Electronic system and method for screening incoming communications

• US 9,160,846 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lead Technology Capital Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lead Technology Capital Management, LLC
• Inventors: Daniel, Isaac S., Interian, Alberto III
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US14/148,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20140219430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 379/74, 379/88.02, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/92.03, 379/92.04, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.05, 379/142.06, 379/142.13, 379/142.15, 379/142.17, 379/207.13, 379/207.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to electronic systems and methods for screening incoming phone calls and more particularly to a system and method of hosting a cloud synced database of authorized or unauthorized callers, phone numbers, or numbers associated with unauthorized merchant identification numbers which is a solution to robo-calling and telemarketers.

Claims

1. A system for screening incoming communications comprising:

a processor configured to sync screening functions and settings across a plurality of devices and connect to a telephone land line, a local user device, and a remote server; and

computer executable instructions readable by the processor and configured to;

receive an incoming communication via the telephone land line;

identify a sender of the communication;

access a database of unauthorized or authorized senders;

determine if the sender is unauthorized, authorized, or unknown; and

if the sender is authorized, then present the communication as an authorized communication on the local user device;

if the sender is unauthorized, then;

not present the communication on the local user device;

or

present the communication as an unauthorized communication on the local user device; and

if the sender is unknown, then;

not present the communication on the local user device;

or

present the communication as an unknown communication on the local user device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dongle, wherein the dongle comprises the processor and at least one connection module configured to connect to the telephone land line, the local user device, or the remote server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting the communication as an authorized communication on the local user device comprises presenting a notification associated with authorized communications on the local user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting the communication as an unauthorized communication on the local user device comprises presenting a notification associated with unauthorized communications on the local user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting the communication as an unknown communication on the local user device comprises presenting a notification associated with unknown communications on the local user device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to present, on the local user device, an option to designate an unauthorized or unknown sender as an unauthorized or authorized sender in the database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to present the communication to a remote user device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a docking station configured to connect to the home land line and configured to receive a mobile user device, wherein the mobile user device comprises the processor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a local database, and wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to sync the local database and a remote database.

10. A system for screening incoming communications comprising:

a user device comprising a processor; and

computer executable instructions readable by the processor and configured to;

sync screening functions and settings across a plurality of devices;

receive an incoming communication;

identify a sender of the communication;

access a database of unauthorized or authorized senders;

determine if the sender is unauthorized, authorized, or unknown; and

if the sender is authorized, then present the communication as an authorized communication on a user device;

if the sender is unauthorized, then;

not present the communication on the user device;

or

present the communication as an unauthorized communication on the user device; and

if the sender is unknown, then;

not present the communication on the user device;

or

present the communication as an unknown communication on the user device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein presenting the communication as an authorized communication on the user device comprises presenting a notification associated with authorized communications on the user device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein presenting the communication as an unauthorized communication on the user device comprises presenting a notification associated with unauthorized communications on the user device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein presenting the communication as an unknown communication on the local user device comprises presenting a notification associated with unknown communications on the user device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to present, on the user device, an option to designate an unauthorized or unknown sender as an unauthorized or authorized sender in the database.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the database comprises a local database, and wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to sync the local database and a remote database.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to access a telephone contact list associated with the user device and designate contacts in the telephone contact list as authorized senders in the database.

17. A computer implemented method for screening incoming communications comprising:

sync screening functions and settings across a plurality of devices;

receiving an incoming communication via the telephone land line;

identifying a sender of the communication;

accessing a database of unauthorized or authorized senders;

determining if the sender is unauthorized, authorized, or unknown; and

if the sender is authorized, then presenting the communication as an authorized communication on a user device;

if the sender is unauthorized, then;

not presenting the communication on the user device;

or

presenting the communication as an unauthorized communication on the user device; and

if the sender is unknown, then;

not presenting the communication on the user device;

or

presenting the communication as an unknown communication on the user device.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising accessing a public do-not-call registry and designating contacts contained in the do-not-call registry as unauthorized senders in the database.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising verifying that a sender is human.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising presenting senders with an option to request to be designated as an authorized sender in the database.