Reputation based message analysis

Abstract

Described herein are devices and techniques for detecting an inbound message (e.g., text, voice, voicemail) directed from an identifiable message sender to one of a collection of message recipients (e.g., by telephone numbers). The message is selectively forwarded to the message recipient's communication devices in response to a reputation score of the identifiable message sender. The devices and techniques described herein are further adapted to automatically determine or otherwise update the reputation score of the identifiable message sender, for example, in response to previously detected incoming messages. User preferences can be provided to override one or more of forwarding and blocking of detected messages regardless of any automatically obtained reputation score.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A computer-implemented method to handle an incoming call, the method comprising:
 detecting, by a call forwarding processor, an incoming call from a caller directed to a subscriber;   determining a reputation score associated with the caller, the reputation score based at least in part on a call history of the incoming caller;   based on a determination that the reputation score meets a first threshold, forwarding the incoming call to a communication device associated with the subscriber;   based on a determination that the reputation score meets a second threshold, directing the call to a voice messaging system; and   based on a determination that the reputation score does not meet the first threshold and does not meet the second threshold, blocking the call.   
     
     
         28 . A computer-implemented method to handle an incoming call, the method comprising:
 detecting, by a call forwarding processor, an incoming call from a caller directed to a subscriber;   determining a reputation score associated with the caller, the reputation score based at least in part on a call history of the caller; and   based on the reputation score, performing one of: forwarding the incoming call to a communication device associated with the subscriber, directing the call to a voice messaging system, and blocking the incoming call.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein the incoming call is forwarded to the communication device associated with the subscriber in response to a determination that the reputation score meets a first threshold. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the call is directed to a voice messaging system in response to a determination that the reputation score meets a second threshold. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 30 , wherein the incoming call is blocked based on a determination that the reputation score does not meet the first threshold and does not meet the second threshold. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein determining the reputation score comprises setting a reputation score to a baseline reputation score upon a first call from the caller. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein determining a reputation score further comprises updating the reputation score with each subsequent call from the caller to an unassigned subscriber. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein detecting an incoming call comprises processing messages directed to a block of subscriber IDs including assigned subscriber IDs and unassigned subscriber IDs. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein the reputation score is determined based at least in part on a call rate of the caller. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , further comprising identifying the caller using caller ID. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein the reputation score is determined at least in part based on a number of calls made by the caller to one or more telephone numbers that are unassigned to any subscriber. 
     
     
         38 . A system to handle an incoming call, comprising:
 one or more call forwarding processors; and   instructions encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions when executed operable to:   detect, by one of the call forwarding processors, an incoming call from a caller directed to a subscriber;   determine a reputation score associated with the caller, the reputation score based at least in part on a call history of the caller and a call rate of the caller; and   based on the reputation score, perform one of: forward the incoming call to a communication device of the subscriber, direct the call to a voice messaging system, and block the incoming call.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions are further operable to forward the incoming call to the subscriber's communication device upon a determination that the reputation score meets a first threshold. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the instructions are further operable to direct the call to a voice messaging system based on a determination that the reputation score does not meet the first threshold and the reputation score meets a second threshold. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the instructions are further operable to block the incoming call based on a determination that the reputation score does not meet the first threshold and does not meet the second threshold. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein determining a reputation score further comprises setting a reputation score to a baseline reputation score upon a first call from the caller. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein detecting an incoming call further comprises processing messages directed to a block of subscriber IDs including assigned subscriber IDs and unassigned subscriber IDs. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions to determine the reputation score comprise instructions to determine the reputation score based at least in part of a number of different message recipients. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to identify the caller using caller ID. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions to determine the reputation score comprise instructions to determine the reputation score based at least in part on a number of calls made by the caller to telephone numbers that are unassigned to any subscriber for any service.