Method and apparatus for the prevention of unwanted calls in a callback system

• US 7,796,542 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle OTC Subsidiary LLC (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Art Technology Group Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Siegrist, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/967,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/259, 370/229, 370/230, 379/142.01, 379/142.05, 379/142.06, 379/188, 379/201.01, 379/201.11, 379/210.01, 379/210.02, 379/210.03
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

In one method and apparatus for blocking unwanted calls in a callback system, parameters associated with a callback request (e.g., the user device to which the call is to be directed, the IP address from which the request originated or an identifier of the source computer from which the callback request originated, the party from whom the call is requested) are tracked for each call. A decision to automatically block the requested callback is made based on one or more criteria based on a combination of these parameters, which may be a total over a period of time. In a second method, one or both of the parties to the callback is queried as to whether the callback is unwanted and, if so, one or more parameters associated with the request are blacklisted.

Claims

1. A computerized method for processing a request for a call comprising the steps of:

receiving by a call server via a packet switched network a request from a first party for a call from a second party to the first party, the request including information sufficient to identify a device associated with the first party who wishes to receive the call, the request originating from a source computer;

making a determination whether a total number of requests received from the source computer during a period of time exceeds a threshold; and

connecting the first party to the second party or blocking the request based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adding at least one parameter associated with the request to a blacklist.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a source computer identifier is used to associate requests with a source computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request includes the source computer identifier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the source computer identifier is a unique identifier.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the source computer identifier is based at least in part on a user agent that depends on an operating system, a browser, and any browser plug-ins or hot fixes installed on the source computer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the source computer identifier is associated with a component of the computer.

3. A method for processing a request for a call comprising the steps of:

receiving by a call server via a packet switched network a request from a first party for a call from a second party to the first party, the request including information sufficient to identify a device associated with the first party who wishes to receive the call, the request originating from a source computer;

making a determination whether a total number of requests received from the source computer for a call from the second party during a period of time exceeds a threshold; and

connecting the first party to the second party or blocking the request based on the determination.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of adding at least one parameter associated with the request to a blacklist.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein a source computer identifier is used to associate requests with a source computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the request includes the source computer identifier.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the source computer identifier is a unique identifier.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the source computer identifier is based at least in part on a user agent that depends on an operating system, a browser, and any browser plug-ins or hot fixes installed on the source computer.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the source computer identifier is associated with a component of the computer.

5. A method for processing a request for a call comprising the steps of:

receiving by a call server via a packet switched network a request from a first party for a call from a second party to the first party, the request including information sufficient to identify a device associated with the first party who wishes to receive the call, the request originating from a source computer;

making a determination whether a total number of requests received from the source computer for a call to the first party during a period of time exceeds a threshold; and

connecting the first party to the second party or blocking the request based on the determination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of adding at least one parameter associated with the request to a blacklist.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a source computer identifier is used to associate requests with a source computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request includes the source computer identifier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the source computer identifier is a unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the source computer identifier is based at least in part on a user agent that depends on an operating system, a browser, and any browser plug-ins or hot fixes installed on the source computer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the source computer identifier is associated with a component of the computer.