Call Blocking Devices

You are right lone stranger. I have gotten several junk/robo/scam calls appearing to be from my local area. I still don't answer though because I don't recognize the numbers,

That's when you need to start white listing numbers, and let all the junk and spoofed numbers end up in the blocker.

What seems the best thing to me is very simple:  A device, ahead of everything else in the line, that reads the caller ID info, and if it matches my whitelist, the phone is allowed to ring; if it's not on my whitelist, the phone is allowed to ring.  That's it.  The caller ID info must be passed through in all cases.
     This way, if someone important to me calls, and I am here, I can run to answer the phone, or whatever, and if not here, they can leave a message as usual.  They don't have to have memorized some secret annoying code just to call me, a sorry solution in my opinion.
      And if it is some other caller, they can leave a message.  Sometimes you get calls from people that you need to know about, so you can check the answering machine at your convenience. If the caller was a junk caller, 99% of the time they will not leave a message anyway; if they do, you can just delete it when you check messages at your convenience.
      The only crap callers that also leave messages, in my opinion, are the political callers, who do leave very long and annoying messages.

Anyway, I have not found any currently-for-sale device that accomplishes my simple need.

And I meant to say NOT ring if not on the whitelist, of cours....

Jack,

You do not need a device to handle whitelisting (although I believe I could find you one). It can be done easily enough using Google Voice (free) or with just about any VOIP provider worth having. While VOIP isn't free, it can replace your POTS service, and it is very inexpensive.

Consider buying an Obi off of Amazon, and setting up a VOIP account, If you have questions, just ask.

EDIT:  This is NOT an endorsement - I know NOTHING about this product or the seller.  It may be great, or it may be a piece of junk, but it took me less than a minute to locate a hardware whitelist: Hqtelecom (.com) "Call Blocker w/Blacklist and Whitelist" .  (I'm not posting this as a link, because these guys are unknown to me - CAVEAT EMPTOR!)

A chip programmed to block unlimited numbers will do its job. I want modern phones to have unlimited call blockers built into it, let it be cell phones, voip, or landlines.

My Panasonic 'Land Line' comes with a 30 number Call Block feature and it works great - phone rings once and disconnects giving the caller a 'busy tone' ring-back. Granted they call several times a day but the call is blocked; just don't pick up the call on one ring,

"A chip programmed to block unlimited numbers will do its job. I want modern phones to have unlimited call blockers built into it, let it be cell phones, voip, or landlines."

Payback,

Unlimited is a bit much, but massive quantities of numbers is doable.  VOIP phones are fine just as they are. Cell phones just need a little software. But POTS phones are lacking.

So why not modify your own POTS phone? After all, its just a chip. right?

If you start with a phone you can piggyback off of it's line interface possibly circumventing the need for certification.. The caller ID data stream is pretty simple. You could use an Atmel AVR for your processor http://www.atmel.com/products/microcontrollers/avr/default.aspx or you could go with http://www.microchip.com/ .

Here are a couple of "chips" you could use to process the CID for you:

pdfserv.maximintegrated.com/en/an/AN5004.pdf

www.holtek.com.tw/english/tech/appnote/comm/pdf/ha0053e.pdf

You might also find this article useful: matthieu.benoit.free.fr/cidfr.htm (translate is your friend)

Of course, you'll need a hook relay, power supply, display, switches, and a few other bits and pieces, so try: http://www.digikey.com/

If you want to address cell phones, look here: http://developer.android.com/index.html , here: https://developer.blackberry.com/ , here: http://www.developer.nokia.com/ , and here: https://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action

Maybe when you have the POTS version working you can sell the design to Panasonic and get rich. Some say POTS service is the way of the future. I'm sure new POTS designs are rolling off the drawing boards as we speak.  Keep us posted.

Have fun.

There are two (2) firmware / Apps available for both Apple & the Android platforms. I don't know what they are called; just know they exist.
As far as the landlines go, I was in contact with an invention company - keeping their identity secret - a few years ago that looked at my idea and said I should bring a prototype - I only had the electronic design; not finished product.
I have no doubt that my device wil put ALL telemarketers OUT OF @&#*ING BUSINESS, including the #1 telemarketing call center in America - the College Point, Queens Center. This is the one that keeps calling you until you answer. Then you have the option to get on the "Do Not Call List" - but only after you talk to them.
My device - and ANY ELECTRONICS HOBBYIST COULD DO THIS - works by reading the CallID display and sending that data to standard digital logic gates which will raed the display and stop the call unless you have programmed that number to be allowed. This will not work instantly; it will learn what numbers you do want to hear from. It will immediately stop the "OUT OF AREA" telemarketers like the [***] from Bell Atlantic in Georgia calling me for months in New York City to see if I wanted services I already had. The reason you don't hear anyone when you pick up some of these calls is because their system dials you before it assigns an operator to you. And the calls cannot be traced. I could not do a *69 (this was about 10 years ago) and I could not do a trace using *75 but I will be back to the drawing board soon And if anyone else does it; that's o.k. by me.     erod11417@yahoo.com

I am trying my best to figure out how these things work. If I were to come up with an unlimited call blocker, I'd call it a Phonewall. If somebody else comes up with it, congratulations to him/her. I like the idea of creating a call blocker that has a voice recognition built into it. The person or people that create it will be rich cause I don't see Rachel, fake debt collectors or other scammers going away anytime soon.

If you have a good prototype, you should try selling it to an invention company, and if it works, patent it.

I guess subtlety can be carried too far...

Rachel is a good example of subtlety that went too far. Fake debt collectors came after Rachel and now they are outta control. The Nigerian and similar scammers started a long time ago. I don’t want to know whats next. It does not matter how many crook calls people, their numbers should be ignore and or blocked, and reported as well. Finding a perfect solution to put an end to these calls is like finding a perfect solution to stop theft. I still like the white listing part where you can allow only a specific group of people or business to call you. The crooks can go screw themselves.

Boys and girls, if you are dealing with an "invention company", don't walk away, run, as fast and as far as you can.

If you go to an "invention company" with a box of rocks they will tell you that you are brilliant, and that your idea is very promising.  Invention promotion is one of the oldest scams out there.  They play to your ego while milking your wallet dry.  They will not "get your invention off the ground", no matter how much money you give them.

See: http://www.inventorfraud.com/  and  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/03/ipd.shtm

We need to invest more in innovation. Lot of stuff comes up in my mind but I can't implement it. Things like updated call blockers are necessary to help people deal with phone crooks. Infact inventions and discoveries are supposed to help people and other life. Anytime man invents something, a small group of crooks use it to harm others. A good example of that is VOIP. Crooks are waiting for new inventions to use and abuse.