Index of suspicion determination for communications request

• US 9,307,078 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Ehrlich, Robert, Mitchell, Donald L., Marshall, Roger S., Hines, Gordon John
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/618,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.04, 379/142.05, 379/142.06, 379/142.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/556 Statistical analysis and interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6027 Fraud preventions
• 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 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The risk that an incoming emergency call is a prank call is presented in real-time to the called party, in the form of, e.g., an index of suspicion. An index of suspicion aggregation server quantifies, qualifies, and aggregates risks, suspicions, and/or threats relevant to a call center to formulate a scale of suspicion. Metrics are acquired (e.g., calling device location information, device configuration information, caller information, etc.) relevant to each communications request made to a call center and uses acquired metrics to rate communications requests based on a known scale of suspicion. Once a suspicion rating is determined for a communications request, the communications request is routed to a relevant call-taker terminal, as is the index of suspicion for that incoming call. Real time presentation of the index of suspicion enables call-takers to make better call-handling decisions based on risk analysis and historical call data associated with a given caller.

Claims

1. A method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call, comprising:

requesting a current location of a wireless calling device to an incoming call, from a network positioning server;

comparing said obtained current location of said wireless calling device to locations of known active emergency events;

determining a suspicion rating that said incoming call relates to a known emergency event based on said comparison of said current location of said wireless calling device to locations of known active emergency events; and

providing said suspicion rating to a called device during said incoming call.

2. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 1, wherein:

said suspicion rating is provided to said called device in real time during said incoming call.

3. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a call history database to determine a level of confidence in said suspicion rating from a call history relating to said wireless calling device.

4. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a call forensic database to determine a level of confidence in said suspicion rating by comparison to a pattern of known prank calls.

5. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 4, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to known locations of confirmed prank calls.

6. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 4, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to peak times of confirmed prank calls.

7. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 4, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to prior confirmed prank calls linked to a caller identity of said wireless calling device.

8. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 4, further comprising:

accessing a call forensic database to determine a level of confidence in said suspicion rating by comparison to a pattern of known prank calls.

9. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 8, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to known locations of confirmed prank calls.

10. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 9, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to peak times for confirmed prank calls.

11. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 8, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to a caller identity linked to said wireless calling device.

12. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 4, further comprising:

updating said call forensic database to include an entry of a confirmed prank call from a location of said wireless calling device.

13. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 3, further comprising:

updating said call history database to include an entry of a confirmed prank call from said wireless calling device.

14. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 3, further comprising:

updating said call history database to include an entry of a confirmed prank call from a caller identity linked to said wireless calling device.

15. The method of providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 1, wherein:

said index of suspicion rating is provided to said called device upon request of said called device.

16. Apparatus for providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call, comprising:

means for requesting a current location of a wireless calling device to an incoming call, from a network positioning server;

means for comparing said obtained current location of said wireless calling device to locations of known active emergency events;

means for determining a suspicion rating that said incoming call relates to a known emergency event based on said comparison of said current location of said wireless calling device to locations of known active emergency events; and

means for transmitting said suspicion rating to a called device during said incoming call.

17. The apparatus for providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 16, wherein:

said means for transmitting said suspicion rating transmits said suspicion rating in real time during said incoming call.

18. The apparatus for providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for accessing a call history database to determine a level of confidence in said suspicion rating from a call history relating to said wireless calling device.

19. The apparatus for providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for accessing a call forensic database to determine a level of confidence in said suspicion rating by comparison to a pattern of known prank calls.

20. The apparatus for providing a rating of suspicion indicating that an incoming call may be a prank call according to claim 16, wherein:

said pattern of known prank calls relates to known locations of confirmed prank calls.