Claims
- 1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one system for effecting outbound solicitation communications to endpoints having addresses; a database of addresses of endpoints that are not to be solicited; a server physically distinct from the at least one system, for accessing the database; a communications network communicatively connecting the at least one system with the server; each at least one system having means responsive to initiation of a communication to an address for querying the server via the network regarding whether the communication is allowed, and responsive to a response from the server to the query received via the network for either blocking the communication from proceeding or allowing the communication to proceed; and the server having means responsive to the query received from a system via the network for determining whether the address is or is not in the database, responsive to determining that the address is in the database for sending to the system the response to block the communication, and responsive to determining that the address is not in the database for sending to the system the response to allow the communication to proceed.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the at least one system comprises a plurality of the systems which share use of the network, the server, and the database.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the network is a private network of an enterprise; and the server is a private server of the enterprise.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
the database is a private database of the enterprise.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
the database is a public database.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the at least one system comprises at least one private branch exchange; the communication is a telephone call; the database comprises a no-call list; and the addresses are telephone numbers.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:
the network comprises a private telephone network of an enterprise.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:
the query comprises the telephone call being directed to the server; and the response allowing the communication to proceed comprises a directive to the PBX to redirect the telephone call to a public telephone network.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising;
means in each said system responsive to an override of blocking of the communication, for informing the server and allowing the communication to proceed; and means in the server responsive to the informing, for logging the override.
- 10. A method in a communications network comprising at least one system for effecting outbound solicitation communications to endpoints having addresses, a database of addresses of endpoints that are not to be solicited, a server physically distinct from the at least one system, for accessing the database, and a communications network communicatively connecting the at least one system with the server, comprising:
in response to initiation on a system of a communication to an address, the system querying the server via the network regarding whether the communication is allowed; in response to a first response to the query received from the server via the network, blocking the communication from proceeding; and in response to a second response to the query received from the server via the network, allowing the communication to proceed.
- 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
in response to receipt of the query from the system via the network, the server accessing the database and determining whether the address is in the database; in response to determining that the address is in the database, the server sending the first response to the system via the network; and in response to determining that the address is not in the database, the server sending the second response to the system via the network.
- 12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
in response to an override of the blocking of the communication, the system informing the server thereof and allowing the communication to proceed.
- 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
in response to an override of the blocking of the communication, the system informing the server thereof and allowing the communication to proceed; and in response to the informing, the server logging the override.
- 14. A method in a communications network comprising at least one system for effecting outbound solicitation communications to endpoints having addresses, a database of addresses of endpoints that are not to be solicited, a server physically distinct from the at least one system, for accessing the database, and a communications network communicatively connecting the at least one system with the server, comprising:
in response to receipt, via the network from a system on which a communication to an address was initiated, of a query regarding whether the communication is allowed, the server accessing the database and determining whether the address is in the database; in response to determining that the address is in the database, the server sending to the system via the network a first response blocking the communication from proceeding; and in response to determining that the address is not in the database, the server sending to the system via the network a second response allowing the communication to proceed.
- 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
in response to initiation on the system of the communication to the address, the system querying the server via the network regarding whether the communication is allowed; in response to the first response to the query received from the server via the network, the system blocking the communication from proceeding; and in response to the second response to the query received from the server via the network, the system allowing the communication to proceed.
- 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
in response to an override of the blocking of the communication, the system informing the server thereof and allowing the communication to proceed.
- 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
in response to being informed by the system of an override of the blocking of the communication, the server logging the override.
- 18. A private branch exchange (PBX) comprising:
an effector responsive to initiation at the PBX of an outbound call to a telephone number, of querying a server that is physically distinct from the PBX over a communications network connecting the PBX to the server regarding whether the telephone number is included in a database of telephone numbers that do not wish to be called; and an effector responsive to receipt from the server via the network of a response indicating that the telephone number is in the database, of blocking the call from proceeding, and responsive to receipt from the server via the network of a response indicating that the telephone number is not in the database, of allowing the call to proceed.
- 19. The PBX of claim 18 further comprising:
an effector responsive to an override of blocking of the call, of allowing the call to proceed and informing the server via the network of the override.
- 20. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed in a computer, cause the computer to perform the following actions:
in response to initiation at a private branch exchange (PBX) of an outbound call to a telephone number, querying a server that is physically distinct from the PBX over a communications network connecting the PBX to the server regarding whether the telephone number is included in a database of telephone numbers that do not wish to be called; in response to receipt via the network of a response from the server indicating that the telephone number is in the database, causing the PBX to block the call from proceeding; and in response to receipt via the network of a response from the server indicating that the telephone number is in the database, causing the PBX to effect the call.
- 21. The medium of claim 20 further containing instructions which cause the computer to perform the following actions:
in response to an override of blocking of the call, causing the PBX to effect the call; and further in response to the override, informing the server of the override via the network.
Cross Reference to Related Applications
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/423, 948, filed Nov. 4, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60423948 |
Nov 2002 |
US |