Methods and systems for blocking unwanted communications

• US 9,692,891 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kelley, Colin D., Kirchhoff, Leland W., Trandal, David S., Hofstatter, David Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US15/215,903
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for processing call blocking instructions and for managing mobile messaging. A method of processing call blocking instructions is described. A call processing system receives a call from a caller intended for a first user. A notification regarding the call is transmitted to a mobile device associated with the first user. A message from the user is received via the mobile device, wherein the message is a text or multimedia type message. At least partly in response to the message, the caller is placed on a blacklist indicating that future calls from the caller to the user are to be blocked.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one computing device that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to perform operations comprising;

in association with a received call from a caller having private caller information, providing a block control via which a user can provide a call block designation for a party corresponding to the caller;

receiving a block control selection corresponding to the received call having private caller information;

at least partly in response to the receipt of the block control selection, recording in memory an indication that future communications, of at least a first type and a second type, from the party corresponding to the caller of the received call having private caller information, are to be blocked,

wherein a future communication of a first type comprises an audio call, and

wherein a future communication of a second type comprises a picture, a video, a text message or any combination thereof; and

enabling at least one communication of the first type or the second type from the party corresponding to the caller of the received private call to be blocked in accordance with the received block control selection.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to a contact record in a contact data store associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the contract record;

receiving a second call directed to the user from a caller whose phone address corresponds to a stored address contained in a field of the unblocked contact record in the contact data store associated with the user; and

at least in part enabling the second call to be connected to the user.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control corresponding to an entry in a list of blocked phone addresses associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the entry;

receiving a second call directed to the user from a caller whose phone address corresponds to the unblocked entry; and

at least in part enabling the second call to be connected to the user.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to a contact record in a contact data store associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the contract record;

receiving a second call having private caller information directed to the user, wherein a phone address of the second call having private caller information corresponds to a stored address contained in a field of the unblocked contact record in the contact data store associated with the user; and

at least in part enabling the second call having private caller information to be connected to the user.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to a contact record in a contact data store associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the contract record;

receiving a message, having an associated sender address, directed to the user, wherein the sender address corresponds to a stored address contained in a field of the unblocked contact record in the contact data store associated with the user; and

at least in part enabling the received message to be displayed to the user.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to an entry in a list of blocked message addresses associated with the user and enabling the message address entry to be unblocked;

receiving a message, having an associated sender address, directed to the user, wherein the sender address corresponds to a stored message address contained in a field of the unblocked message address entry; and

at least in part enabling the received message to be displayed to the user.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

enabling the display, via a user interface, a blocked communication of the first type and a blocked communication of the second type.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

enabling the user, via a user interface, to select a call block treatment.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving the call having private caller information directed to the user, wherein caller identification associated with the call having private caller information is not to be displayed to the user.

10. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one computing device that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to perform operations comprising;

providing a block control via which a user can provide a call block designation for a party corresponding to an entry in a user call log of received calls;

receiving a block control selection corresponding to an entry in the user call log;

at least partly in response to the receipt of the block control selection, recording in memory an indication that future communications, of at least a first type and a second type, from the party corresponding to the selected user call log entry of are to be blocked,

wherein a future communication of a first type comprises an audio call, and

wherein a future communication of a second type comprises a picture, a video, a text message or any combination thereof; and

enabling at least one communication of the first type or the second type from the party corresponding to the selected user call log entry to be blocked in accordance with the selected block control selection.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to a contact in a contact data store associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the contract record;

receiving a call directed to the user from a caller whose phone address corresponds to a stored address contained in a field of the unblocked contact in the contact data store associated with the user; and

at least in part enabling the call to be connected to the user.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to a contact in the contact data store associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the contact record;

receiving a message, having an associated sender address, directed to the user, wherein the sender address corresponds to a stored address contained in a field of the unblocked contact in the contact data store associated with the user; and

at least in part enabling the received message is to be displayed to the user.

13. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving a selection of an unblock control corresponding to an entry in a list of blocked phone addresses associated with the user and enabling the unblock of the entry;

receiving a call directed to the user from a caller whose phone address corresponds to the unblocked entry; and

at least in part enabling the call to be connected to the user.

14. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to an entry in a list of blocked message addresses associated with the user and enabling the message address entry to be unblocked;

receiving a message, having an associated sender address, directed to the user, wherein the sender address corresponds to a stored message address contained in a field of the unblocked message address entry; and

at least in part enabling the received message is to be displayed to the user.

15. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

enabling a blocked communication of the first type and a blocked communication of the second type to be displayed to the user via a user interface.

16. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

enabling the user, via a user interface, to select a call block treatment.

17. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein an entry in the user call log is associated with a received call from a caller having private caller information.

18. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

enabling a list of received calls in the user call log to be displayed to the user via a user interface.

19. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one computing device that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to perform operations comprising;

providing a block control via which a user can provide a call block designation for a party corresponding to an entry in a user message log of received messages;

receiving a block control selection corresponding to an entry in the user message log;

at least partly in response to the receipt of the block control selection, recording in memory an indication that future communications, of at least a first type and a second type, from the party corresponding to the selected user message log entry are to be blocked,

wherein a future communication of a first type comprises an audio call, and

wherein a future communication of a second type comprises a picture, a video, a text message or any combination thereof; and

enabling at least one communication of the first type or the second type from the party corresponding to the selected user message log to be blocked in accordance with the selected block control selection.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, the operations further comprising:

receiving an unblock control selection corresponding to an entry in a list of blocked message addresses associated with the user, and enabling the message address entry to be unblocked;

receiving a message, having an associated sender address, directed to the user, wherein the sender address corresponds to a stored message address contained in a field of the unblocked message address entry; and

at least in part enabling the received message is to be displayed to the user.