Patent ID: 7352855
Filing Date: 2008-04-01
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for providing a privacy management service in a telephone system by using originating calls to build a database of acceptable incoming calls, said method comprising: detecting a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to a called party telephone number; determining if said called party telephone number is located in a subscriber database of telephone numbers corresponding to said subscriber telephone number; adding said called party telephone number to said subscriber database in response to said determining resulting in not locating said called party telephone number in said subscriber database; and connecting said telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said called party telephone number, wherein incoming telephone calls to said subscriber telephone number from caller party telephone numbers located in the subscriber database are directly connected to the subscriber telephone number, the incoming telephone calls each displayed with caller data for a known phone number and a private indicator for a private phone number, and incoming calls to said subscriber telephone number from caller party telephone numbers not located in the subscriber database are transmitted to a screening application wherein the screening application comprises: transmitting a request for a caller at a caller party telephone number to provide identification data in response to receiving an incoming telephone call from the call at the subscriber telephone, and presenting screening options to a subscriber at the subscriber telephone number in response to receipt of the identification data, wherein presenting screening options to the subscriber include an always answer option performed in response to a selection by the subscriber, and wherein performing the always answer option includes: adding said caller telephone number to said subscriber database and connecting the incoming telephone call between said subscriber telephone number and said caller telephone number.