US 7,408,919 B1Granted

Internet based telephone line

AssigneeInfointeractive Corp.

InventorWilliam P. McMullin

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A telephone service method that provides subscribers with the functionality of an extra telephone line during data/Internet sessions. Each subscriber has a unique telephone number Dns that can be dialed by anyone with access to the PSTN. When the Dns is dialed the call will be routed via the PSTN to the ILTD server. The ILTD server upon receiving the call attempt from the Dnc will analyze the dialed number (Dns) and determine if the subscriber's computer is able to receive the telephone call. If the subscriber's computer is actively engaged in an Internet Protocol session, with the ILTD client software running, the ILTD server will connect the call over the Internet to the ILTD client software. The ILTD client software will activate the subscriber's sound card and the microphone to play audio and receive input from the microphone to allow the subscriber and the calling party to have a full duplex telephone conversation (i.e. using voice-over-IP technology).

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for processing a call using call direction services that selectively forward the call as Internet Protocol (IP) data to one of several registered clients, the method comprising:

registering one or more clients with a call direction server, wherein the call direction server includes:
(1) a circuit-switched network interface card directly interfacing a circuit switched network and configured to receive one or more calls routed to the call direction server using registered call processing functions at a signaling system,
(2) a data network interface card configured to communicate IP data with a data communications network,
(3) a database of dialed number identifiers for valid subscribers, and
(4) a controller configured to:
(a) provide the call direction services,
(b) receive client state and registration information from the data network interface card, and
(c) update the database with the received client state and registration information,
hosting the dialed number identifiers for valid subscribers on the call direction server;
registering call processing functions with a signaling system to route calls from unique client numbers to the call direction server;
receiving, from a client, a call routed to the call direction server using the registered call processing functions at the signaling system, the call received on the circuit-switched network interface card at the call direction server;
obtaining dialed number information related to a unique client number registered at the signaling system;
identifying a called party and corresponding computer address by comparing the dialed number information related to the unique client number registered at the signaling system to the dialed number identifiers in the database;
determining, based on the registration information, whether the identified called party is a registered subscriber to the call direction services;
determining, based on the state information, whether the identified called party is available to receive communications from the call direction services;
and
providing a message to the identified computer address corresponding to the dialed number identifier when the identified called party is determined to be a registered subscriber and available to receive communications.

14 more elements

A system configured to process a call using call direction services that selectively forward the call as Internet Protocol (IP) data to one of several registered clients, the system comprising:

means for registering one or more clients with a call direction server, wherein the call direction server includes:
(1) a circuit-switched network interface card directly interfacing a circuit switched network and configured to receive one or more calls routed to the call direction server using registered call processing functions at a signaling system,
(2) a data network interface card configured to communicate IP data with a data communications network,
(3) a database of dialed number identifiers for valid subscribers, and
(4) a controller configured to:
(a) provide the call direction services,
(b) receive client state and registration information from the data network interface card, and
(c) update the database with the received client state and registration information,
means for hosting the dialed number identifiers for valid subscribers on the call direction server;
means for registering call processing functions with a signaling system to route calls from unique client numbers to the call direction server;
means for receiving, from a client, a call routed to the call direction server using the registered call processing functions at the signaling system, the call received on the circuit-switched network interface card at the call direction server;
means for obtaining dialed number information related to a unique client number registered at the signaling system;
means for identifying a called party and corresponding computer address by comparing the dialed number information related to the unique client number registered at the signaling system to the dialed number identifiers in the database;
means for determining, based on the registration information, whether the identified called party is a registered subscriber to the call direction services;
means for determining, based on the state information, whether the identified called party is available to receive communications from the call direction services;
and
means for providing a message to the identified computer address corresponding to the dialed number identifier when the identified called party is determined to be a registered subscriber and available to receive communications.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.