filter rule specifies a call handling based upon a category of the spammer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by analyzing information contained within the signaling message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by sending a query to an application server that maintains a list of spammers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a response to the query comprises spammer information, wherein the spammer information comprises the category of the spammer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing a feedback received from the customer, when the feedback is received from the customer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing the feedback comprises recording a plurality of voice packets from the call.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing the feedback comprises recording a plurality of data packets from the call.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing the feedback comprises recording an input provided by the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spammer is identified by a foreign gateway.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling message for setting up the call is received by the processor of a signaling gateway router.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling message comprises a session initiation protocol signaling message.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for processing a call, the operations comprising:

receiving a signaling message for setting up the call to an endpoint device of a customer;

determining the call is from a caller that has been identified as being a spammer; and

processing the call using a filter rule for the customer, when the caller has been identified as being a spammer, wherein the filter rule has been configured by the customer, wherein the filter rule specifies a call handling based upon a category of the spammer.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determining is performed by analyzing information contained within the signaling message.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determining is performed by sending a query to an application server that maintains a list of spammers.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein a response to the query comprises spammer information, wherein the spammer information comprises the category of the spammer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing a feedback received from the customer, when the feedback is received from the customer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processing the feedback comprises recording a plurality of voice packets from the call.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the spammer is identified by a foreign gateway.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the signaling message for setting up the call is received by the processor of a signaling gateway router.

20. An apparatus for processing a call, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a signaling message for setting up the call to an endpoint device of a customer;

determining the call is from a caller that has been identified as being a spammer; and

processing the call using a filter rule for the customer, when the caller has been identified as being a spammer, wherein the filter rule has been configured by the customer, wherein the filter rule specifies a call handling based upon a category of the spammer.