IP Library Granted Patent US 8,509,752
Granted Patent B2
US 8,509,752 · App. 13/525,914 · Granted Aug 13, 2013

Method and system for conditionally limiting communications

Inventors: Jeffrey M. Sweeney (Olathe, KS); Jennifer D. Doyle (Olathe, KS)
Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,509,752
App. No.
13/525,914
Granted
Aug 13, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A server, system, and method configured to limit communications. The server includes a processor for executing a set of instructions and a memory for storing the set of instructions. The set of instructions are executed to receive a list of one or more communicating parties that are authorized to communicate with a user at any time, receive a selection to limit communications, determine whether an identifier associated with a communicating party is in the list in response to processing a communication, and connect the communication to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is in the list.

Claims (35)

1. A server configured to limit communications, the device comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions;

a memory in communication with the processor for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to:

receive a list of one or more communicating parties that are authorized to communicate with a user at any time, receive a selection to limit communications, determine whether an identifier associated with a communicating party is in the list in response to processing a communication, wherein the communication is a real-time communication or a message, prevent the communication from being communicated to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is not in the list, wherein the communication is diverted if the communication is the real-time communication, and wherein the communication is queued for subsequent delivery to the communications device if the communication is the message; and connect the communication to the communications device in response to determining the identifier is in the list.

2. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the list is saved in a database accessible to the user through a graphical user interface, and wherein the message is a non-real-time message.

3. The server according to claim 2 , wherein the graphical user interface is displayed as part of a graphical message interactively displayed to the user.

4. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions are integrated with a web browser that is remotely accessible by the user.

5. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the list is configured to include IP addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, user names, and communications identifiers.

6. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is a name or area code.

7. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is entered by the user.

8. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is enabled to be user input from the user or conditional criteria pre-established by the user.

9. The server according to claim 8 , wherein the conditional criteria include at least conditions for automatically limiting communications utilizing days, times of day, locations, and events.

10. The server according to claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions is configured to allow the communication in response to the communicating party affirmatively identifying the communication as an emergency.

11. A method for limiting communications, the method comprising:

receiving a list of one or more communicating parties that are authorized to communicate with a user at any time;

receiving a selection to limit communications;

determining whether an identifier associated with a communicating party is on the list in response to receiving a communication, wherein the communication is a real-time communication or a message;

preventing the communication from being communicated to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is not in the list, wherein the communication is diverted if the communication is the real-time communication, and wherein the communication is queued for subsequent delivery to the communications device if the communication is the message; and

connecting the communication to the communications device in response to determining the identifier is on the list.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether the communication is an emergency; and

connecting the communication to the communication device in response to receiving an affirmative indication from the communicating party indicating the communication is an emergency.

13. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

connecting the real-time communication to voicemail in response to affirmatively determining the communication is not an emergency.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

connecting the real-time communication to voicemail in response to determining the identifier is not on the list.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is enabled to be an IP address, a phone number, an email address, a user name, and a communications identifier.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is any of a communicating party identification, user name, e-mail address, Internet protocol address, and area code.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

limiting the communication in response to user input from the user conditional criteria pre-established by the user, wherein the message is a non-real-time message.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the conditional criteria include at least conditions for automatically limiting communications utilizing days, times of day, locations, and events.

19. A communication system for limiting communications, the system comprising:

a server configured to receiving communications from a communications network, wherein the server includes logic configured to receive a list of one or more communicating parties that are authorized to communicate with a user at any time, receive a selection to limit communications, determine whether an identifier associated with a communicating party is in the list in response to processing a communication, wherein the communication is a real-time communication or a message, reject the communication in response to conditional criteria set by the user and determining the identifier is not on the list, wherein the communication is diverted if the communication is the real-time communication, and wherein the communication is queued for subsequent delivery to the communications device if the communication is the message; and connect the communication to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is in the list; and

the communications device in communication with the server configured to receive at least a portion of the communications from the server.

20. The communication system according to claim 19 , wherein logic prompts a user to affirmatively indicate whether the communication is an emergency, and wherein the communication is passed to the communications device in response to the user affirmatively indicating the communication is an emergency.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 11, 2013
From: EMBARQ HOLDINGS COMPANY, LLC
To: CENTURYLINK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LLC
Reel/Frame 030786/0490 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2012
From: SWEENEY, JEFFREY M.; DOYLE, JENNIFER D.
To: EMBARQ HOLDINGS COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 028395/0715 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12002422 · Dec 17, 2007
Related Publication 20120260308A1 · Oct 11, 2012