Apparatus and method for a voice portal

• US 20060133348A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A voice portal and a method for operating a voice portal are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, voice a voice portal is connected to multiple telephones of various protocols by both a voice signal interface and a data signal interface. The voice portal is also connected to one or more telephony networks. The voice portal is capable of receiving requests for functions from the telephones; retrieving the requested functions from memory and sending the functions back to the telephone for execution. The functions supplied by the voice portal are programmable and customizable and control all functions of the telephones.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a voice portal comprising;

a voice module; and

,

a web module,

wherein said voice module and said web module may be connected to each other via a control interface, wherein said voice module can be connected to one or more telephones and to one or more telephony networks and said web module can be connected to one or more telephones and one or more data networks.

2. The voice portal of claim 1 wherein said voice module comprises;

a signal interface;

a voice processor; and

,

a service interface,

wherein said signal interface can connect to one or more telephones and said service interface can connect to one or more telephony networks and the voice processor processes signals between them.

3. The voice portal of claim 2 wherein said signal interface can connect to a cordless telephone and sends and receives signals through an antenna.

4. The voice portal of claim 2 wherein said signal interface can connect to an IP telephone and is capable of handling voice over IP packets.

5. The voice portal of claim 2 wherein said signal interface can connect to one or more telephones with a physical wire connection and said service interface can connect to a telephony system of telephony network.

6. The voice portal of claim 2 wherein said service interface can connect to a Class 5 telephony switch of a public switch telephone network (PSTN).

7. The voice portal of claim 2 wherein said service interface can connect to a soft switch of a voice over IP telephony network, wherein said voice processor can process input voice packets and signals from the signal interface and service interface and can output voice packets and signals back to the signal interface and service interface.

8. The voice portal of claim 1 where in said web module comprises;

a network interface;

a web server; and

,

a data store,

wherein said network interface can be connected to one or more data networks and can be connected to one or more telephones, wherein said web server serves requests from browsers running on said telephones.

9. The voice portal of claim 8 wherein said data network is a Wi-Fi network.

10. The voice portal of claim 8 wherein said data network is an Ethernet network.

11. The voice portal of claim 8 wherein said data network is IP compliant network.

12. The voice portal of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 further comprising a broadband gateway.

13. The voice portal of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 further comprising a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content.

14. The voice portal of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 further comprising means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal.

15. The voice portal of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 further comprising means for connection to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal.

16. The voice portal of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 further comprising means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

22. The voice portal of claim 1 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

23. The voice portal of claim 2 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

24. The voice portal of claim 3 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

25. The voice portal of claim 4 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

26. The voice portal of claim 5 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

27. The voice portal of claim 6 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

28. The voice portal of claim 7 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

29. The voice portal of claim 8 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

30. The voice portal of claim 9 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

31. The voice portal of claim 10 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

32. The voice portal of claim 11 further comprising a broadband gateway, a decoder or player for playing digital multimedia content, means for delivering live images from network cameras to telephones served by the voice portal, means for connecting to cellular or wireless phones wherein the said cellular or wireless telephones have access to one or more services available to other telephones served by the voice portal, or means for playing or recording live broadcast, previously record, or stored home entertainment multimedia content.

17. A method for executing one or more functions on a telephone with a voice portal comprising the steps of:

providing for a telephone;

providing for a voice portal comprising;

a web module, and

a voice module, and,

providing for a data store;

wherein said telephone can send requests to said web module for a page or pages of a specific function and said web module can retrieve the requested page or pages from said data store and send requested pages back to said telephone for execution.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said functions is a receiving a call function that places the telephone in a state in which it can receive a call and can request other pages from said voice portal.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said functions is a making a call function that places the telephone in a state in which it can make a call and can request other pages from said voice portal.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said functions is a drop a call function that places the telephone in a state in which it can drop a call and can request other pages from said voice portal.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said functions is a contact list function that places the telephone in a state in which it can access or edit a contact list stored on said data store and can request other pages from said voice portal.