Telephone privacy protection system
OwnerKevin C.W. Mulvey, Thomas E. Blackinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A central station blocks calls for a subscriber. The central station receives a call from a caller and provides an audio message to the caller requesting that the caller provides a first indicator if the caller is an unwanted caller or a second indicator otherwise. The central station receives the first indicator or the second indicator. If the central station receives the first indicator, the call is blocked. If the central station receives the second indicator, the call is passed through.
Claims51
A method for blocking calls for a subscriber comprising the steps of:
- receiving a call from a caller;
- providing a first audio message to said caller requesting said caller to provide a first indicator if said caller is an unwanted caller or a second indicator otherwise, wherein knowledge of said first indicator and/or said second indicator is not required by said caller;
- receiving said first indicator or said second indicator;
- blocking said call if said first indicator is received;
- and
- passing through said call if said second indicator is received.
An apparatus for blocking calls for a subscriber comprising:
- means for receiving a call from a caller;
- means for providing a first audio message to said caller requesting said caller to provide a first indicator if said caller is an unwanted caller or a second indicator otherwise, wherein knowledge of said first indicator and/or said second indicator is not required by said caller;
- means for receiving said first indicator or said second indicator;
- means for blocking said call if said first indicator is received;
- and
- means for passing through said call if said second indicator is received.
A kit comprising:
- a central station to couple a telephone and a telephone line and to prevent said telephone from ringing if an unwanted caller calls said telephone.
A kit comprising:
- a digital ringer to couple a telephone and a telephone line, to suppress ringing of said telephone, and to produce a ringing sound when prompted by an activation code received via said telephone line.
A method for blocking calls for a subscriber comprising the steps of:
- receiving a call from a caller at a telephone number, said caller dialing said telephone number automatically;
- and
- providing an introduction message, wherein said introduction message is an electronic telephonic signal detectable by said caller such that said caller automatically disconnects said call and updates automatically a list to refrain from further calling said telephone number again.
A method for automatically dialing telephone numbers comprising the steps of:
- dialing a telephone number automatically to initiate a call;
- detecting an introduction message;
- disconnecting said call automatically;
- and
- updating automatically a list to refrain from further calling said telephone number again.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.