System and method for call blocking and SMS blocking
View Patent ↗Systems and techniques are provided for managing and categorizing undesired phone calls and text messages. In a specific implementation, an electronic communication identified by a phone number is intercepted at a mobile communications device before the electronic communication is received by an application program on the device. The phone number is sent to a server for the server to identify a category associated with the phone number. The category is received at the mobile communication device. Based on the received category, a determination is made as to whether the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication. If allowed, the electronic communication is forwarded to the application program; else, the electronic communication is not forwarded.
1. A method comprising:
intercepting, at a mobile communications device, an electronic communication identified by a phone number before the electronic communication is received by an application program on the mobile communications device;
sending the phone number to a server for the server to identify a category associated with the phone number;
receiving the category associated with the phone number from the server;
based on the received category, determining whether the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication;
if allowed, forwarding the electronic communication to the application program; and
if not allowed, blocking the application program from receiving the electronic communication.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises a voice call.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises a short message service (SMS) message.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises a multimedia message service (MMS) message.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication comprises:
comparing the received category to a list of categories stored on the mobile communications device;
if the list includes the received category, determining that the application program should not be allowed to receive the electronic communication; and
if the list does not include the received category, determining that the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication comprises:
comparing the received category to a list of categories stored on the mobile communications device;
if the list includes the received category, determining that the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication; and
if the list does not include the received category, determining that the application program should not be allowed to receive the electronic communication.
7. A method comprising:
intercepting, at a mobile communications device, an electronic communication comprising an identifier before the electronic communication is received by an application program on the mobile communications device;
sending the identifier to a server for the server to provide information associated with the identifier;
receiving the information associated with the identifier from the server;
evaluating at least one rule using the received information to determine whether the application program should be allowed to receive the electronic communication;
if allowed, forwarding the electronic communication to the application program; and
if not allowed, blocking the application program from receiving the electronic communication.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a first rule; and
evaluating a second rule, wherein the second rule specifies an exception to the first rule.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the identifier comprises a category and a name, and the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a first rule; and
evaluating a second rule, wherein the first rule specifies that electronic communications associated with the category should be blocked, and the second rule specifies the name as an exception to the first rule.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the identifier comprises a category, and the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a rule that specifies electronic communications belonging to the category are to be blocked when the electronic communications are received at the mobile communications device while the mobile communications device is in a specific location.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the identifier comprises a category, and the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a rule that specifies electronic communications belonging to the category are to be blocked when the electronic communications are received at the mobile communications device during a specific time period.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the identifier comprises a category, and the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a rule that specifies electronic communications belonging to the category are to be blocked when a charge level of a battery of the mobile communications device is below a threshold charge level.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the identifier comprises a category, and the step of evaluating at least one rule comprises:
evaluating a rule that specifies electronic communications belonging to the category are to be blocked when a monthly communications usage total is above a threshold value.