# US 7,412,049 B1 · System and method for real-time blocking of a telephone call

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,412,049 B1
- Document ID: US7412049B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 10/159,542
- Filed: 2002-05-31
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2002-05-31
- Assignees: AT&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc.
- Inventors: Robert A. Koch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412049B1

## 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: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the call blocking logic is a switch, the switch configured to receive telephone calls intended for the called party, and to block telephone calls to the called party placed by calling parties that appear on the blocked caller list.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the blocked caller list is maintained within a memory of the switch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the switch is further configured to receive the update signal from the called party, and to add the telephone number stored in the buffer to the blocked caller list.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein, the buffer comprises a memory location within the switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the switch is a softswitch.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the switch is a Central Office switch.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the Central Office switch operates under the AIN protocols.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the call blocking logic further comprises a service control point, the service control point operating under the AIN protocols.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the update signal further comprises a signal from the called party to the switch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the update signal further comprises a signal sent from the called party to the switch after the conclusion of a telephone call.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the update signal comprises a Star Feature Code.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the update signal comprises a signal from an IP telephone.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the call blocking logic further comprises a call blocking server, wherein the call blocking server communicates with the switch, and wherein the blocked caller list is stored on the call blocking server.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the buffer is located on the call blocking server.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein, the call blocking server is contained within a softswitch.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the call blocking server is configured to allow the called party to communicate with the call blocking server.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the communication comprises HTML communications from a computer operated by the called party.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the call blocking server is further configured to allow the called party to edit information stored on the call blocking server.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the information edited by the called party comprises the blocked caller list.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a DTMF tone.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the signal comprises a DTMF tone from a PSTN telephone.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a signal from an IP telephone.

### Claim 24

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.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein sending a signal to the call blocking service further comprises using the telephone of the called party to send the signal to the call blocking service.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein sending a signal to the call blocking service further comprises using the telephone of the called party to send a DTMF tone to the call blocking service.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein sending a signal to the call blocking service further comprises using the telephone of the called party to send the signal to the call blocking service after the telephone call from the unwanted calling party.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the telephone of the called party comprises an IP telephone.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the telephone of the called party comprises a PSTN telephone.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the call blocking service further includes a call blocking service server.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein the list of calling parties the called party desires to block is located on the call blocking service server.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein the call blocking service server is configured to allow the called party to communicate with the call blocking service server.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein the communication between the called party and the call blocking service server comprises HTML communications from a computer operated by the called party.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein the call blocking service server is further configured to allow the called party to view information stored on the call blocking service server.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the information on the call blocking service server viewed by the called party comprises the list of calling parties the called party desires to block.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the information on the call blocking service server may be edited by the called party.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein editing the information on the call blocking service server further comprises deleting a calling party from the list of calling parties the called party desires to block.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein editing the information on the call blocking service server further comprises adding a calling party to the list of calling parties the called party desires to block.

### Claim 39

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.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein receiving a signal from the called party further comprises receiving a signal from the telephone of the called party.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein receiving a signal from the called party further comprises receiving a signal from the telephone of the called party after the telephone call from the calling party.

### Claim 42 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein the call blocking service further includes a call blocking service server.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The method of claim 42, wherein the list of calling parties is stored on the call blocking service server.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein receiving a signal from the called party further comprises receiving a communication to the call blocking service server.

### Claim 45

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.

### Claim 46 (depends on 45)

The method of claim 45, further including:
accessing a web server having the list of calling parties using a web compliant device.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The method of claim 46, further including:
maintaining the list of calling parties on a web server; and
enabling the called party to access the list via a web compliant device.

### Claim 48 (depends on 45)

The method of claim 45, further including:
viewing the list of calling parties.

### Claim 49

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.