Selective feature blocking in a communications network

• US 8,811,164 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallant, John Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US11/763,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20080031228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

In the context of a communications system, means are disclosed for ensuring that invocation of redirect features, such as call forwarding, do not circumvent call blocking settings. User profile information associated with a party controls the invocation of features for the party and controls the screening of redirect contacts resulting from feature invocation. The behavior of feature-associated contact screening for the party is configurable independently of the originating calling permissions of the party.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of screening criteria; and

a processor to;

receive a routing request associated with an originating party and an intended terminating party;

determine, based on the originating party and at least one first screening criterion of the plurality of screening criteria, that the routing request is permissible based on outbound permissions for the originating party;

determine, after determining that the routing request is permissible based on the outbound permissions for the originating party, that a terminating profile is available for the intended terminating party;

determine, after determining that the terminating profile is available for the intended terminating party, that the terminating profile indicates that feature processing is enabled;

identify contact information for the intended terminating party;

determine an address type associated with the contact information after determining that the terminating profile indicates that the feature processing is enabled;

determine whether the contact information passes at least one second screening criterion, of the plurality of screening criteria, based on the determined address type associated with the contact information,

the at least one second screening criteria being different from the at least one first screening criteria; and

cause, when the contact information passes the at least one second screening criterion, a communications session to be established based on the contact information and the routing request.

2. The network device of claim 1, where, when causing the communications session to be established, the processor is to:

transmit, when the contact information passes the at least one second screening criterion, a routing response that includes information identifying the contact information.

3. The network device of claim 1,

where the memory is further to:

store information identifying a plurality of contacts associated with the intended terminating party, and

where, when identifying the contact information, the processor is to;

select, from the information identifying the plurality of contacts, the contact information.

4. The network device of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

transmit, when the contact information fails the second screening criterion, a routing response that does not include the contact information identifying the contact.

5. The network device of claim 1, where the routing request includes:

information identifying a routing feature, and

information identifying the origination party and the intended terminating party.

6. The network device of claim 5, where the routing feature comprises at least one of:

a find me feature,

a call forwarding feature,

a conditional call forwarding feature,

a call blocking feature,

a do not disturb feature, or

a call screening feature.

7. The network device of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

obtain the second screening criterion from a first screening table when the determined address type corresponds to a telephone number, and

obtain the second screening criterion from a second screening table when the determined address type corresponds to an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive a routing request associated with an originating party and an intended terminating party,

determine that the routing request is permissible based on outbound permissions for the originating party,

identify, after determining that the routing request is permissible based on the outbound permissions for the originating party, a contact based on the routing request,

determine that feature processing is enabled for the intended terminating party,

determine an address type associated with the contact after determining that the feature processing is enabled for the intended terminating party,

select a screening table, from a group of screening tables that includes a first screening table and a second screening table, based on the determined address type associated with the contact,

determine, based on the selected screening table, particular criteria of the plurality of screening criteria,

determine, based on the particular criteria, whether the contact is permissible to be used to establish a communications session for the received routing request, and

provide information identifying the contact when the contact is permissible to be used to establish the communication session for the received routing request.

9. The network device non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions to provide the information identifying the contact comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

transmit a routing response that includes the information identifying the contact and information identifying one or more other contacts that are permissible to be used to establish the communications session.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

transmit, when the contact is not permissible to be used to establish the communications session, a routing response that does not include the information identifying the contact.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the routing request includes:

information associated with a routing feature, and

information identifying the originating party and the intended terminating party.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the routing feature comprises at least one of:

a find me feature,

a call forwarding feature,

a conditional call forwarding feature,

a call blocking feature,

a do not disturb feature, or

a call screening feature.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

identify another contact,

determine, based on the particular criteria, whether the other contact is permissible to be used to establish the communications session, and

provide other information identifying the other contact, with the information identifying the contact, when the other contact is permissible to be used to establish the communications session.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8,

where the first screening table is for telephone numbers, and

where the second screening table is for Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

15. A method comprising:

detecting, by a server, a request to establish a communications session between a first party and a second party;

determining, by the server, that the request is permissible based on permissions for the first party;

identifying, by the server, a contact for the second party;

identifying, by the server, a type associated with the contact after determining that the request is permissible based on the permissions for the first party,

the type indicating that the contact corresponds to one of a telephone number or an Internet Protocol (IP) address;

determining, by the server, that featuring processing is enabled for the second party;

selecting, by the server and based on the type, a particular screening criterion, from a first screening table when the contact corresponds to the telephone number or from a second screening table when the contact corresponds to the IP address, after determining that featuring processing is enabled for the second party;

determining, by the server and based on the particular screening criterion, whether the contact is permissible to be used to establish a communications session for the request; and

causing the communications session to be established based on the contact when the contact is permissible to be used to establish the communications session.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a routing response that does not include information identifying the contact when the contact is not permissible to be used to establish the communications session.

17. The method of claim 15, where the first screening table and the second screening table are associated with a profile related to the contact.

18. The method of claim 15, where causing the communication to be established based on the contact includes:

transmitting, from the server and to another server, a routing response that includes information identifying the contact.

19. The method of claim 15, where identifying the contact comprises:

determining that a profile is available for the second party, and

identifying the contact based on information in the profile.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying another contact,

determining, based on the particular criteria, whether the other contact is permissible to be used to establish the communications session, and

provide information identifying the other contact, with the information identifying the contact, when the other contact is permissible to be used to establish the communications session.