E911 call blocking for non-initialized wireless telephones

• US 8,175,570 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Dickinson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US11/440,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Calls from a phone identified as being a source of harassing or other undesirable phone calls are blocked at a mobile positioning center (MPC). Upon request by the PSAP, a call record detail can be obtained from the MPC revealing a simulated “callback phone number”. The MPC then intercepts all future incoming calls from that simulated callback phone number and routes them to a recording that advises the harasser that the phone has been identified as a harasser and is now blocked. The recording can also advise the caller how to restore service. In a preferred embodiment, the MPC sets a timer to automatically restore service after a designated length of time.

Claims

1. A method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone, comprising:

receiving, at a mobile positioning center (MPC), a query for routing instructions for an undesirable call associated with a simulated callback phone number from a remote mobile switching center (MSC);

comparing, by said MPC, said simulated callback phone number with a known list of callback phone numbers to be blocked; and

if a match is made by said comparing, blocking, by said MPC, routing of said undesirable call to said intended phone, by said MPC sending routing instructions including a routing number of a pre-recorded announcement element.

2. The method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 1, wherein:

said undesirable call is a 911 call.

3. The method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 1, wherein:

said designated recipient is a public safety answering point (PSAP).

4. The method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 1, wherein:

said simulated callback phone number is a 10-digit number.

5. The method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 4, wherein said 10-digit simulated callback phone number comprises:

“

911”

plus 7 digits corresponding to the electronic serial number (ESN) of said intended phone sending said undesirable call.

6. The method of blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 5, wherein:

said 7 digits are the last 7 digits of said ESN.

7. Apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone, comprising:

means for receiving, at a mobile positioning center (MPC), a query for routing instructions for an undesirable call associated with a simulated callback phone number from a mobile switching center (MSC);

means for comparing, by said MPC, said simulated callback phone number with a known list of callback phone numbers to be blocked; and

means for blocking, by said MPC, routing of said undesirable call to said intended phone if a match is made by said means for comparing, by said MPC sending routing instructions including a routing number of a pre-recorded announcement element.

8. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 7, wherein:

said undesirable call is a 911 call.

9. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 7, wherein:

said designated recipient is a public safety answering point (PSAP).

10. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 7, wherein:

said simulated callback phone number is a 10-digit number.

11. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 10, wherein said 10-digit simulated callback phone number comprises:

“

911”

plus 7 digits corresponding to the electronic serial number (ESN) of the phone sending said undesirable call.

12. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable call from being routed to an intended phone according to claim 11, wherein:

said 7 digits are the last 7 digits of said ESN.

13. Apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed, comprising:

a module to compare a callback number associated with a received, by a mobile positioning center (MPC), query for routing instructions for an undesirable call to entries in a blocked phone number list; and

if a match is made between said callback number and an entry in said blocked phone number list, blocking routing, by said MPC, of said undesirable wireless call to an intended phone, by said MPC sending routing instructions including a routing number of a pre-recorded announcement element.

14. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed according to claim 13, further comprising:

if said match is made, providing routing to a predesignated recorded message device instructing a calling device of a reason for blocking routing of said undesirable wireless call to said intended phone.

15. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed according to claim 13, further comprising:

a timer to automatically purge entries from said blocked phone number list after a predetermined amount of time.

16. Apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed, comprising:

means for comparing, by a mobile positioning center (MPC), a callback number associated with a received query for routing instructions for an undesirable call to entries in a blocked phone number list; and

means for blocking routing, by MPC, of said undesirable wireless call to an intended phone if a match is made between said callback number and an entry in said blocked phone number list, by said MPC sending routing instructions including a routing number of a pre-recorded announcement element.

17. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing routing to a predesignated recorded message device instructing a calling device of a reason for blocking routing of said undesirable wireless call if said match is made.

18. The apparatus for blocking an undesirable wireless call from being routed according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for automatically purging entries from said blocked phone number list after a predetermined amount of time.