US 2006/0233320 A1 · Method and system for canceling unwanted calls

Abstract

The present method and system enable a called party to cancel an unwanted call and send a message to the calling party. The method and system are activated in response to a plurality of inputs provided by the called party. In response to the input provided by the called party, a custom or a standard message can be transmitted to the calling party. A confirmation message can also be transmitted to the called party. The method and system can be implemented in conjunction with other systems that are also activated in response to an input from the called party.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for canceling a call, the set of instructions to direct a computer system to perform acts of:

(a) analyzing a plurality of inputs from a called telephone station, where the plurality of inputs are selected from the group consisting of DTMF tones, flash-hook, dial pulse input, modem/fax input, and voice input;
(b) transmitting a message to a calling telephone station;
and
(c) canceling a call placed to the called telephone station.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/418,742Filed 4 May 2006

Priority

2 Mar 1999

Published

19 Oct 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04M 3/42382
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g.…
H04M 3/436
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics…
H04M 1/64
Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers: automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for…
H04M 1/642
Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording…:…

Family

Application09/261,012Continuation · filed 2 Mar 1999

Application10/209,184Continuation · filed 30 Jul 2002

Application10/811,614Continuation · filed 29 Mar 2004

Application11/418,742Continuation · filed 4 May 2006

US 2003/0039336 A1Published application

US 2004/0264668 A1Published application

US 6,453,019 B1Related patent

US 6,765,994 B2Related patent

US 7,068,761 B2Related patent

US 2006/0233320 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method and system for canceling unwanted calls

Life of this patent

Method and system for canceling unwanted calls

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18