Virtual telephony assistant

A communications server comprising:

• one or more processors executing instructions to:
• determine whether a mobile telephony device registered with the communications server and associated with its own telephone number is in proximity of a smart speaker device also registered with the communications server;
• when the mobile telephony device is in proximity of the smart speaker device and the mobile telephony device attempts to place an outbound telephony call to a destination telephone number via a communications link with the communications server, the communications link not including the smart speaker device:
• establish a separate communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device;
• receive a command from the mobile telephony device to place an outbound call to the destination telephone number along with an indication to route that the call to the smart speaker device;
• dial the destination telephone number;
• establish a communications link between the communications server and a device associated with the dialed destination telephone number;
• and
• join the separate communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device with the communications link between the communications server and the device associated with the dialed destination telephone number to create a communications session.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that when executed enable processing circuitry within a communications server to:

• determine whether a mobile telephony device registered with the communications server and associated with its own telephone number is in proximity of a smart speaker device also registered with the communications server;
• when the mobile telephony device is in proximity of the smart speaker device and the mobile telephony device attempts to place an outbound telephony call to a destination telephone number via a communications link with the communications server, the communications link not including the smart speaker device:
• establish a separate communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device;
• receive a command from the mobile telephony device to place an outbound call to the destination telephone number along with an indication to route that the call to the smart speaker device;
• dial the destination telephone number;
• establish a communications link between the communications server and a device associated with the dialed destination telephone number;
• and
• join the separate communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device with the communications link between the communications server and the device associated with the dialed destination telephone number to create a communications session.