IP Library Granted Patent US 8,638,921
Granted Patent B2
US 8,638,921 · App. 13/776,996 · Granted Jan 28, 2014

On-demand call blocking service

Inventor: Mark Kirkpatrick (Conyers, GA)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,638,921
App. No.
13/776,996
Granted
Jan 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a telecommunication system configured to provide a connection between a caller and a callee via a telephone network, wherein the telephone network is configured to connect the caller and the callee, a method for allowing the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee. The method includes receiving an instruction from the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee and identifying a first telephone number associated with the caller. The method also includes preventing one or more phone calls from the first telephone number from being forwarded to a second telephone number associated with the callee.

Claims (35)

1. A telecommunications apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium with computer-executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the processor cause the processor to initiate operations comprising:

receiving an instruction from a callee to prevent a caller from establishing a connection with the callee, the receiving including receiving a predetermined code from the callee;

identifying a first telephone number associated with the caller by maintaining a record of a most recent telephone number that was a source of a call placed to a second telephone number immediately prior to receiving the instruction from the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee;

consulting the record to identify the most recent telephone number as the first telephone number;

preventing a phone call from the first telephone number from being forwarded to the second telephone number associated with the callee; and

prompting the callee to perform administration tasks including prompting the callee to record a voice message to be played to the caller upon receiving a phone call from the first telephone number.

2. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a controller in communication with a network element, the network element in communication with a first telecommunications device associated with a callee and a second telecommunications device associated with a caller, the controller having stored thereon instructions and data which, when executed, implement operations to:

recognize an instruction from the callee to prevent the caller from establishing a connection with the callee, wherein the recognize the instruction from the callee includes receiving a predetermined code from the callee;

identify a first telephone number associated with the caller by maintaining a record of a most recent telephone number that was a source of a call placed to a second telephone number immediately prior to receiving the instruction from the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee;

consult the record to identify the most recent telephone number as the first telephone number;

prevent phone calls from the first telephone number from being forwarded to the second telephone number associated with the callee; and

prompt the callee to perform administration tasks including prompting the callee to record a voice message to be played to the caller upon receiving a phone call from the first telephone number.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a database in communication with the controller.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising an interactive voice response system in communication with the controller and the network element.

5. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a service creation computer in communication with the controller.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the network element is in communication with the first telecommunications device and the second telecommunications device via a network.

7. In a telecommunication system, a method for blocking future calls from callers to a callee, the method comprising:

receiving at a controller of a network element a first instruction from the callee to access a service to block future calls from a telephone number associated with a first caller to the callee;

the controller providing a callee selection via a voice prompt responsive to the first instruction;

the controller receiving a second instruction from the callee prior to an expiration of a predetermined time period, wherein the time period is determined based on parameters for blocking future calls;

the controller receiving and identifying a telephone number to block associated with the first caller, wherein identifying the telephone number comprises a reverse white pages look-up technology;

storing the telephone number to block associated with the first caller in a caller block table;

playing a voice announcement to the callee that blocking future calls from the telephone number associated with the first caller has been activated;

preventing a phone call from the telephone number associated with the first caller from being forwarded to a second telephone number associated with the callee;

playing a callee-selected message to the first caller of the telephone number to block when the first caller attempts to call the callee;

receiving a third instruction from the callee to block future calls from a telephone number associated with a second caller;

providing a callee selection via the voice prompt responsive to the third instruction;

receiving a fourth instruction from the callee prior to the expiration of the predetermined time period, wherein the time period is determined based on parameters for blocking future calls;

identifying a telephone number to block associated with the second caller, wherein identifying the telephone number associated with the second caller is provided by the callee;

storing the telephone number to block associated with the second caller in the caller block table;

playing a voice announcement to the callee that blocking future calls from the telephone number associated with the second caller has been activated; and

preventing a phone call from the telephone number associated with the second caller from being forwarded to the second telephone number associated with the callee.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 23, 2013
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION; AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.; AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.; AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 030852/0821 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2013
From: KIRKPATRICK, MARK
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029875/0656 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 13493261 · Jun 11, 2012
Continuation 11762016 · Jun 12, 2007
Continuation 09935540 · Aug 23, 2001
Related Publication 20130170635A1 · Jul 4, 2013