Method and system for providing a privacy management service

• US 20050041792A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C. Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,352,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• 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 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method for providing a privacy management service in a telephone system including initiating a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to a called party telephone number. The initiating is performed by a subscriber. It is determined if the called party telephone number is located in a subscriber database corresponding to the subscriber. The called party telephone number is added to the subscriber database in response to the determining resulting in not locating the called party telephone number in the subscriber database. The telephone call between the subscriber telephone and the called party telephone number is connected.

Claims

1. A method for providing a privacy management service in a telephone system, said method comprising:

initiating a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to a called party telephone number, wherein said initiating is performed by a subscriber;

determining if said called party telephone number is located in a subscriber database corresponding to said subscriber;

adding said called party telephone number to said subscriber database in response to said determining resulting in not locating said called party telephone number in said subscriber database; and

connecting said telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said called party telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining includes:

transmitting an inquiry transaction to said subscriber database, said inquiry transaction including said subscriber telephone number and said called party telephone number;

receiving a response to said inquiry transaction responsive to said inquiry.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said transmitting an inquiry transaction is via a signaling transfer point to a service control point and said service control point is in communication with said subscriber database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said communication is via a network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said adding is performed via a signaling transfer point and a service control point in communication with said subscriber database.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second telephone call at a said subscriber telephone number from a caller at a caller telephone number;

determining if said caller telephone number is located in said subscriber database;

connecting said second telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said caller telephone number in response to said determining resulting in locating said caller telephone number in said subscriber database; and

transmitting said second telephone call to a screening application located on a service node in response to said determining resulting in not locating said caller telephone number in said subscriber database.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said screening application comprises:

transmitting a request for said caller to provide identification data; and

presenting options to said subscriber in response to receipt of said identification data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said options include an always answer option performed in response to a selection by said subscriber, wherein performing said always answer option includes:

adding said caller telephone number to said subscriber database; and

connecting said second telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said caller telephone number.

9. A system for providing a privacy management service in a telephone system having a service switching point in communication with a subscriber telephone having a subscriber telephone number, and a service control point in communication with the service switching point, said system comprising:

an off-hook delay trigger provisioned on the subscriber line at the service switching point for triggering a query to the service control point whenever a telephone call is made from the subscriber telephone number to a called party number;

a subscriber database in communication with the service control point; and

a service package application on the service control point for responding to the query by determining whether the called party number is located in the subscriber database, wherein;

when the called party number is not located in the subscriber database, the service package application adds the called party number to the subscriber database and routes the telephone call to the called party number; and

when the called party number is located in the subscriber database, the service package application routes the call to the called party number.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said subscriber database is in communication with the service control point via a network.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the network is the Internet.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the network is TCP/IP.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said subscriber database is in direct communication with said service control point.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising a storage device, wherein said subscriber database is located on said storage device.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said subscriber database is a relational database.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein said subscriber database is in communication with the service control point via a server in communication with a network.

17. The system of claim 9 further comprising a user system in communication with said subscriber database for updating said subscriber database.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said user system is in communication with said subscriber database via a network.

19. A computer program product for providing a privacy management service in a telephone system, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

initiating a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to a called party telephone number, wherein said initiating is performed by a subscriber;

determining if said called party telephone number is located in a subscriber database corresponding to said subscriber;

adding said called party telephone number to said subscriber database in response to said determining resulting in not locating said called party telephone number in said subscriber database; and

connecting said telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said called party telephone number.