US 7,248,675 B2 · Method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer, and routing the voice call off of the network, is provided. In a first embodiment, the apparatus comprises a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a set of communication services for facilitating establishment of the voice call to the PSTN extension, and an execution unit, coupled to the storage medium, for executing the plurality of programming instructions. The set of communication services include services for receiving a Push-To-Talk™ request from the networked client computer, requesting the voice call, and in response, determining the PSTN extension. The Push-To-Talk™ request includes identification information of an originating web server of the Push-To-Talk™ option, and the determination of the PSTN extension is made in accordance with the originating web server's identification information.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method of completing a telephone call comprising:

sending said call to a first computer,
said first computer communicating a called telephone number to a second computer to obtain operating characteristics of at least a third computer and a fourth computer that may be capable of completion of said call,
said first computer then selecting either said third computer or said fourth computer to transfer said call from a data network to a telephone network;
wherein said third or said fourth computers are each adapted to route packetized voice data associated with said telephone call;
and
determining if said first computer is directly connected to said third computer or said fourth computer;
prompting a user with an opportunity to create a direct connection between said first computer and said third computer or said fourth computer if said first computer is not directly connected to either said third computer or said fourth computer;
and
establishing the direct connection between said first computer and said third computer or said fourth computer.

6 more elements

A method of completing packet telephone call of a packet switched network and on to public switched telephone network (PSTN), the method comprising:

originating a telephone call that is transmitted as packetized data at least partially along a transmitting line;
forming a connection from a client computer to a selecting computer, the selecting computer being one of several selecting computers,
selecting by the selecting computer a bridgeport computer to complete the call of the packet switching network, and
establishing communications with said selected bridgeport computer, said communications with said selected Bridgeport computer occurring while said client computer communicates with other selecting computers;
wherein said bridgeport computer is adapted to bridge packetized voice data associated with said telephone call;
determining if said client computer is directly connected to said bridgeport computer
prompting a user with an opportunity to create a direct connection between said client computer and said bridgeport computer if said client computer is not directly connected to said bridgeport computer;
and
establishing the direct connection between said client computer and said bridgeport computer if so selected by the user.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/428,349Filed 2 May 2003 · continuation

Priority

14 Mar 1997

Published

US 2004/0052339 A118 Mar 2004

Granted

24 Jul 2007

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04L 65/4061
Support for services or applications: push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
H04L 65/401
Support for services or applications: wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time…
H04L 65/80
Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication: responding to QoS
H04M 7/003
Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services: click to dial services

Family

Application08/818,770Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Mar 1997

Application09/418,763Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Oct 1999

Application09/823,211Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Mar 2001

US 2004/0052339 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Mar 2004

US 6,628,760 B2Parent of this continuation

US 6,661,878 B1Parent of this continuation

US 6,026,087 AParent of this continuation

US 2001/0012357 A1Published application

US 7,248,675 B2This patent

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

Method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8