Third party call control application program interface

• US 20060210041A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Holdings Corporation (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Wason, Andrew, Citron, Jeffrey, Shah, Nilesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A third party call control (3PCC) application program interface (API) permits for users to use a web browser or other Internet capable software to place a call. The third party call control application program interface includes a first uniform resource locator operable over the Internet to effect a call between first and telephonic devices to be completed. The first uniform resource locator includes identification of the first telephonic device and identification of the second telephonic device.

Claims

1. A third party call control application program interface comprising:

a first uniform resource locator operable over a computer network to effect a call between a first telephonic device and a second telephonic device, the first uniform resource locator comprising means for identifying the first telephonic device and the second telephonic device.

2. The third party call control application program interface of claim 1 further comprising a computer system communicatively connected to the computer network, wherein the first uniform resource locator is generated on a computer system communicatively connected to the computer.

3. The third party call control application program interface of claim 2 further comprising means for completing the call, the means for completing the call comprising:

means for initiating a call to the first telephone device; and

means for transferring the call to complete the call to the second telephone device, at the time the call to the first telephonic device is answered.

4. The third party call control application program interface of claim 3, wherein the call is initiated to the first telephonic device using the Session Initiation Protocol INVITE method.

5. The third party call control application program interface of claim 4, wherein the call is transferred to the second telephonic device using the Session Initiation Protocol REFER method.

6. The third party call control application program interface of claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the first and second telephonic devices is operative to identify a telephone number of at least one of the first and second telephonic devices.

7. The third party call control application program interface of claim 6, wherein the means for identifying the first and second telephonic devices is further operative to identify an account to be billed.

8. The third party call control application program interface of claim 7, wherein the account to be billed comprises identification of the telephone number of the first telephonic device.

9. The third party call control application program interface of claim 7, wherein the account to be billed comprises identification of the telephone number of the second telephonic device.

10. The third party call control application program interface of claim 7, wherein the account to be billed comprises identification of a telephone number of a third telephonic device.

11. The third party call control application program interface of claim 6, further comprising:

a second uniform resource locator operable over the computer network to obtain information identifying an account to be billed.

12. The third party call control application program interface of claim 11, wherein the information identifying an account to be billed comprises at least one telephone number.

13. The third party call control application program interface of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first uniform resource locator identification of the first telephonic device and the first uniform resource locator identification of the second telephonic device comprise the at least one telephone number obtained by the second uniform resource locator.

14. The third party call control application program interface of claim 1 further comprising identification and password information that is authenticated and validated before the call is completed.

15. A method of call completion comprising:

(a) receiving information transmitted at least partially over a public data communications network and information indicating a unilateral call, the information comprising identification of a first telephonic device and identification of a second telephonic device; and

(b) completing the call between the first telephone device and the second telephonic device based on the received information, and

(c) monitoring the unilateral call at least partially over the public data communications network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the received information was included in a uniform resource locator indicating a network address on a public data communications network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the public data communications network is the Internet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the uniform resource locator is generated on a computer system that is communicatively connected to the Internet.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the call is completed by:

initiating a call to the first telephone device; and

transferring the call to complete the call to the second telephone device, when the call to the first telephone device is answered.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the call is initiated to the first telephone device using the Session Initiation Protocol INVITE method.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the call is transferred to the second telephone device using the Session Initiation Protocol REFER method.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the identification of the first telephone device comprises a telephone number of the first telephone device and the identification of the second telephone device comprises a telephone number of the second telephone device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the received information further comprises identification of an account to be billed.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the identification of the account to be billed comprises a telephone number of the first and second telephonic devices.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the identification of the account to be billed comprises a telephone number of the first telephonic device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the identification of the account to be billed comprises a telephone number of the second telephonic device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the identification of the account to be billed comprises a telephone number of a third telephonic device.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the received information further comprises identification and password information.