Blocking unsolicited calls from CallerID-spoofing autodialing devices
First Claim
1. A method of deterring unsolicited telephone calls, the method comprising:
- in response to user input received by a telephone switch from a telephone at a destination telephone number during a first call from an originating telephone number and terminated to the destination telephone number by the telephone switch, capturing, with a computer system, call processing data associated with the first call;
identifying, with the computer system and based at least in part on the call processing data, an originating entity of the first call;
adding, with the computer system, information about the originating entity to a database of telephone numbers that originate unsolicited telephone calls;
receiving, at the telephone switch, a second call originating from a second originating telephone number and directed to the destination telephone number;
searching, with the computer system, the database for the second originating telephone number and determining an originating entity of the second originating telephone number, in response to the telephone switch receiving the second call;
determining, at the computer system, whether the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same entity as the originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number; and
prohibiting termination of the second call originated from the second originating telephone number, based on a determination that the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Novel tools and techniques for deterring unsolicited calls are described for deterring unsolicited telephone calls that include a service provider searching and determining that the originating telephone number is in a no-call list, and based on this determination, prohibiting the call from terminating (i.e., connecting with the destination telephone number). Penalties may also be imposed against callers (e.g., solicitors) for no-call violations. Various embodiments provide methods and systems that do not depend on the CallerID (which could be spoofed or might be unavailable) in order to identify the offending party of an unsolicited call or text message (i.e., originating entity), and to block the unsolicited call or text message.
95 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of deterring unsolicited telephone calls, the method comprising:
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in response to user input received by a telephone switch from a telephone at a destination telephone number during a first call from an originating telephone number and terminated to the destination telephone number by the telephone switch, capturing, with a computer system, call processing data associated with the first call; identifying, with the computer system and based at least in part on the call processing data, an originating entity of the first call; adding, with the computer system, information about the originating entity to a database of telephone numbers that originate unsolicited telephone calls; receiving, at the telephone switch, a second call originating from a second originating telephone number and directed to the destination telephone number; searching, with the computer system, the database for the second originating telephone number and determining an originating entity of the second originating telephone number, in response to the telephone switch receiving the second call; determining, at the computer system, whether the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same entity as the originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number; and prohibiting termination of the second call originated from the second originating telephone number, based on a determination that the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by one or more computers to cause the one or more computers to; in response to user input received by a telephone switch from a telephone at a destination telephone number during a first call from an originating telephone number and terminated to the destination telephone number by the telephone switch, capture call processing data associated with the first call; identify, based at least in part on the call processing data, an originating entity of the first call; add information about the originating entity to a database of telephone numbers that originate unsolicited telephone calls; in response to receiving, at the telephone switch, a second call originating from a second originating telephone number and directed to the destination telephone number, search the database for the second originating telephone number and determine an originating entity of the second originating telephone number; determine whether the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same entity as the originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number; and prohibit termination of the second call originated from the second originating telephone number, based on a determination that the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number.
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31. A system, comprising:
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a database of telephone numbers that originate unsolicited telephone calls; a telephone switch configured to receive a first call originating from an originating telephone number and directed to a destination telephone number, and configured to terminate the first call to the destination telephone number; and a computer system in communication with the database and the telephone switch, the computer system comprising; one or more processors; and a computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors, the computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the computer system to; in response to user input received by the telephone switch from a telephone at the destination telephone number during the first call, capture call processing data associated with the first call; identify, based at least in part on the call processing data, an originating entity of the first call; add information about the originating entity to the database; in response to receiving, at the telephone switch, a second call originating from a second originating telephone number and directed to the destination telephone number, search the database for the second originating telephone number and determine an originating entity of the second originating telephone number; determine whether the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same entity as the originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number; and prohibit termination of the second call originated from the second originating telephone number, based on a determination that the originating entity of the second originating telephone number is the same originating entity that has been added to the database in response to the user input from the user at the destination telephone number.
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Specification