Identifying and filtering incoming telephone calls to enhance privacy

• US 9,560,198 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Inventors: Farrand, Tobin E., Snow, Kevin, Peng, Dennis, Bryan, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US15/212,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 379/188, 379/210.02, 379/210.03, 379196-199
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for filtering a telephone call is provided. The method may comprise: receiving from a caller the telephone call directed to a communication device associated with an intended call recipient, the Internet being disposed between a computer implementing the method and the communication device, the intended call recipient being in a structure; determining a state of the intended call recipient using telemetry received from at least one of a sensor and an appliance disposed in the structure; scoring the telephone call based on predetermined scoring criteria to create a score indicative of a desirability of the telephone call, the predetermined scoring criteria being provided by the intended call recipient, the predetermined scoring criteria including the state of the intended call recipient; comparing the score to a predetermined threshold score; classifying the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call using the comparison; and selectively rejecting the unwanted telephone call.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer for filtering a telephone call comprising:

receiving from a caller the telephone call directed to a communication device associated with an intended call recipient, the Internet being disposed between the computer and the communication device, the intended call recipient being in a structure;

determining a state of the intended call recipient using telemetry received from at least one of a sensor and an appliance disposed in the structure;

scoring the telephone call based on predetermined scoring criteria to create a score indicative of a desirability of the telephone call, the predetermined scoring criteria being provided by the intended call recipient, the predetermined scoring criteria including the state of the intended call recipient;

comparing the score to a predetermined threshold score;

classifying the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call using the comparison; and

selectively rejecting the unwanted telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring criteria further include a blacklist associated with the state of the intended call recipient.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting the predetermined threshold score using the state of the intended call recipient;

comparing alternatively the score to the adjusted predetermined threshold score; and

classifying alternatively the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call using the alternative comparison.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring criteria further include at least one of a global blacklist, whitelist, and graylist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring criteria further include at least one of a time range, day of week, range of days, and time of year.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is sleeping and the telemetry is received from at least one of a motion sensor associated with an alarm system and a motion sensor associated with a thermostat.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is eating and the telemetry is received from at least one of a refrigerator, stove, oven, and a motion sensor associated with a kitchen and/or dining room.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is consuming media and the telemetry is received from an audio/video receiver (AVR).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is entertaining a guest and the telemetry is received from at least one microphone associated with one or more of a computer, video game console, handheld gaming device, cordless phone, cellular phone, smart phone, smart television system, and security system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the telemetry is received form at least one of an alarm system, a smart thermostat, refrigerator, stove, oven, television, set-top box, video game console, media player, and stereo sound system.

11. A system for filtering a telephone call, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving from a caller the telephone call directed to a communication device associated with an intended call recipient, the Internet being disposed between the at least one processor and the communication device, the intended call recipient being in a structure;

determining a state of the intended call recipient using telemetry received from at least one of a sensor and an appliance disposed in the structure;

scoring the telephone call based on predetermined scoring criteria to create a score indicative of a desirability of the telephone call, the predetermined scoring criteria being provided by the intended call recipient, the predetermined scoring criteria including the state of the intended call recipient;

comparing the score to a predetermined threshold score;

classifying the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call using the comparison; and

selectively rejecting the unwanted telephone call.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the scoring criteria further include a blacklist associated with the state of the intended call recipient.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting the predetermined threshold score using the state of the intended call recipient;

comparing alternatively the score to the adjusted predetermined threshold score; and

classifying alternatively the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call using the alternative comparison.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the scoring criteria further include at least one of a global blacklist, whitelist, and graylist.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the scoring criteria further include at least one of a time range, day of week, range of days, and time of year.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is sleeping and the telemetry is received from at least one of a motion sensor associated with an alarm system and a motion sensor associated with a thermostat.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is eating and the telemetry is received from at least one of a refrigerator, stove, oven, and a motion sensor associated with a kitchen and/or dining room.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is consuming media and the telemetry is received from an audio/video receiver (AVR).

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the intended call recipient is entertaining a guest and the telemetry is received from at least one microphone associated with one or more of a computer, video game console, handheld gaming device, cordless phone, cellular phone, smart phone, smart television system, and security system.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the telemetry is received form at least one of an alarm system, a smart thermometer, refrigerator, stove, oven, television, set-top box, video game console, media player, and stereo sound system.