# US 11,909,912 B2 · Methods and apparatus for call traffic anomaly mitigation

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- Number: US 11,909,912 B2
- Document ID: US11909912B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/510,589
- Filed: 2021-10-26
- Published: 2023-04-27
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-26
- Assignees: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc.
- Applicants: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Shaun J. Bharrat; John W. Hutchins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909912B2

## CPC

- H04M 3/436: 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)}
- H04M 3/42068: {where the identifier is used to access a profile}
- H04M 2203/6027: Fraud preventions
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus for call traffic anomaly mitigation are described herein. One or more embodiments include receiving a scoring request including a telephone number associated with a telephone call at a scoring device from a call processing entity, receiving a violator list of telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values at the scoring device from an anomaly analyzer, determining a severity value associated with the telephone number by performing a lookup operation in the violator list, performing a random simulation using the severity value as a probability to determine an indicator value, and inputting the indicator value into a model to determine a call reputation score.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon that are executable by a processor for call traffic anomaly mitigation, comprising:
receiving a scoring request including a telephone number associated with a telephone call at a scoring device from a call processing entity;
receiving a violator list of telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values at the scoring device from an anomaly analyzer device;
determining a severity value associated with the telephone number by performing a lookup operation in the violator list;
performing a random simulation, by the scoring device, using the severity value, interpreted as a probability, as an input to determine an indicator value;
the scoring device inputting the indicator value into a model derived from historical data to determine a call reputation score; and
the call processing entity triggering a call treatment based on the call reputation score.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise performing the random simulation using a uniform random distribution and the severity value as a threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the call reputation score is a robocall score representing the likelihood that the telephone call is a robocall or a fraud score representing the likelihood that the telephone call is a fraudulent call.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise receiving an updated violator list of telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions further comprise receiving the updated violator list of telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values at periodic intervals or in response to external call traffic events.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein at least one of: the telephone numbers or the severity values of the updated violator list are different from the telephone numbers and severity values of the violator list.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise determining the severity value associated with the telephone number is zero in response to the telephone number being absent from the violator list.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise obtaining the severity value associated with the telephone number in response to the telephone number being present on the violator list.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise inputting a model feature into the model to determine the call reputation score.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise transmitting the call reputation score to the call processing entity.

### Claim 11

A method for call traffic anomaly mitigation, comprising:
receiving a scoring request including a telephone number associated with a telephone call at a scoring device from a call processing entity;
receiving a violator list including telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values at the scoring device from an anomaly analyzer device;
determining a severity value associated with the telephone number by performing a lookup operation in the violator list;
performing a random simulation, by the scoring device, using the severity value interpreted as a probability, as an input to determine an indicator value;
the scoring device inputting the indicator value into a model derived from historical data to determine a call reputation score;
transmitting the call reputation score to the call processing entity;
comparing the call reputation score to a call reputation score threshold at the call processing entity; and
triggering a call treatment based on the call reputation score at the call processing entity.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising normally routing the telephone call in response to the call reputation score being equal to or less than the call reputation score threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising querying a subscriber to determine whether the telephone number is an undesired call in response to normally routing the telephone call.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising modifying routing of the telephone call in response to the call reputation score being greater than the call reputation score threshold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise modifying the routing of the telephone call by blocking the telephone call.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise modifying the routing of the telephone call by modifying a display name.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise modifying the routing of the telephone call by routing the telephone call to voicemail.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise modifying the routing of the telephone call by playing a voice challenge.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise modifying the routing of the telephone call by routing the telephone call to an announcement server.

### Claim 20

A device for call traffic anomaly mitigation, comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a scoring request including call data associated with a telephone call from a call processing entity, wherein the call data includes a telephone number;
receive a violator list of telephone numbers and their corresponding severity values from an anomaly analyzer device;
determine a severity value associated with the telephone number by performing a lookup operation in the violator list;
perform a random simulation using the severity value, interpreted as a probability, as an input to determine an indicator value;
input the indicator value into a model derived from historical data to determine a call reputation score;
transmit the call reputation score to the call processing entity for call treatment; and
triggering the call treatment based on the call reputation score at the call processing entity.