Identifying and filtering incoming telephone calls to enhance privacy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10728386-B2
Application number	US-201816164761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Sep 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a community blacklist comprising:
determining a telephone call originates from an originating telephone number, the telephone call being directed to a recipient telephone number;
answering the telephone call;
providing a verbal challenge;
receiving a response, the response being at least an audible answer;
measuring a time between when the verbal challenge is provided and when the response is received; and
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist when the measured time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time; and
rejecting a fourth telephone call from the originating telephone number using the community blacklist.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the telephone call originates from the originating telephone number is based at least on one of a caller ID and a callback number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient telephone number is associated with a telephone service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient telephone number is an unassigned telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving the telephone call through the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a plurality of telephone calls originates from the originating telephone number; and
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on the plurality of telephone calls being greater than or equal to a predetermined proportion of all telephone numbers associated with a service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist based on at least one of time of day, day of week, and time of year.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined proportion is 0.0001.

9. A system for generating a community blacklist comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising:
determining a telephone call originates from an originating telephone number, the telephone call being directed to a recipient telephone number;
answering the telephone call;
providing a verbal challenge;
receiving a response, the response being at least an audible answer;
measuring a time between when the verbal challenge is provided and when the response is received; and
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist when the measured time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time; and
rejecting a fourth telephone call from the originating telephone number using the community blacklist.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein determining the telephone call originates from the originating telephone number is based at least on one of a caller ID and a callback number.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the recipient telephone number is associated with a telephone service.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the recipient telephone number is an unassigned telephone number.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the telephone call through the Internet.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:
determining a plurality of telephone calls originates from the originating telephone number; and
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on the plurality of telephone calls being greater than or equal to a predetermined proportion of all telephone numbers associated with a service provider.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:
adding the originating telephone number to the community blacklist further based on at least one of time of day, day of week, and time of year.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined threshold is 3 seconds.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the response is “hello.”

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined threshold is 3 seconds.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the response is “hello.”

Assignees

• Ooma Inc

Inventors

• Farrand Tobin E
• Snow Kevin D
• Peng Dennis

Classifications

• H04M3/436 Primary

  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 title

• H04M3/42059

  Making use of the calling party identifier · CPC title

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04M3/42102

  Making use of the called party identifier · CPC title

• H04M3/42153

  by subscriber · CPC title