Methods and systems for blocking unwanted telecommunications

• US 8,548,447 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., Kelley, Colin, Trandal, David S., Hofstatter, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US11/866,250
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/417, 455/445, 455/461, 455/466, 379/210.02, 379/210.03, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/415
• 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 logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• 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 method of processing a call blocking instruction, the method comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a call from a caller directed to an address associated with a first communication device of a first user;

transmitting to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) a Short Message Service (SMS) notification or a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) notification regarding the call to a mobile device associated with the first user wherein the mobile device is not the first communication device;

receiving from a SMSC a reply message to the SMS notification or the MMS notification from the first user via the first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the reply message is a SMS or a MMS type message; and

at least partly in response to the reply message, recording in memory an indication that future communications of at least a first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the reply message does not include text composed by the first user in the body of the reply message.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the reply message includes a first content in a subject field associated with the reply message, wherein the first content indicates that the first user wants calls from the caller to the first user to be blocked.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the call is forwarded to the call processing system as a result of a ring-no-answer condition or a busy condition.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the call is directed to a phone address assigned to the first user and is received at the call processing system.

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

receiving a second call from the caller;

accessing from the indication that calls from the caller to the first user are to be blocked; and

determining that the second call is not to be connected to a telephonic device associated with the first user.

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

receiving a text and/or multimedia message from the caller;

accessing from the indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked, wherein indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked includes an indication that text and multimedia message from the caller are to be blocked; and

determining that the text and/or multimedia message is not to be transmitted to the first user.

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

requesting the caller to record a voice message; and

streaming a voice message from the caller in substantially real time to a client application associated with the first user.

9. A system of processing a call blocking instruction, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

nontransitory computer readable memory that stores program code that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, performs operations comprising;

receiving a call from a caller directed to an address associated with a first communication device of a first user;

transmitting to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) a Short Message Service (SMS) notification or a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) notification regarding the call to a mobile device associated with the first user wherein the mobile device is not the first communication device;

receiving from a SMSC a reply message to the SMS notification or the MMS notification from the first user via the first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the reply message is a SMS or a MMS type message; and

at least partly in response to the reply message, recording in memory an indication that future communications of at least a first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the reply message does not include text composed by the first user in the body of the reply message.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the reply message includes a first content in a subject field associated with the reply message, wherein the first content indicates that the first user wants calls from the caller to the first user to be blocked.

12. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the call is forwarded to the call processing system as a result of a ring-no-answer condition or a busy condition.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the call is directed to a phone address assigned to the first user and is received at the call processing system.

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

receiving a second call from the caller;

accessing from the indication that calls from the caller to the first user are to be blocked; and

determining that the second call is not to be connected to a telephonic device associated with the first user.

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

receiving a text and/or multimedia message from the caller;

accessing from the indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked, wherein indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked includes an indication that text and multimedia message from the caller are to be blocked; and

determining that the text and/or multimedia message is not to be transmitted to the first user.

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

requesting the caller to record a voice message; and

streaming a voice message from the caller in substantially real time to a client application associated with the first user.