Device for non-intrusive screening of telephone calls and method thereof

Abstract

A telephone with a call screening device is able to screen automated calls by transmitting a message containing an instruction upon detecting an incoming call. The instruction from the call screening device requests that the calling party respond to the message correctly and in time before the call screening device allows the telephone to ring and the call answered. The instruction contains, inter alia, a string of randomly generated numbers that the calling party is asked to dial as part of his/her response. In the event that the response is not received in time or the response is incorrect, the call screening device terminates the call without the phone ever ringing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for screening telephone calls by a call screening device, the method comprises:
 transmitting, by the call screening device in response to an incoming call, a message containing instructions at least part of which comprises a new randomly generated N-digit string of numbers where N is an integer equal to 2 or greater; and   allowing, by the call screening device, establishment of the incoming call to be completed when the new randomly generated N-digit string of numbers is different from an immediately previous randomly generated N-digit string of numbers and a received response to the transmitted message was correct and timely.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where the call screening device is coupled to an IP telephone. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  where the call screening device is coupled to a POTS telephone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where the call screening device is coupled to a PSTN telephone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  where the call screening device is coupled to a communication switch coupled to one or more telephones that are part of one of a POTS, a PSTN and the Internet communication network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  where the transmitted message is a speech synthesized message. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  where the step of transmitting a message comprises intercepting a ring signal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  where the step of allowing the incoming call to be completed comprises allowing the ring signal of the incoming call to be processed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  where the ring signal of the incoming call is not processed when the response to the transmitted message is incorrect or is untimely. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  where the incoming call is from a calling party having a telephone number obtained from caller id information of the incoming call and where the ring signal is processed and the establishment of the incoming is completed if the telephone number of the calling party matches a telephone number from a list of acceptable telephone numbers accessible to the call screening device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  where the step of transmitting a message comprises generating a message based on at least instructions to dial the new randomly generated N-digit string of numbers in the received response to the transmitted message. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  where the step of transmitting a message further comprises receiving the response message and determining whether the response is timely and complies with the instructions of the transmitted message. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  where the defined period of time is a pre-set time period. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  where the response comprises at least dialed string of the N randomly generated numbers where N is an integer equal to 2 or greater. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  where the incoming call is terminated when the response to the transmitted message is deemed to be one of incorrect and untimely.