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US 7,548,535 B1Granted
Customer activation of telephony services in integrated digital networks
AssigneeThe DIRECTV Group, Inc.
InventorJohn P. Godwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for activating telephony service for a telephone coupled to a personal computer coupled to a high-bandwidth digital capacity. The system and method provides instantaneous activation and deactivation of a pre-established service agreement upon demand by a customer. In particular, the invention provides a system and method for service activation for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Claims18
A method for on-demand access to telephony services over an integrated digital network comprising the steps of:
- establishing a service agreement between a broadband customer and a network service provider;
- providing connection to a conventional telephone connected to a home gateway by way of conventional wiring;
- obtaining customer preferences for instant telephony services, the customer preferences including an activation of temporary telephony services;
- receiving an impulse request from the broadband customer for temporary telephony services extending over a predetermined time period;
- establishing a virtual permanent circuit between the broadband customer and a metropolitan exchange for the network service provider using the home gateway;
- reserving a dedicated phone number at the metropolitan exchange for the instant telephony services of the broadband customer;
- and
- instantaneously activating and deactivating a telephony line assigned to the dedicated phone number using the home gateway in response to the impulse request for temporary telephony services and according to the customer preference.
5 more elements
A system for instantaneously activating telephony services comprising:
- a plurality of local office areas;
- a gateway connected to a personal computer coupled to a high-bandwidth channel connected to at least one of the plurality of local office areas defining a calling party location;
- a telephone connected to the gateway by way of conventional wiring inside the calling party location;
- a metropolitan exchange that accommodates a plurality of local office areas based on a calling party location;
- a preestablished service agreement with a network provider and having a predetermined phone number reserved at the metropolitan exchange, the service agreement having customer preferences including an activation of temporary telephony services;
- wherein the telephony service is instantaneously activated at the metropolitan exchange upon receipt of an impulse request for temporary telephony services extending over a predetermined time period through the gateway.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.