# US 10,771,632 B2 · System and method for providing carrier-independent VoIP communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,632 B2 - Document ID: US10771632B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/154,437 - Filed: 2018-10-08 - Published: 2019-02-07 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-10 - Assignees: Fonality, Inc. - Applicants: Fonality, Inc. - Inventors: Christopher M. Lyman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771632B2 ## CPC - H04M 7/0057: {Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network} - H04L 61/106: across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks - H04M 1/2535: {adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)} - H04M 7/006: {Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer (H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42)} - H04W 28/0215: {based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices (services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51)} - H04L 2101/33: containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 52/288: {taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission or telephone} - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Systems and methods for seamlessly providing carrier-independent VoIP calls initiated using an existing carrier-issued telephone number are provided. In exemplary embodiments, the existing carrier-issued telephone number to be called is received. Subsequently, a status regarding if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database is determined. If the existing carrier-issued telephone number comprises a registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, a call is established via peer-to-peer connection using an address associated with the registered telephone number. However, if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is not a registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the call is placed via a standard route. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, via a server, a first existing carrier-issued telephone number associated with a callee to be called by a caller associated with a second existing carrier-issued telephone number; determining, via the server, a status of a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database; based on the status indicating a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, determining, via the server, an electronic address associated with the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database and causing, via the server, a call to be placed from the caller to the callee based on the electronic address via a carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection, wherein the call is associated with the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the second existing carrier-issued telephone number; and based on the first existing carrier-issued telephone number not matching the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database as informed via the status, causing, via the server, the call to be placed via a standard route. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising testing the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection to determine if a user specification is acceptable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein if the user specification is not acceptable, automatically falling back to placing the call via the standard route. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the user specification comprises quality standards for the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the user specification comprises availability of the carrier-independent service. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the user specification comprises a user-specific set of specifications. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the user-specific set of specifications including at least one of jitter, latency, sine-wave audio echo analysis, and live MOS scoring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the standard route comprises a PSTN connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the standard route comprises a third-party VoIP connection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: registering, via the processor, the first existing carrier-issued telephone number for carrier-independent VoIP calling service. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: performing, via the processor, a verification process on the first existing carrier-issued telephone number. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the verification process comprises requesting, via the processor, a DTMF sequence from a device associated with the first existing carrier-issued telephone number. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the verification process comprises a re-verification of the registered telephone number. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a dynamic address for the registered telephone number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the status is determined using the first existing carrier-issued telephone number as a lookup key in the carrier-independent database. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier-independent database is updateable off a data source remote to the server, wherein the data source hosts a data source database, wherein the carrier-independent database is updateable off the data source such that the carrier-independent database contains a copy of the data source database. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the server is an iPBX server. ### Claim 18 A system comprising: a server; a carrier-independent database accessible via the server, wherein the carrier-independent database stores a registered telephone number and an electronic address associated with the registered telephone number, wherein the server determines a status of a match between a first existing carrier-issued telephone number associated with a callee and the registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database, and provides the electronic address if the status indicates a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, and based on the status indicating a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the server causes a call to be placed from a caller to the callee based on the electronic address via a carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection such that the call is associated with the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and a second existing carrier-issued telephone number associated with the caller, and based on the status indicating no match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the server causes the call to be placed via a standard route. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the server performs a verification process on a telephone number being registered. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the server automatically switched the call to the standard connection if the carrier-independent network does not meet user specifications. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the server determines a dynamic address associated with the registered telephone number and provides the dynamic address to the carrier-independent database. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the server determines quality and availability of the peer-to-peer connection. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the server provides an updated copy of the carrier-independent database to coupled nodes. ### Claim 24 A method comprising: receiving, via a processor, a first existing carrier-issued telephone number associated with a callee to be called by a caller associated with a second existing carrier-issued telephone number; performing, via the processor, a determination whether the first existing carrier-issued telephone number matches a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database; returning, via the processor, a status based on the determination, wherein if the first existing carrier-issued telephone number matches the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the status triggering, via the processor, a call from the caller to the callee via a peer-to-peer connection using an electronic address associated with the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database and wherein if the first existing carrier-issued telephone number does not match the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the status triggering, via the processor, the call via a standard route, wherein the call is associated with the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the second existing carrier-issued telephone number; and based on a quality standard of the peer-to-peer connection not being acceptable during the call as determined, via the processor, during the call, automatically, switching, via the processor, the call from the peer-to-peer connection to the standard route during the call and without dropping the call. ### Claim 25 A method comprising: receiving, via a server, a first existing carrier-issued telephone number associated with a callee to be called by a caller associated with a second carrier-issued telephone number; determining, via the server, a status of a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and a registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database via using the first existing carrier-issued telephone number as a lookup key in the carrier-independent database; based on the status indicating a match between the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database: identifying, via the server, an electronic address stored in the carrier-independent database, wherein the electronic address is associated with the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, and causing, via the server, a call to be placed from the caller to the callee based on the electronic address via a carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection, wherein the call is associated with the first existing carrier-issued telephone number and the second existing carrier-issued telephone number; and based on the status indicating no match between the existing carrier-issued telephone number and the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, causing, via the server, the call to be placed via a standard route. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the carrier-independent database is updateable off a data source remote to the server, wherein the data source hosts a data source database, wherein the carrier-independent database is updateable off the data source such that the carrier-independent database contains a copy of the data source database. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the server is an iPBX server.