Patent ID: 7139382

Claim:
A method for restricting the completion of a call made to a subscriber, the method comprising: activating a termination attempt trigger; requesting from a switch a call-processing instruction in response to detection of the activated termination attempt trigger by sending a first query and requesting from the switch a call completion by sending a second query once the call is returned to the switch after the first query; determining at a controller receiving the requests a proper call-processing instruction by determining whether a call restriction is activated for the called number and determining whether the calling number is exempt and determining at the controller in response to the second query whether an override code is valid where the calling number is not exempt and override code is provided; receiving the call-processing instructions; in response to the calling number not being exempt, redirecting the call responsive to the call-processing instructions to an intelligent peripheral so that the redirected call may be queried for an override code and providing the call back to the switch upon receiving the valid override code; in response to the controller determining that a predefined number of attempts to provide the valid override code have been unsuccessful, canceling the call; and in response to the controller determining that the valid override code has been provided within the predetermined number of attempts, then completing the call.