System and method for real-time blocking of a telephone call
AssigneeAT&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc.
InventorRobert A. Koch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a call blocking service to which a user subscribes. The preferred call blocking service includes maintaining an updateable list of calling parties that the user wishes to block from being able to complete telephone calls to the user, maintaining a buffer for storing information associated with the most recent calling party placing a telephone call to the user, and recognizing a signal that the user activates to automatically add the most recent calling party to the list of calling parties blocked from being able to complete telephone calls to the user.
Claims49
A system for real-time blocking telephone calls, the telephone calls placed by a calling party to a called party, the system comprising:
- call blocking logic configured with a blocked caller list, the blocked caller list comprising at least one calling party to be blocked from being able to complete telephone calls to the called party;
- and
- a buffer, the buffer storing at least a telephone number associated with a most recent calling party from which the called party has received a telephone call,
- wherein the call blocking logic is configured to respond to an update signal to add the telephone number contained in the buffer to the blocked caller list that can be edited for review by the user before adding the calling party to the blocked caller list, wherein the update signal is received during the telephone call from the most recent calling party to the called party such that the blocked caller list is edited for review during the call and the call is blocked, terminating the call.
A method for a called party to block a telephone call from at least one selected calling party in real-time, the method comprising:
- subscribing to a call blocking service, the call blocking service including a list of calling parties that the called party desires to block;
- receiving a telephone call from an unwanted calling party that the called party desires to block;
- and
- sending a signal to the call blocking service to place the unwanted calling party on the list of calling parties the called party desires to block that can be edited for review by the user before adding the calling party to the list of calling parties, wherein the signal is sent during the telephone call from the unwanted calling party such that the blocked caller list is edited for review during the call and the call is blocked, terminating the call.
A method for a called party to block a telephone call from at least one selected calling party in real-time, the method comprising:
- providing a call blocking service, the call blocking service including a list of calling parties that the called party desires to block, the call blocking service further including a buffer;
- sending a telephone call to the called party from a calling party;
- storing information associated with the calling party in the buffer;
- receiving a signal from the called party that the called party desires to block the calling party, wherein the signal is received during the telephone call from the calling party to the called party such that the blocked caller list is edited for review during the call and the call is blocked, terminating the call;
- and
- placing the calling party on the list of calling parties the called party desires to block that can be edited for review by the user before adding the calling party to the list of calling parties.
A method for a called party to block a telephone call from at least one selected calling party in real-time, the method comprising:
- subscribing to a call blocking service, the call blocking service including a list of calling parties that the called party desires to block;
- receiving a telephone call from an unwanted calling party that the called party desires to block;
- sending a signal to the call blocking service to place the unwanted calling party on the list of calling parties the called party desires to block that can be edited for review by the user during the call before adding the calling party to the list of calling parties resulting in a blocking of the telephone call, thereby terminating the call;
- and
- editing the list of calling parties.
A method for a called party to block a telephone call from at least one selected calling party in real-time, the method comprising:
- providing a call blocking service, the call blocking service including a list of calling parties that the called party desires to block, the call blocking service further including a buffer;
- sending a telephone call to the called party from a calling party;
- storing information associated with the calling party in the buffer;
- receiving a signal from the called party that the called party desires to block the calling party;
- blocking the call, thereby terminating the call;
- placing the calling party on the list of calling parties the called party desires to block that can be edited for review by the user during the call before adding the calling party to the list of calling parties;
- and
- enabling the called party to edit the list of calling parties.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.