Call Blocking Patents (Class 379/210.02)
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Patent number: 10963496Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for facilitating the information entry and task updates to a task database in a cloud server. The task database is in synchronization with a customer relationship management (CRM) system. The systems and methods described herein enable users to update the task database and enter information into the task database in a timely manner such that the task database can stay updated. The updated database can be used to construct a suggested task set at the beginning of a period of time to meet a preset target sales value for the end of the period of time.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: CLARI, INC.Inventor: Balasubramaniam Raju
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Patent number: 10911719Abstract: A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2019Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.Inventors: Kazunori Iwabuchi, Hiroki Mizosoe, Mutsumi Shimoda, Setiawan Bondan, Manabu Sasamoto
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Patent number: 10873860Abstract: A telecommunications service provider's real time analysis system analyzes communications data to detect potentially fraudulent communications data, where the analysis is performed in real time in the routing path of the communications data. The communications data may include calls (e.g., SS7, VoIP, etc. based calls) and messages (e.g., SMS, MMS, etc.). The real time analysis system rejects potentially fraudulent communications data and non-fraudulent communications data in order to be used in real time in the routing path of the communications data. A rejection by the real time analysis system may cause non-fraudulent communications data to still be sent to the intended destination of the communications data. The real time analysis system can be in the routing path of the communications data without further routing non-fraudulent communications data traffic to the next appropriate hop in the routing path.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2019Date of Patent: December 22, 2020Assignee: TATA COMMUNICATIONS (AMERICA) INC.Inventors: Carlos Miranda, Manish Arora, Kumar Thirumalaiappan, Brian Dowd
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Patent number: 10855837Abstract: The sections of the call unnecessary for reproduction are grasped without wasting time and labor. The call recording system includes a call information entry unit to enter operation information of call terminals which is acquired by a call control unit into a terminal operation information table; a recorded information entry unit to enter recorded information of the call which are acquired by a call recording unit into a recorded information table; and a call information reproduction unit to recognize sections unnecessary for reproduction of the recorded information based on the operation information of the call terminals so as to display a reproduction screen including a result on the recognized sections on a display section.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: HITACHI INFORMATION & TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING, LTD.Inventors: Terumi Saito, Takashi Sugiyama
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Patent number: 10778841Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing telephone solicitation prevention using enhanced voice over Internet protocol (“VoIP”) functionalities in conjunction with STIR/SHAKEN protocols. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a call setup message or a call request from a calling party, a call server might send a verification request to a secure telephone identity (“STI”) verification server (“VS”). The STI-VS might verify and send the call setup message to a no solicitation application server, which might instruct a media server to connect to a first gateway device and to play a no solicitation message requesting a response from the calling party, and which might verify whether the response is an appropriate response. If so, a call is established. If not, the call might be disconnected and/or forwarded to a voicemail server to play a voicemail message to the calling party in accordance with preferences of the called party.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventor: Joseph A. Scivicque
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Patent number: 10778732Abstract: A method of control, by a piece of management equipment of a first telecommunication domain, of the authenticity of at least one relationship datum relating to the initiator of a communication and indicated in a message for establishing the communication originating from a second telecommunication domain and destined for the first telecommunication domain. The method includes, upon receipt of the message by the management equipment, extracting the at least one relationship datum from the message; searching for the at least one relationship datum in at least one database of the relationship data associated with the first domain, and rejecting the communication when an occurrence of the at least one relationship datum is found in the database.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2015Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: ORANGEInventor: Bertrand Bouvet
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Patent number: 10701315Abstract: One embodiment relates to a video communication device and video communication method, capable of preventing a user who is making a video communication from being exposed to an inappropriate image from the other party and may provide a video communication method comprising establishing a video communication session with a first terminal, receiving an image stream from the first terminal through the video communication session, examining at least one first image selected from images included in the image stream, displaying a message suggesting reporting a user of the first terminal as an abusive user when a second image included in the at least one first image includes an abusive element, receiving input of confirmation in response to the displaying the message, and transmitting the reporting a user of the first terminal as an abusive user and the second image to a server in response to the received input of confirmation.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: HYPERCONNECT, INC.Inventors: Sangil Ahn, Kangsik Jung, Hyountaek Yong
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Patent number: 10659485Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus dynamically detecting and/or mitigating anomalies in communications systems/networks. An exemplary embodiment includes the steps of: processing a set of call detail records (CDRS), each CDR in said set of CDRs corresponding to an individual call and including multiple information fields providing information about the individual call to which the CDR corresponds, said processing including: generating from said CDRs, on a per CDR basis one or more Field GroupIDs using a hash function; generating for CDRs corresponding to a first Field GroupID a first set of key performance indicators (KPIs), said first set of (KPIs) including one or more KPIs corresponding to the first Field GroupID, said one or more KPIs including at least a first KPI; and determining that a first KPI violation has occurred for the first Field GroupID when the first KPI exceeds a dynamic performance threshold.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2018Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc.Inventors: Shaun Jaikarran Bharrat, Tie Ju Chen
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Patent number: 10645216Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for determining whether a received call originated from an artificial intelligence system and the call handling procedures to be used on the received call based on whether or not the call was determined to have been originated from an artificial intelligence system. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a first call at a communications device including a first artificial intelligence system; determining whether said first call originated from a second artificial intelligence system; and when said first call is determined to have originated from a second artificial intelligence system performing one or more artificial intelligence call handling operations.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2019Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc.Inventor: Justin Hart
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Patent number: 10554812Abstract: A method and system for controlling unwanted phone calls. In response to a determination that a phone number of a current incoming call to a user is not a phone number in a contact list including phone numbers of the user's contacts and to a determination that the phone number of the current incoming call is a phone number in a phone list of a shared table, the shared table for the previous call duration is analyzed for the previous call duration and the previous sentiment of the user during a previous incoming phone call for the phone number of the current incoming call to the user. It is ascertained, from analyzing the shared table for the previous call duration, that the previous call duration is less than a predetermined call duration and the previous sentiment is a negative sentiment, and in response the current incoming call is rejected.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Geetha Adinarayan, Dinesh Radhakrishnan, Akshat Dixit, Gandhi Sivakumar
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Patent number: 10324910Abstract: A contact record processing method includes: detecting whether a use time of a phone number stored in a contact record is greater than a use term of the phone number; and deleting the phone number from the contact record when the use time is greater than the use term.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2016Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: Xiaomi Inc.Inventors: Guilin Liu, Changliang Wu, Peng Zhang
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Patent number: 10313516Abstract: A user device (e.g., a mobile phone) may receive unwanted calls on a regular enough basis to irritate a user of the user device. Systems and/or methods, described herein, may identify unwanted calls in an automated fashion, and may allow users to quickly make intelligent decisions as to whether they should answer an incoming call from an unknown number or not. Potentially unwanted calls may be blocked entirely, to further enhance users' experiences. The determination of whether a caller is an unwanted caller may be refined in an ongoing process, in order to ensure that calls are being properly blocked or allowed.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2018Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Inventor: Sadiq Aziz Ansari
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Patent number: 10212278Abstract: Systems, methods and tools for leveraging computer networks, data sharing, data analytics and sentiment analysis to control the receipt of unwanted telephone calls and preventing unwanted telephone calls from disturbing a user through the implementation of contacts list and/or a shared table of unique calls. Contact lists and shared tables of unique calls may identify incoming calls that may be directed to the user or filtered out based on whether the incoming call's number is in the user's contact list and/or based on the past experiences of the individual users engaging with the incoming caller. Embodiments may track the past call durations for unique incoming number and track the sentiment of users during these calls and use the collected call data and sentiment determine whether subsequent incoming calls from a phone number should be forwarded to the user's telephone enabled device or automatically responded to with further instructions.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2017Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Geetha Adinarayan, Dinesh Radhakrishnan, Akshat Dixit, Gandhi Sivakumar
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Patent number: 10212279Abstract: Systems, methods and tools for leveraging computer networks, data sharing, data analytics and sentiment analysis to control the receipt of unwanted telephone calls and preventing unwanted telephone calls from disturbing a user through the implementation of contacts list and/or a shared table of unique calls. Contact lists and shared tables of unique calls may identify incoming calls that may be directed to the user or filtered out based on whether the incoming call's number is in the user's contact list and/or based on the past experiences of the individual users engaging with the incoming caller. Embodiments may track the past call durations for unique incoming number and track the sentiment of users during these calls and use the collected call data and sentiment determine whether subsequent incoming calls from a phone number should be forwarded to the user's telephone enabled device or automatically responded to with further instructions.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2017Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Geetha Adinarayan, Dinesh Radhakrishnan, Akshat Dixit, Gandhi Sivakumar
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Patent number: 10205825Abstract: A system can be operable to receive an automated call from a communications device, determine whether preferences associated with a called party identity), is applicable to the automated call, and determine whether a condition that precludes acceptance of the automated call is present. The determination of whether the condition is present can be based on information received from a sensory device coupled to the user device. In response to the condition being determined to be present, the automated call can be denied.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: Sangar Dowlatkhah, Venson Shaw
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Patent number: 10142494Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for enforcing restrictions or compliance rules specified by a dialer application or messaging application executed by a client device such as a smartphone. Such a device can be managed by an enterprise and assigned to a particular user. Restrictions can be based on a location of the client device, a network to which the client device is communicating, or other environmental variables.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2014Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: AIRWATCH LLCInventors: Alan Dabbiere, Erich Stuntebeck
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Patent number: 10009461Abstract: A user device (e.g., a mobile phone) may receive unwanted calls on a regular enough basis to irritate a user of the user device. Systems and/or methods, described herein, may identify unwanted calls in an automated fashion, and may allow users to quickly make intelligent decisions as to whether they should answer an incoming call from an unknown number or not. Potentially unwanted calls may be blocked entirely, to further enhance users' experiences. The determination of whether a caller is an unwanted caller may be refined in an ongoing process, in order to ensure that calls are being properly blocked or allowed.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2016Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Inventor: Sadiq Aziz Ansari
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Patent number: 9723484Abstract: One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprises logic, where the logic corresponds to an application associated with a remote device and a remote system. When executed, the logic is operable to receive, from the remote system, data identifying a plurality of compromising entities, identify a pending outgoing communication initiated by the remote device, and identify information regarding a destination of the outgoing communication. Additionally, the logic is operable to determine an entity associated with the destination of the outgoing communication and determine that the entity associated with the destination matches at least one of the plurality of compromising entities based on comparing the data identifying the plurality of compromising entities and the entity associated with the destination of the outgoing communication.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Bank of America CorporationInventors: David N. Hillis, Manu J. Kurian
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Patent number: 9706048Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for nuisance call management. In one example, a method includes receiving, at a telecommunications signaling computer system for routing telecommunications signaling messages in a core network of a telecommunications signaling network, a message from a subscriber's user equipment (UE) indicating that the subscriber has flagged a first call as a nuisance call. The method includes storing, in a subscriber-level nuisance call database, an association between a calling party identifier for the calling party and a subscriber identifier for the subscriber. The method includes, in response to a second call from the calling party to the subscriber, blocking, at the telecommunications signaling computer system, the second call using the association between the calling party identifier and the subscriber identifier in the subscriber-level nuisance call database.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2015Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventor: Travis Earl Russell
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Patent number: 9294617Abstract: Arrangements described herein include identifying a voice communication session established between a first communication device and a second communication device and, based on the voice communication session established between the first communication device and the second communication device, identifying a plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user. A list including at least a name of each of the plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user is presented to a first user using the first communication device.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Jonathan F. Brunn, Jessica W. Forrester, Stephen C. Hess, Jeffrey R. Hoy
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Patent number: 9294616Abstract: Arrangements described herein include identifying a voice communication session established between a first communication device and a second communication device and, based on the voice communication session established between the first communication device and the second communication device, identifying a plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user. A list including at least a name of each of the plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user is presented to a first user using the first communication device.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Jonathan F. Brunn, Jessica W. Forrester, Stephen C. Hess, Jeffrey R. Hoy
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Patent number: 9277179Abstract: A method and computing system for enabling a video conference between a plurality of video conference participants. A video feed associated with the video conference is broadcast to a plurality of viewers. A plurality of interactions are received from a plurality of submitters included within the plurality of viewers. A chosen interaction is selected from the plurality of interactions. The submitter associated with the chosen interaction is invited to join the video conference.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Amit Fulay, Chee H. Chew, Brian David Marsh, David Scrymgeour Bennett, William Kuo-Wei Wen, Eduardo Fernandez, Jonas E. Lindberg
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Patent number: 9036797Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system, method, and computer readable medium for providing information of a calling party to an alert party, wherein the calling party is in communication with the receiving party in a communications network. The method includes receiving a message from a calling party to a receiving party and performing a lookup of information relating to the calling party in a database, wherein the lookup is based on an identifier associated with the message, Thereafter, an alert is sent to the alert party if the calling party information is unavailable in a contact list of the receiving party.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2013Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: I D YOU, LLCInventors: Monica Rose Martino, Kevin V. Nguyen, M. Gregory Smith
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Patent number: 9031217Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a call volume for an office that serves as a protecting site for another office in a packet network are disclosed. For example, the method collects one or more customer registration counts from one or more session border controllers located in a first office, determines if the one or more customer registration counts have reached or exceeded a threshold. The method directs all of said one or more session border controllers located in said first office to enact one or more throttling rules if the one or more customer registration counts have reached or exceeded the threshold.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2008Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Chaoxin Qiu, Robert Dailey, Arshad Khan, Satish Parolkar, Jeffrey Scruggs
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Patent number: 9026160Abstract: A method and system for priority handling of a dispatch call in a dispatch network is disclosed. A dispatch call request message from a mobile communications unit is received at a dispatch cell site. The cell site determines whether a DAP is configured for operation in a call request reject mode. The cell site determines a priority level of the mobile communications unit if the DAP is configured in the call request reject mode. When the priority level meets a defined threshold, the cell site forwards the dispatch call request message to the DAP and the DAP processes the dispatch call request message.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2006Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Nextel Communications, Inc.Inventor: Steven W. Barrow
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Patent number: 9025745Abstract: A system and method for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls may include storing a contact list for users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number. An incoming telephone call from a caller may be intercepted and a determination may be made as to whether the caller is in the contact list. In response to determining that the caller is in the contact list, the incoming call may be connected to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number. Otherwise, in response to determining that the caller is not in the contact list, the caller may be prompted with an audible message, and, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, the incoming call may be blocked from connecting to the called telephone. Otherwise, in response to a second response, the incoming call may be connected.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventor: Shekhar Gupta
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Patent number: 9020123Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to obtain billing data associated with a plurality of calls over a Voice Over Internet Protocol network, determine special service calls being made based on the billing data, monitor for the special service calls being associated with at least one of one calling number or one network node, and determine an undesired condition based at least in part on the special service calls being made from the one calling number or through the one network node exceeding a threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2008Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Li-Jin Chung, Yu-Lein Kung, Jeffrey Stein, Ching-Chyuan Shieh
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Patent number: 9014359Abstract: An analyzer resource receives call information about outbound phone calls from multiple phone numbers to target phone numbers in a phone network. The analyzer resource analyzes the call information to detect likely unwanted call activity. Based on the analyzing, the analyzer resource produces a list of phone numbers from which one or more entities originate unwanted calls to the subscribers in the phone network.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLCInventors: Howard Leigh Pfeffer, Matthew John Cannon, Jeffrey James Lindsay
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Patent number: 9008298Abstract: A method may include receiving, from a network, a call request in a communication device, the call request including an identification of a calling party; notifying a user of the communication device of the call request; receiving an indication to deny the call request; prompting the user of the communication device, in response to receiving the indication to deny the call request, regarding automatically denying call requests having the identification of the calling party; receiving, from the user, an indication to deny call requests having the identification of the calling party; and sending an instruction to the network to automatically deny the call requests having the identification of the calling party.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2008Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Stephen Wright, Stuart Langham, Hinal K. Balia
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Patent number: 9002333Abstract: A reputation system aids in the prevention of unwanted spam or malicious communications from being sent to a mobile device, such as a cell phone. A collaborative process is used to determine ratings for a collection of source identifications of the communications. The source identifications are caller identifications (IDs) of a corresponding voice or SMS communication. A collection of opinions is maintained regarding the caller IDs. The reputation system then uses a method of making automatic predictions about the caller IDs by collecting caller ID information from many users to populate the database of maintained opinions. As such, caller IDs of users who have sent spam or malicious messages can be blocked by using collaborative information from many users, as opposed to relying on individual users to block unwanted communications.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2008Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Trend Micro Inc.Inventors: Ning Tong, Gang Chen
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Publication number: 20150086001Abstract: A method for filtering a telephone call is provided. The method may comprise receiving from a caller the telephone call directed to a communication device associated with an intended call recipient. The received telephone call may be scored based on predetermined scoring criteria to create a score indicative of a desirability of the telephone call. Furthermore, the method may comprise comparing the score to a predetermined threshold score. Based on the comparison, the method may further comprise selectively classifying the telephone call as an unwanted telephone call. Furthermore, the method may comprise selectively rejecting the unwanted telephone call.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2013Publication date: March 26, 2015Inventors: Toby Farrand, Kevin Snow, Dennis Peng
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Patent number: 8958782Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2014Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLCInventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff, Colin D. Kelley, David S. Trandal, David F. Hofstatter
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Patent number: 8948364Abstract: A method for screening incoming communications includes the steps of receiving an incoming communication intended for a communication device or a recipient and identifying a sender of the communication and a communication type, which can includes an email. The method also includes the steps of identifying screening settings based on the sender and the communication type and determining whether the communication is allowed in accordance with the identified settings. Further, the method includes the steps of notifying a recipient of the communication, if the communication is allowed. In addition, the method includes the step of processing the communication without notifying a recipient, if the communication is not allowed.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2013Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: TIP Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Douglas Scott Selph, Mark Dyer, Enrique J. Wong, Kenneth F. Wolfinger, Charles M. Kellerhals, Bradley T. Kranz, Daniel Patrick Quigley, John T. Braun
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Publication number: 20150023485Abstract: A telephone system for enhanced privacy management includes a telephone switch, a rejected call handler, a user preference database, and an internet app privacy manager, whereby an incoming call can be assigned to a calling class, and routed according to a calling rule associated with the calling class. Using an interactive voice response menu or an application portal, the user can assign callers to calling classes and specify call handling rules and schedules. A rejected call handler includes a voice interface, a switch control, a voicemail, interactive voice response, call progress simulator, in-message options, in-call options, post-call options, and other components. Further disclosed is a method for determining a calling rule, including determining the caller id status, querying a calling rules table, and determining a calling rule.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2013Publication date: January 22, 2015Inventor: Theodore J. Guarriello
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Publication number: 20150003600Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying and blocking undesired automated calls include checking to determine if more than a predetermined number of calls are received from the same originating telephone number within a certain period of time. If so, information about the calls from the same originating telephone number is analyzed to determine if the calls conform to one or more patterns that indicate the calls are likely undesired automated calls. If so, further calls from the originating telephone number may be blocked.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2013Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventor: Andrew BUCKO
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Patent number: 8908849Abstract: An approach is provided for overriding a call blocking feature. A request to establish a voice call over a wireless network to a called party is intercepted. A call blocking feature is detected as being enabled for the called party. The calling party is prompted for a passcode in response to the detected call blocking feature. The passcode is received from the calling party to override the call blocking feature.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2008Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Yu Yin, Jay Hsu
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Patent number: 8903071Abstract: A determination of whether to perform telephone call blocking includes initiating a telephone call from a call server, determining whether the call is a solicitation call and determining the area code of the call and performing a lookup operation of the area code in a call suppression database. The process may also include retrieving a call block entry for a current day from the call suppression database, and comparing the area code to the call block entry for the current day to determine whether the call should be blocked.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2014Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: West CorporationInventors: Rebekah Johnson, Baron Morvant, William Corey Howard
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Patent number: 8868423Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling access to resources using spoken Completely Automatic Public Turing Tests To Tell Humans And Computers Apart (CAPTCHA) tests are disclosed. In these systems and methods, entities seeking access to resources are required to produce an input utterance that contains at least some audio. That utterance is compared with voice reference data for human and machine entities, and a determination is made as to whether the entity requesting access is a human or a machine. Access is then permitted or refused based on that determination.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: John Nicholas and Kristin Gross TrustInventor: John Nicholas Gross
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Patent number: 8862100Abstract: In a network having a plurality of subscriber devices, a plurality of base stations and a server, a system and method of modifying policy settings are provided. Each base station transmits wirelessly across a geographic region. A subscriber device, capable of roaming between regions, establishes a wireless link with the server via the base stations. The network contains a communication policy determining from which other communication devices a subscriber device can receive voice calls. The server updates the policy based on requests from subscriber devices. The determination of whether to update the policy can be based on a record of rejections respective to the caller requested to be blocked. Alternatively, the policy can be updated according to a trust policy maintained on the server respective to the subscriber device making the request; the trust policy represents the procedure to follow when a request is received from that subscriber device.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2012Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Ian Michael Patterson, Sean Arthur Daniel Carlos Goggin, Marc Plumb
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Patent number: 8848896Abstract: The present invention relates to a message-based notifying method for notifying a waiting queue and an application server, wherein the method includes: sending, by a calling terminal, a call request to a called terminal; forwarding, by an application server, to the called terminal the call request sent from the calling terminal, and determining from a response message returned from the called terminal whether the called terminal is in an idle status; and if the called terminal is in a busy status, then adding by the application server the calling terminal into a waiting enqueuing queue of the called terminal, and sending to the calling terminal a waiting notification message containing a waiting queue value corresponding to the calling terminal; or if the called terminal is in an idle status, then establishing directly a communication connection between the calling terminal and the called terminal.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2007Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: China Mobile Communications CorporationInventors: Jianming Zhou, Congxing Ouyang, Jinglei Liu
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Patent number: 8824657Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing ring back tones in a communication network. At first, a ring back tone device for storing and playing the ring back tone customized by a subscriber is established in the communication network. Whether a subscriber is a ring back tone service register subscriber is judged with a certain triggering mode, such as intelligent network triggering, signaling interception triggering, call forwarding triggering or switching device triggering. If it is judged the subscriber is a ring back tone service registered subscriber, a connection between the originating switching device and the terminating switching device and a connection between a switching device and the ring back tone device are established. When the called terminal is idle, the ring back tone device provides a piece of customized ring back tone to the calling subscriber for replacing traditional ring back tone.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2010Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Xuanming Lu, Xiaodong Zhao, Yongfeng Cai
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Patent number: 8825013Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for quick note messaging. In one embodiment, a call from a calling party to the communication device is intercepted by a network system. The network system is configured to receive a calling party selection to record a quick note message for a user of the communication device prior to connecting the call. The network system monitors for at least one of a termination of the call by the calling party or a time-out threshold. The network system indicates at the communication device if a quick note message has been received. If the calling party selection to record a quick note message is not received, then the network system is configured to handle call processing normally.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventor: David E. Rondeau
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Patent number: 8811587Abstract: Selectively filtering incoming communications events in a communications device, including: receiving, by a communications event filtering module, an incoming communications event; determining, by the communications event filtering module, whether the communications device is currently servicing a call; responsive to determining that the communications device is currently servicing a call, determining, by the communications event filtering module, whether the call is interruptible; and responsive to determining that the call is not interruptible, blocking, by the communications event filtering module, the incoming communications event from presentation by the communications device until the call has ended.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2012Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael Decesaris, William M. Megarity, Luke D. Remis, Gregory D. Sellman
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Patent number: 8805328Abstract: A mobile phone filters phone calls based on priority. The mobile phone determines a call priority of an incoming phone call based on the caller's telephone number. The mobile phone also determines a threshold priority for the current time period based on a priority schedule. The mobile phone compares the call priority with the threshold priority to determine whether to block the incoming call. If the mobile phone blocks the incoming phone call, it may transmit a message to the caller suggesting a time for the caller to make the phone call again.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2007Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventor: Anantakrishna Kanti Varanasi
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Patent number: 8781093Abstract: Described herein are devices and techniques for detecting an inbound message (e.g., text, voice, voicemail) directed from an identifiable message sender to one of a collection of message recipients (e.g., by telephone numbers). The message is selectively forwarded to the message recipient's communication devices in response to a reputation score of the identifiable message sender. The devices and techniques described herein are further adapted to automatically determine or otherwise update the reputation score of the identifiable message sender, for example, in response to previously detected incoming messages. User preferences can be provided to override one or more of forwarding and blocking of detected messages regardless of any automatically obtained reputation score.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2012Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Alexander Rybak, Patrick Moor, Bradley Taylor
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Publication number: 20140192965Abstract: A method uses telephone number lists and a telephone exchange server to enable the blocking of illegal robocalls (prerecorded messages) and to enable the legal ones to proceed free of impediment. The method includes steps of providing a server computer; receiving at the server computer a first telephone number of a first telephone monitored by a first recipient; receiving permission from the first recipient to permit sending a telephone call to the first telephone when the telephone call originates from a second telephone number; storing the first telephone number and the second telephone number; intercepting a call to the first telephone number; determining an originating telephone number for a device making the intercepted call; and comparing the originating telephone number to the telephone number list and if the originating telephone number is in the telephone number list, then the server computer enabling the call to ring at the first telephone.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: July 10, 2014Inventor: John Almeida
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Patent number: 8774163Abstract: A communication system for implementing IP cross-domain interconnecting via Border media Gateway (BG) includes: different IP domains, each of which includes: a Media Gateway Controller (MGC) for call control and a Media Gateway (MG) for media bearing; the communication system includes a BG for implementing interconnecting of the IP domains as well. A communication method based on the communication system, includes: a calling MG and a called MG located in different IP domains implements call switching and media stream creating with a BG under the control of MGCs in the different IP domains; and the calling MG communicates with the called MG based on the media streams created. Thus the cross-domain interconnecting between different IP domains via BGs is realize.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2007Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yangbo Lin
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Patent number: 8774785Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2013Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLCInventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff, Colin Kelley, David S. Trandal, David F. Hofstatter
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Publication number: 20140185786Abstract: Techniques, systems, apparatuses and methods to better interdict or screen calls without disturbing the callee. The phone user can implement a warning for unwanted human, i.e., live person callers, and a challenge or barrier for unwanted automated or robocalling, particularly the usage of a required response to a question. The warning and particularly the challenge would weed out undesired solicitations. The present invention also makes allowance for desired human, robotic or automated calling in addition to the proscripted calls.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2013Publication date: July 3, 2014Inventor: Stanley Korn
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Publication number: 20140177479Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for deterring unsolicited calls are described for deterring unsolicited telephone calls that include a service provider searching and determining that the originating telephone number is in a no-call list, and based on this determination, prohibiting the call from terminating (i.e., connecting with the destination telephone number). Penalties may also be imposed against callers (e.g., solicitors) for no-call violations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2012Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventor: Charles Ivan Cook