Telephone call routing
First Claim
1. An apparatus for wireless communications, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) means for wirelessly communicating with a base station in accordance with a first protocol that permits said apparatus to function as a telephone;
(b) means for permitting a user to designate a telephone number for a remote device that the user desires to contact;
(c) means for identifying an access telephone number that is different than the telephone number;
(d) means for providing the access telephone number to the base station, in accordance with the first protocol, so as to indicate that a connection is desired with a routing system corresponding to the access telephone number; and
(e) means for providing the telephone number to the routing system in accordance with a second protocol, so as to indicate that a connection is desired with the remote device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is an apparatus for wireless communications that includes: means for wirelessly communicating with a base station in accordance with a first protocol that permits the apparatus to function as a telephone; means for permitting a user to designate a telephone number for a remote device that the user desires to contact; means for identifying an access telephone number that is different than the telephone number; means for providing the access telephone number to the base station, in accordance with the first protocol, so as to indicate that a connection is desired with a routing system corresponding to the access telephone number; and means for providing the telephone number to the routing system in accordance with a second protocol (e.g., using the telephone connection established with the routing system), so as to indicate that a connection is desired with the remote device. In addition, the invention is directed to facilitating telephone-based communications. Initially, a contact telephone number is assigned to each of a number of different subscribers. An electronic message that has been formatted in accordance with an established protocol is received from a particular subscriber from among the different subscribers, the message identifying a current telephone number for the particular subscriber. A telephone call is received on the contact telephone number for the particular subscriber, and the telephone call automatically is forwarded to the current telephone number by dialing the current telephone number.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An apparatus for wireless communications, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for wirelessly communicating with a base station in accordance with a first protocol that permits said apparatus to function as a telephone;
(b) means for permitting a user to designate a telephone number for a remote device that the user desires to contact;
(c) means for identifying an access telephone number that is different than the telephone number;
(d) means for providing the access telephone number to the base station, in accordance with the first protocol, so as to indicate that a connection is desired with a routing system corresponding to the access telephone number; and
(e) means for providing the telephone number to the routing system in accordance with a second protocol, so as to indicate that a connection is desired with the remote device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A subscriber identity module (SIM) for insertion into a wireless device, said SIM comprising:
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a memory for storing data and computer-executable process steps; and
a processor for executing said process steps and for accessing said data, said process steps comprising steps to;
(a) input a telephone number;
(b) input an instruction to call the telephone number;
(c) identify an access telephone number that is different than the telephone number;
(d) cause the wireless device to establish a connection to a routing system corresponding to the access telephone number; and
(e) cause the wireless device to transmit the telephone number to the routing system in a manner so as to indicate that a connection is desired with a remote device corresponding to the telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for facilitating telephone-based communications, said method comprising:
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(a) assigning a contact telephone number to each of plural subscribers;
(b) receiving from a particular subscriber from among the plural subscribers an electronic message that has been formatted in accordance with an established protocol, said message identifying a current telephone number for the particular subscriber;
(c) receiving a telephone call on the contact telephone number for the particular subscriber; and
(d) automatically forwarding the telephone call to the current telephone number by dialing the current telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for insertion into a wireless device, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for inputting a telephone number;
(b) means for inputting an instruction to call the telephone number;
(c) means for identifying an access telephone number that is different than the telephone number;
(d) means for causing the wireless device to establish a connection to a routing system corresponding to the access telephone number; and
(e) means for causing the wireless device to transmit the telephone number to the routing system in a manner so as to indicate that a connection is desired with a remote device corresponding to the telephone number.
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36. An apparatus for facilitating telephone-based communications, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for assigning a contact telephone number to each of plural subscribers;
(b) means for receiving from a particular subscriber from among the plural subscribers an electronic message that has been formatted in accordance with an established protocol, said message identifying a current telephone number for the particular subscriber;
(c) means for receiving a telephone call on the contact telephone number for the particular subscriber; and
(d) means for automatically forwarding the telephone call to the current telephone number by dialing the current telephone number.
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37. An apparatus for communicating over plural different communications networks, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for storing login information for plural different telephone communications networks;
(b) means for selecting one of the plural different telephone communications networks;
(c) means for, automatically in response to the selecting by said means (b), logging into the telephone communications network selected in step (b) so as to allow said apparatus to receive and initiate telephone calls;
(d) means for, automatically in response to the selecting by said means (b), transmitting a message via the telephone communications network selected in step (b) to an entity that is not a part of the telephone communications network selected in step (b), wherein the message sent in step (d) identifies a telephone number at which said apparatus is reachable while logged into the telephone communications network selected in step (b), and wherein the message is sent according to a pre-established protocol. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification