Virtual phone service over wireless systems

• US 20060003770A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seyong Park
• Original Assignee: Seyong Park
• Inventors: Park, Seyong
• Application Number:
  US10/867,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for routing telephone calls, data calls and other information to or from a wireless telephone using a low cost communications network (other than traditional telephone circuit switched network), where such network is at least part of a communications link through which a call is routed. An Internet gateway is situated proximate to the location of the wireless telephone and through which calls are cost-effectively routed. A virtual phone client (“VPC”) is implemented in the wireless telephone for communication with a virtual phone server (“VPS”), accessible via a wireless network. The VPC also communicates with an Internet gateway identified by the VPS. The communication in the origination or termination of a call between the VPC and VPS facilitates the routing of the call through the identified Internet gateway to effectuate the call with the wireless telephone at lower cost to the wireless telephone subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for routing telephone calls placed from a wireless telephone comprising the steps of:

receiving dialing codes received from a wireless telephone;

selecting an Internet gateway from a plurality of Internet gateways based on at least a portion of said received dialing codes;

transmitting instructions responsive to at least a portion of said received dialing codes to the selected Internet gateway; and

routing the telephone call via the selected Internet gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising that said routing and transmitting steps are performed substantially simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said routing step is performed after said transmitting step.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said routing step further comprises a step of formatting said telephone call step information into a Voice over Internet Protocol format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said routing step further comprises a step of formatting said telephone call step information into a private branch exchange format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said dialing codes are selected from a group consisting of:

telephone number, electronic mail address, and code sequences.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving step further comprises a step of:

parsing said dialing codes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step further comprises a step of:

transmitting a billing policy associated with said selected Internet gateway.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

using said selected Internet gateway, contacting said wireless telephone and a telephone call'"'"'s destination.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

storing a telephone call'"'"'s billing information.

11. A wireless telephone comprising:

a virtual phone client adapted to parse dialing codes based on at least one of a plurality of wireless telephone parameters; and

wherein said virtual phone client initiates a call based on at least a portion of said parsed dialing codes by transmitting instructions to a virtual phone server for routing said call via an Internet gateway.

12. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone client is a residential software preloaded in the wireless telephone supporting download of applications selected from a group of JTAPI and TAPI applications.

13. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone client further comprises an application programming interface that is configured to facilitate retrieval of the wireless telephone'"'"'s location information.

14. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone client initiates a telephone call.

15. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone client initiates a data call.

16. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said wireless telephone parameters further comprise a location information associated with said wireless telephone.

17. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said wireless telephone parameters further comprise a call billing policy associated with at least one of said virtual phone server and said Internet gateway.

18. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone client is further adapted to update information stored in said wireless telephone by communicating with said virtual phone server.

19. The wireless telephone of claim 11, wherein said virtual phone server is further adapted to communicate with said Internet gateway based on information stored in a memory of said virtual phone server.

20. A method for routing telephone calls using a wireless telephone comprising the steps of:

parsing dialing instructions based on at least one of a plurality of wireless telephone parameters, wherein said wireless telephone parameters include at least the wireless telephone location information; and

initiating a telephone call based on at least a portion of said parsed dialing instructions by transmitting instructions to a virtual phone server for routing said call via an Internet gateway.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising pressing a “

SEND”

button on the wireless telephone to trigger parsing the dialing instructions.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of:

storing a telephone call'"'"'s billing information.

23. A system for routing a call placed from a wireless telephone comprising

a virtual phone server configured to receive parsed dialing instructions from a wireless telephone, said virtual phone server further configured to update information stored by said wireless telephone based on at least one of parameters of said wireless telephone;

and

wherein said virtual phone server is further configured to select an Internet gateway for routing a telephone call from said wireless telephone to a destination based on said parsed dialing instructions.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said virtual phone server updates a location information associated with said wireless telephone.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said virtual phone server updates a billing policy information associated with said Internet gateway.

26. A system for placing a telephone call from a wireless telephone comprising:

a virtual phone client in a wireless telephone; and

a virtual phone server configured to communicate with said virtual phone client and a Internet gateway; and

wherein said virtual phone client is configured to parse dialing instructions and establish a communications link between said virtual phone client and an Internet gateway based on instructions received from said virtual phone server.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone client is a residential software preloaded in the wireless telephone supporting download of JTAPI and TAPI application.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone client further comprises an application programming interface that is configured to facilitate retrieval of the wireless telephone'"'"'s location information.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone client is configured to initiate a telephone call.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone client is configured to initiate a data call.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone server is further configured to update wireless telephone parameters stored by said virtual phone client.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said wireless telephone parameters further comprise a location information associated with said wireless telephone.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said wireless telephone parameters further comprise a call billing policy associated with at least one of said virtual phone server and said Internet gateway.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone client is further adapted to update information stored in said wireless telephone by communicating with said virtual phone server.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein said virtual phone server is further adapted to communicate with said Internet gateway based on information stored in a memory of said virtual phone server.

36. A system for placing a telephone call from a wireless telephone comprising:

a virtual phone client in a wireless telephone;

wherein said virtual phone client is configured to establish a communications link with the Internet gateway based on an address of said Internet gateway stored by said virtual phone client.