Patent ID: 8363558

Claim:
A method of processing communications in a network having a plurality of subscriber devices; said method comprising the steps of: maintaining, in each subscriber device, a common policy common to all subscriber devices, said policy comprising at least one identifier representing whether reception of a voice call having at least one originator identifier is permissible, said policy being updatable by any of said plurality of subscriber devices; maintaining, in at least one of said subscriber devices, a local override policy that is unique to said at least one of said subscriber devices; receiving a voice call at said at least one of said subscriber devices, said voice call having an originator identifier; accessing said common policy as maintained in said at least one of said subscriber devices; accessing said local override policy as maintained in said at least one of said subscriber devices; determining a permissibility, on the said at least one of said subscriber devices, as to whether said voice call is permissible according to said common policy and said local override policy and additionally based on said originator identifier, wherein said local override policy takes precedence over said common policy in said determination; and accepting or rejecting said call according to said permissibility.