Patent ID: 9288319
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: H04M

Claim Text:
1. A system for handling incoming calls to a phone number X; the system comprising, a phone line corresponding to X, a screening computer connected to phone number Z distinct from X, and a telephonic routing system, wherein the telephonic routing system is configured such that the call will be connected by the routing system to the first of X or Z to pick up the line, and the screening computer is configured to automatically pick up the line if a screening criteria Y evaluated by the computer is met, thereby intercepting the call; while allowing the call to ring through and be connected to X if Y is not met, wherein the incoming call is assigned a standardized score Z by the computer based on at least one criteria selected from, previous malicious calls from the originating number, the geographic region of the originating number, the number block of the originating number, caller identity, previous grading of the caller by the owner of X, previous grading of the caller by other users within the system, previous grading of the caller by government or consumer protection agencies, and Y compares Z to a call threshold W thereby determining whether the call will be intercepted.