System and method for establishing communications between a remote computer and a computer service provider using a telephonic switch

Abstract

A system 100 and method for interconnecting a remote computer 102 and a computer service provider 104 via a telephonic switch 122 is provided. The telephonic switch 122 connects the remote computer 102 to the computer service provider 104 based on information received from the remote computer 102. An adult material circuit 126 in the telephonic switch 122 detects a request from the remote computer 102 to prohibit access to adult material available on the computer service provider 104. The request may be contained in automatic number identification information or dialed number identification service information. The telephonic switch 122 further comprises a caller prompting circuit 132 which prompts the remote computer 102 for instructions regarding whether to deny access to adult material. An advertising circuit 136 in the telephonic switch 122 stores advertisements, selects one of the advertisements based on the information received from the remote computer 102 and displays the selected advertisements on the remote computer 102. The telephonic switch 122 further comprises an audio circuit 140 for establishing voice communications between a subscriber associated with the remote computer 102 and an agent telephonic unit 142 associated with the telephonic switch 122. While voice communications are established between the subscriber and the agent telephonic unit 142, a data link circuit 141 maintains a data connection between the telephonic switch 122 and the computer service provider 104 such that data communications are substantially automatically reestablished upon completion of the voice communications.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.