US 7,065,070 B1 · Method and system for establishing a voice communication service for business transactions and commerce applications

Abstract

A method and a system for establishing a self-owned and self-managed network-based voice communication solution (VCS) for supporting business transactions and commerce applications over the communications network(s) including the Internet and PSTN. The voice communication solution is requested by a merchant or business entity at a computer connected to the Internet by providing (i) information needed for approval and (ii) system configuration for accepting the solution. Through a friendly interactive process with a web server and a solution server, the necessary software for voice communication is downloaded to a merchant's designated computer host, turning it to be a VCS server. Upon activation, the VCS server can support voice over IP (VOIP) communication and connect an incoming call to a telephone via PSTN or a PBX network. The VCS server can receive a VOIP call from anyone at anyplace via an Internet connected voice enabled computer. The caller launches a call agent via the merchant's web page(s) or via a computer desktop interface or via a VOIP phone interface to reach the privately held voice communication server. The server connects the caller to a receiver according to the caller or merchant designated phone number. These phone numbers are designated as e800 numbers and are listed in various e800 directories for public use. Hence the VCS system can convert any local phone number into an e800 number with ‘800’ like properties, serving as a self-owned, self-activated and self-managed network-based voice communication system and solution.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An network-based voice communication system, comprising:

a) at least one voice communication server computer and
b) at least one call agent computer;
wherein said serve computer(s) and said call agent computer(s) are interconnected by a computer network;
said server computer(s) is downloaded with a VOIP server software to receive VOIP calls, and to terminate the calls at an ordinary phone via a termination device;
and wherein
said call agent computer(s) are downloaded with a call agent program to initiate a VOIP session with the said server computer(s) and to allow a caller to input desired data including entering an IP address, selecting one IP address from a directory, entering a telephone number and selecting one telephone number from a directory to facilitate a call;
said one server computer and said one call agent computer forming a pair and working under a client-server architecture and the pair jointly managing the VOIP session;
said server computers and said call agent computers forming a cluster of multiple units, working under a distributed architecture;
wherein said server computer is loaded with the call agent program to function as a call agent computer;
wherein said call agent computer is loaded with a VCS server program to function as a communication server with the termination device added to facilitate VCS system test and additional application in the category of branch-to-branch voice and data communication;
and
wherein a number of said server/call agent computers are orgnized to perform a tie-line communication function between several branches.

9 more elements

A method of establishing a working voice communication system with VOIP capability and interfacing with an ordinary phone and designating at least one local phone number as an e800 number into an e800 directory comprising of:

an automated process for making a request for downloading voice communication server program and call agent software, under control of a web site supported by a web server and a number of other servers resident in one or more computer servers,
displaying information about the voice communication system;
responding to requests of downloading the voice communication system;
capturing the requester identification and user profile;
establishing the system configuration for operating the voice communication system;
accepting and submitting IP addresses for operating the voice communication systems;
downloading a voice communication system server software;
downloading the call agent software;
activating the voice communication system server software;
and
testing and running the voice communication system;
all in one continuous process with freedom to pause the process;
under the control of a mail server,
authenticating and conveying a ID code of a registrant;
authenticating and confirming payment received;
under control of a solution server,
delivering the voice communication system server software;
delivering a default ad image file;
delivering a call agent software;
delivering a call agent web icon instruction file and web icon file, address book and directory data;
under the control of an encryption engine,
creating an activation code corresponding to an IP address submitted;
delivering the activation code to a requester through the mail server;
under the control of a form server,
allowing forms to be presented to and filled by the requester;
under the control of a network server,
allowing remote dial-in and network connection to perform call agent test, under control of a Voice Communication System server and any number of call agent computers,
performing VOIP call test with a call agent;
whereby the request of establishing a working voice communication system can be accomplished with an on-line process in the end producing a working voice communication system to serve multiple business entities.

26 more elements

An Internet-based e800 directory system comprises:

at least one VOIP gateway computer;
at least one call agent computer;
and at least one server computer;
said gateway computer(s) having termination capability for at least one voice session with a PSTN telephone;
said call agent computer(s) being loaded with a call agent program to initiate a VOIP session with the said gateway computer(s) and to allow a caller to input desired data comprising:
entering an IP address, selecting one IP address from an e800 directory, entering a telephone number and selecting one telephone number from an e800 directory to facilitate a call;
wherein said server computer having a web server for rendering a web site program to receive request for designating a local phone number to be an e800 number, to list said e800 number in an e800 directory, to display said e800 directory when requested by a requester through a network browser and to facilitate placing a call agent icon next to the e800 number in the e800 directory;
said web server computer being loaded with form server program to provide on-line registration and on-line payment processing for accepting purchase of the e800 directory service;
and
said web server computer being loaded with file download program to provide instant download of the call agent program, the e800 directory server program and the e800 franchise agreement file.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for establishing a voice communication service for business transactions and commerce applications

Life of this patent

Method and system for establishing a voice communication service for business transactions and commerce applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19