US 6,480,474 B2Granted

Telephone call-back system controlled by an online data network in real-time

AssigneeCaritas Technologies, Inc.

InventorsClark E. Johnson, Jr., Richard J. Solomon, Tice F. DeYoung, David J. Farber

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A digital communication network such as the Internet is used to establish and control the telephone connections between two conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal information. Each of the two conferees has a computer connected to the digital network, and each has an independent telephone instrument connected to the public switched telephone network. One of the conferees utilizes his computer containing appropriate software to initiate the call to the other conferee. The initiating conferee sends digital control information to a switch interface controlling a telephone switch as a gateway to the telephone network using SS7 control signals which implements the telephone connection between the conferees. The switch also provides telephone status information transmitted back over the digital network, and the status information is displayed on the computer monitors of the conferees.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A call back communication system for use with the Internet network, said system comprising:

a) first and second conferee stations having first and second telephones respectively for connection to the public switched telephone system by a switch, said telephones for the exchange of verbal messages over said public switched telephone system without said verbal messages being transmitted over said Internet, further wherein said switch is responsive to SS7 digital command signals,
b) first and second personal computers located at said first and said second conferee stations, said first and said second personal computers for connection to said Internet network to provide Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) signals as telephone command signals, and
c) a bi-directional interface between said Internet and said switch to map said TCP Internet signals from said first and said second personal computers into SS7 digital command signals to control said switch, wherein said first and said second telephones are connected by said switch through said public switch telephone system for telephone communication.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/819,079Filed 30 Apr 2001 · continuation in part
Priority: 26 Aug 1996
Published: US 2002/0031096 A114 Mar 2002
Granted: 12 Nov 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04M 3/56
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e.…
H04M 3/567
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: multimedia conference systems
H04M 11/00
Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
H04M 3/563
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: user guidance or feature selection

Family

Application60/024,592Us provisional application · filed 26 Aug 1996
Application08/918,564Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Aug 1997
Application09/212,786Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Dec 1998
Application09/587,080Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Jun 2000
US 2002/0031096 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Mar 2002
US 6,266,328 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,072,780 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,480,474 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.