System and methods to route calls over a voice and data network
AssigneeHipcricket, Inc.
InventorsDouglas F. Bender, Anthony Zalenski, John M. Cooney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are systems and methods to route a call over a voice and data network VDN. A particular method includes receiving a call from a calling device at a telecommunications gateway (TCG). Authentication data is received via the call. A determination is made whether a user account associated with the authentication data is authorized to route calls via the TCG to a VDN. When the user account is authorized to route calls via the TCG to the VDN, call data received at the TCG via the call is converted into a format compatible with the VDN. The converted call data is sent via the VDN to a destination device.
Claims18
A method of routing a call over a voice and data network (VDN) to a destination device, the method comprising:
- receiving a call from a calling device at a telecommunications gateway (TCG);
- in response to receiving the call, prompting the calling device for a VDN designator, wherein determining whether the user account is authorized to route calls via the TCG to the VDN is performed when the VDN designator is received;
- and wherein the call is routed via a switch to a second destination device when the VDN designator is not received;
- receiving authentication data via the call;
- determining whether a user account associated with the authentication data is authorized to route calls via the TCG to a VDN;
- when the user account is authorized to route calls via the TCG to the VDN, converting call data received at the TCG via the call into a format compatible with the VDN;
- and
- sending the converted call data via the VDN to destination device.
A method of routing a call over a voice and data network (VDN) to a destination device, the method comprising:
- receiving a call from a calling device at a telecommunications gateway (TCG);
- determining at the TCG whether a VDN designator is present in input provided at the calling device;
- in response to determining that the VDN designator is received, sending a dialing signal to the calling device;
- and receiving a calling code from the calling device in response to the dialing signal, wherein the calling code identifies the destination device;
- when the VDN designator is present, converting at the TCG call data received via the call into a format compatible with a VDN;
- and
- sending the converted call data from the TCG to a destination device via the VDN.
A telecommunications gateway (TCG), comprising:
- a first communication connection to receive a call from a communications network;
- a second communication connection to send the call to a second communications network;
- and
- a processor, wherein the processor:
- evaluates data received via the call to select the second communications network from between a voice and data network (VDN) and a public switched telephone network (PSTN);
- when the VDN is selected, evaluates authentication data associated with the call to determine whether the call is authorized to be sent via the VDN;
- when the call is authorized to be sent via the VDN, executes a telephony protocol engine (TPE) to convert the call to a protocol compatible with the VDN;
- and
- sends the call to a destination device via the VDN and determining at the TCG whether a VDN designator is present in input provided at the calling device and in response to determining that the VDN designator is received, sending a dialing signal to the calling device;
- and receiving a calling code from the calling device in response to the dialing signal, wherein the calling code identifies the destination device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.