Personal IP toll-free number

• US 20040228336A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anish Sankalia, Fen-Chung Kung, Hopeton Walker, Jesse Eugene Russell, Spencer Wang
• Original Assignee: Anish Sankalia, Fen-Chung Kung, Hopeton Walker, Jesse Eugene Russell, Spencer Wang
• Inventors: Russell, Jesse Eugene, Sankalia, Anish, Kung, Fen-Chung, Wang, Spencer, Walker, Hopeton
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

In an internet telephony system, toll-free service and the calls that are accepted and paid for can be specified by the IP telephony system user to be limited according to the calling party'"'"'s identity, time of day, day of week or other criteria Data that is used to screen or filter incoming calls is programmed into a call manager by the IP telephone system user'"'"'s broadband residential gateway. Using such a system the user can carefully screen calls that are paid for and more closely control telecommunications service costs. More generally, the user has the ability to store predefined call handling criteria, which may be executed by the broadband residential gateway and/or the call manager.

Claims

1. In an internet telephony communication system, a method of providing communications service comprised of:

a. receiving call data at a network call manager, said call data associated with a call and identifying a call source and a call destination.

b. analyzing said call data at said call manager to determine if said call to said destination is allowable according to predetermined criteria associated with said call destination;

c. if said call to said destination is allowable, routing said call data to a broadband residential gateway located at said destination through said internet telephony communications system; and

d. billing said call to an account associated with said call destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step a. is further comprised of the step of:

a. receiving said call data at a broadband residential gateway and re-routing said call data to at least one communications port.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprised of the step of:

receiving programming data at said call manager to allow calls based upon predetermined call data, said programming data being received from a user at said call destination.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies a calling party.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies the geographic location of a calling party.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies the time of day during which calls are accepted by the call destination.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step b. and step c. are further comprised of the steps of:

b. mapping a called telephone number to an internet protocol address;

c. routing a call to an internet protocol destination address based upon the internet protocol address to which said called telephone number was mapped.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein step a. is further comprised of the step of:

a. re-directing said call data at said broadband residential gateway (BRG) to at least one other port of said BRG.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein step a. is further comprised of the step of:

a. re-directing said call data at said broadband residential gateway (BRG) to a multi-media engine.

11. (Original) The method of claim 2 wherein step a. is further comprised of the step of:

a. re-directing said call data at said broadband residential gateway (BRG) to a telephone port.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein step a. is further comprised of the step of:

a. re-directing said call data at said broadband residential gateway (BRG) to a recorded announcement.

7. (Cancelled)

13. (Cancelled)

14. A method of providing communication service comprising:

receiving incoming call data at a broadband residential gateway located at a customer premises;

analyzing said call data at said broadband residential gateway to determine if said incoming call is allowable according to predetermined call data associated with said broadband residential gateway;

if said call is allowable, routing said call data to a port of said broadband residential gateway and billing said incoming call to an account associated with said broadband residential gateway.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of receiving said predetermined call data from a user at said broadband residential gateway.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies a calling party.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies a geographic location of a calling party.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said predetermined call data includes data that identifies a time of day during which calls are accepted by the broadband residential gateway.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said port is associated with a multi-media engine.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said port is associated with a telephone.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein said port is associated with a recorded announcement.