Call treatment based on user association with one or more user groups

• US 9,596,348 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Michael, Connelly, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US13/767,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20130156176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 37921002-22102, 4554141-417
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/28 Services making use of subscriber schedule information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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 3/436 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

Abstract

A method is described for call treatment based on user association with one or more user groups. The method includes receiving a phone call from a call source that is directed to a call recipient, identifying a user group associated with the call recipient, and determining a number of received indications assigned to the user group. The received indications are assigned to the user group by users associated with the user group, and the received indications reflect a desire by the users for a special treatment of future calls from the call source. The method also includes distinguishing treatment of the phone call from the call source based on the number of received indications.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a call handling system comprising a processor, an indication from a first destination device of a first call recipient reflecting a characterization of calls from a call source;

identifying, by the processor, one or more user groups associated with the first call recipient;

selectively assigning, by the processor, the indication to the one or more user groups, the one or more user groups comprising at least one of;

users in a contact list, users in a social club, users employed by a corporate organization, and users that interact with each other;

determining, by the processor, a number of received indications related to the call source and assigned to a user group selected from among the one or more user groups, the received indications being assigned to the selected user group by users associated with the selected user group, the received indications reflecting characterizations of calls from the call source by the users, the users'"'"' characterizations of calls from the call source including a request by the users to apply a special treatment to future calls from the call source;

determining, by the processor, whether to apply a special treatment to an incoming phone call from the call source to a second destination device of a second call recipient associated with the selected user group based on the number of received indications related to the call source and assigned to the selected user group, the first call recipient different from the second call recipient;

determining, by the processor, a display capability of the second destination device to present a call notification message based on a type of the second destination device;

selecting, by the processor, a format data based on the determination of whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call and the display capability of the second destination device, the format data effective to specify how the display capability of the second destination device is used to display the call notification message;

transmitting the format data to the second destination device;

receiving, at the second destination device, the format data; and

presenting, by the second destination device, the call notification message in accordance with the format data, wherein

if the second destination device is a device with limited display capabilities, the format data allows the second destination device to limit the call notification message to a visual indication of the incoming phone call and to limit presented call handling options to a subset of a full suite of options, and

if the second destination device is not a device with limited display capabilities, the format data allows the second destination device to provide an audio and visual indication of the incoming phone call, to display full caller identity information, and to present a larger number of call handling options than the subset of the full suite of options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the indication from the first destination device includes receiving a vote to block future calls from the call source;

determining the number of received indications includes referencing a table to determine a number of received votes related to the call source and assigned to the selected user group, the received votes being assigned to the selected user group by users associated with the selected user group and the received votes requesting to block future calls from the call source; and

determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source comprises;

determining whether the number of received votes assigned to the selected user group exceeds a threshold;

blocking the incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device associated with the selected user group in response to determining that the number of received votes assigned to the selected user group exceeds the threshold; and

indicating in the call notification message transmitted to the second destination device that the incoming call from the call source was blocked.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second call recipient is different from the users who assigned the indications to the selected user group, reflecting the users'"'"' characterizations of calls from the call source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups comprises selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups of the first call recipient based on preferences of the first call recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups of the first call recipient based on the preferences of the first call recipient includes:

signaling, by the processor, the first destination device to present a user interface, the user interface including an option that allows the first call recipient to select the one or more user groups; and

receiving, at the call handling system, feedback from the first destination device, the feedback identifying the one or more user groups.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups of the first call recipient based on the preferences of the first call recipient comprises assigning the indication to at least a subset of the one or more user groups of the first call recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups comprises selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups based on a default setting, the default setting comprising a default setting selected by the first call recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source comprises:

determining whether the number of received indications assigned to the selected user group exceeds a threshold;

distinguishing treatment of the incoming phone call from the call source based on whether the number of received indications assigned to the selected user group is determined to exceed the threshold; and

allowing the phone call from the call source to reach the second destination device if the number of received indications assigned to the selected user group is less than or equal to the threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient;

determining a number of received indications that are assigned to each of the multiple user groups by users associated with the multiple user groups, and that reflect the users'"'"' characterizations of the calls from the call source; and

determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device based on the number of received indications assigned to the multiple user groups.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device includes:

determining whether the number of received indications for at least one of the multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient exceeds a threshold, the multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient including a first user group and a second user group, the first user group different from the second user group; and

determining whether to block the incoming phone call from the call source based on whether the number of received indications for at least one of the multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient is determined to exceed the threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device further includes determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming call from the call source to the second destination device based on preferences of the second call recipient.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming call from the call source to the second destination device based on the preferences of the second call recipient includes:

accessing the preferences of the second call recipient;

identifying call treatment instructions from the preferences of the second call recipient; and

applying the identified call treatment instructions against the received indications when determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming call from the call source based on the identified call treatment instructions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

identifying the call treatment instructions includes identifying call treatment instructions associated with assigning less weight to the indications from the users associated with the first user group; and

applying the identified call treatment instructions against the received indications includes assigning less weight to the indications from the users associated with the first user group when determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source based on the number of received indications assigned to the multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

identifying the call treatment instructions includes identifying call treatment instructions associated with ignoring the indications from the users associated with the first user group; and

applying the identified call treatment instructions against the received indications includes ignoring the indications from the users associated with the first user group when determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source based on the number of received indications assigned to the multiple user groups associated with the second call recipient.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining multiple identities associated with the second call recipient, wherein each of the multiple identities is associated with a set of preferences;

determining an active identity of the second call recipient, wherein the active identity is being selected from among the multiple identities; and

determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source based on the preferences associated with the active identity, the active identity including an identity used to log the second call recipient into the second destination device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining multiple identities that are each associated with the second call recipient and each associated with a corresponding set of preferences;

determining, from among the multiple identities, an active identity associated with the second call recipient;

identifying a user group associated with the active identity;

determining a number of received indications assigned to the user group, the received indications being assigned to the user group by users associated with the user group, and the received indications reflecting the users'"'"' characterizations of calls from the call source; and

determining whether to apply a special treatment to the incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device based on the number of received indications assigned to the user group.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more user groups comprises:

identifying an account associated with the first call recipient based on a telephone number associated with the first call recipient; and

identifying the one or more user groups based on the identified account.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more user groups comprises:

signaling the first destination device to present a user interface, the user interface including an option that solicits information regarding the one or more user groups; and

obtaining feedback from the first destination device that identifies the one or more user group.

19. A system, comprising:

a call handling system communicatively coupled to a first destination device and a second destination device, the call handling system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving an indication from the first destination device of a first call recipient reflecting a characterization of calls from a call source;

identifying one or more user groups associated with the first call recipient;

selectively assigning the indication to the one or more user groups, the one or more user groups comprising at least one of;

users in a contact list, users in a social club, users employed by a corporate organization, and users that interact with each other;

determining a number of received indications related to the call source and assigned to a user group selected from among the one or more user groups, the received indications being assigned to the selected user group by users associated with the selected user group, the received indications reflecting characterizations of calls from the call source by the users, the users'"'"' characterizations of calls from the call source including a request by the users to apply a special treatment to future calls from the call source; and

determining a manner of presentation of an incoming phone call from the call source to the second destination device of a second call recipient associated with the selected user group based on the number of received indications related to the call source and assigned to the selected user group, the first call recipient different from the second call recipient;

determining a display capability of the second destination device to present a call notification message based on a type of the second destination device;

selecting a format data to transmit to the second destination device based on the determination of the manner of presentation of the incoming phone call and the display capability of the second destination device, the format data effective to specify how the display capability of the second destination device is used to display the call notification message; and

transmitting the format data to the second destination device; and

the second destination device comprising one or more processors configured to perform acts comprising;

receiving the format data from the call handling system; and

presenting the call notification message in accordance with the format data, wherein

if the second destination device is a device with limited display capabilities, the format data allows the second destination device to limit the call notification message to a visual indication of the incoming phone call and to limit presented call handling options to a subset of a full suite of options, and

if the second destination device is not a device with limited display capabilities, the format data allows the second destination device to provide an audio and visual indication of the incoming phone call, to display full caller identity information, and to present a larger number of call handling options than the subset of the full suite of options.