Patent ID: 7158630

Claim:
A method of disseminating caller-related information in a do-not-call system that includes a plurality of automatic dialer systems each at a corresponding different one of a plurality of different locations, each of said plurality of automatic dialer systems including an associated database system that is local to that automatic dialer system and that stores a do-not-call list, said method implemented by a given one of the automatic dialer systems and comprising: receiving an update instruction, said update instruction being a first type or a second type, said first type for blocking future calls to a specified telephone number and said second type for removing a block on future calls to a specified telephone number; in response to receiving said update instruction, concurrently sending a first update notification and a second update notification, wherein said first update notification is sent to the local database system and said second update notification is sent to another one of said plurality of automatic dialer systems that is located elsewhere from said given one of the automatic dialer systems; and in response to receiving said first update notification at said local database system associated with said given one of the automatic dialer systems, updating the do-not-call list stored therein, wherein the second update notification is for causing an update of the do-not-call list at said another one of said plurality of automatic dialer systems.