IP Library Granted Patent US 8,548,447
Granted Patent B1
US 8,548,447 · App. 11/866,250 · Granted Oct 1, 2013

Methods and systems for blocking unwanted telecommunications

Inventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff (Santa Barbara, CA); Colin Kelley (Santa Barbara, CA); David S. Trandal (Santa Barbara, CA); David F. Hofstatter (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,548,447
App. No.
11/866,250
Granted
Oct 1, 2013
Kind
B1
Abstract

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.

Claims (42)

1. A method of processing a call blocking instruction, the method comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a call from a caller directed to an address associated with a first communication device of a first user;

transmitting to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) a Short Message Service (SMS) notification or a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) notification regarding the call to a mobile device associated with the first user wherein the mobile device is not the first communication device;

receiving from a SMSC a reply message to the SMS notification or the MMS notification from the first user via the first user's mobile device, wherein the reply message is a SMS or a MMS type message; and

at least partly in response to the reply message, recording in memory an indication that future communications of at least a first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reply message does not include text composed by the first user in the body of the reply message.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reply message includes a first content in a subject field associated with the reply message, wherein the first content indicates that the first user wants calls from the caller to the first user to be blocked.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the call is forwarded to the call processing system as a result of a ring-no-answer condition or a busy condition.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the call is directed to a phone address assigned to the first user and is received at the call processing system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a second call from the caller;

accessing from the indication that calls from the caller to the first user are to be blocked; and

determining that the second call is not to be connected to a telephonic device associated with the first user.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a text and/or multimedia message from the caller;

accessing from the indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked, wherein indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked includes an indication that text and multimedia message from the caller are to be blocked; and

determining that the text and/or multimedia message is not to be transmitted to the first user.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

requesting the caller to record a voice message; and

streaming a voice message from the caller in substantially real time to a client application associated with the first user.

9. A system of processing a call blocking instruction, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

nontransitory computer readable memory that stores program code that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, performs operations comprising:

receiving a call from a caller directed to an address associated with a first communication device of a first user;

transmitting to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) a Short Message Service (SMS) notification or a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) notification regarding the call to a mobile device associated with the first user wherein the mobile device is not the first communication device;

receiving from a SMSC a reply message to the SMS notification or the MMS notification from the first user via the first user's mobile device, wherein the reply message is a SMS or a MMS type message; and

at least partly in response to the reply message, recording in memory an indication that future communications of at least a first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the reply message does not include text composed by the first user in the body of the reply message.

11. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the reply message includes a first content in a subject field associated with the reply message, wherein the first content indicates that the first user wants calls from the caller to the first user to be blocked.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the call is forwarded to the call processing system as a result of a ring-no-answer condition or a busy condition.

13. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the call is directed to a phone address assigned to the first user and is received at the call processing system.

14. The system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving a second call from the caller;

accessing from the indication that calls from the caller to the first user are to be blocked; and

determining that the second call is not to be connected to a telephonic device associated with the first user.

15. The system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving a text and/or multimedia message from the caller;

accessing from the indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked, wherein indication that future communications of at least the first type from the caller to the first user are to be blocked includes an indication that text and multimedia message from the caller are to be blocked; and

determining that the text and/or multimedia message is not to be transmitted to the first user.

16. The system as defined in claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

requesting the caller to record a voice message; and

streaming a voice message from the caller in substantially real time to a client application associated with the first user.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2016
From: CALLWAVE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
To: TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT HOLDINGS II, LLC
Reel/Frame 038770/0923 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 15, 2012
From: CALLWAVE, INC.
To: FUZEBOX SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028794/0252 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2012
From: FUZEBOX SOFTWARE CORPORATION
To: CALLWAVE TELECOM, INC.
Reel/Frame 028794/0285 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2012
From: CALLWAVE TELECOM, INC.
To: CALLWAVE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 028794/0296 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2008
From: KIRCHHOFF, LELAND W.; KELLEY, COLIN; TRANDAL, DAVID S.; HOFSTATTER, DAVID F.
To: CALLWAVE, INC.
Reel/Frame 020942/0116 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 60850044 · Oct 6, 2006
Provisional Application 60900534 · Feb 9, 2007