Integrating telephonic service subscribers

• US 20070058613A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Televolution Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Televolution Incorporated
• Inventors: Beckemeyer, David
• Application Number:
  US11/227,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

A telecommunication system comprises a first interface, a second interface, and a voice-over-Internet device. The first interface enables a telephonic handset coupled to the voice-over-Internet device to communicate via a phone service. The second interface enables the telephonic handset to communicate via a data network coupled to the voice-over-Internet device. The voice-over-Internet device is configured to modify the phone service. The voice-over-Internet device exposes services provided over the data network to service subscribers. As a result, a mobile or wired telephone service customer can subscribe to add-on services provided by a service provider over the data network without the knowledge or permission of the existing telephone service company.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system comprising:

a first interface configured to enable a telephonic handset to communicate via a phone service;

a second interface configured to enable the telephonic handset to communicate via a data network;

a first voice-over-Internet device coupled to the first interface and the second interface, the first voice-over-Internet device configured to modify the phone service.

2. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the phone service comprises a landline operable over the public switched telephone network.

3. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the phone service is operable over a wireless network.

4. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device performs a self-initialization procedure that binds a phone-service destination number with a unique voice-over-Internet identifier.

5. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device is configured to communicate with a remote voice-over-Internet platform, the voice-over-Internet platform configured to adjust operation of the first voice-over-Internet device responsive to the phone-service destination number via a configuration procedure.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device is configured to route a call over the data network when a remote destination number is associated with a second voice-over-Internet device compatible with the first voice-over-Internet device.

7. The telecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device is configured to route a call via the phone service when an operator of the handset coupled to the first voice-over-Internet device selects a destination number that is not coupled to the data network and a compatible voice-over-Internet device.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 5, further comprising:

a website configured to enable a subscriber to manage the configuration of the first voice-over-Internet device.

9. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device identifies when an operator of a handset coupled to the first voice-over-Internet device has selected an add-on feature and provides the feature responsive to a subscriber configuration.

10. The telecommunication system of claim 9, wherein when the add-on feature comprises a ‘

911’

emergency call, the first voice-over-Internet device routes the call via a landline.

11. The telecommunication system of claim 9, wherein the subscriber configuration identifies a service enabled by the integration of the data network and the phone service at the first voice-over-Internet device and at the voice-over-Internet platform.

12. The telecommunication system of claim 11, wherein the service is subscriber configurable.

13. The telecommunication system of claim 11, wherein the service impacts the processing of inbound calls.

14. The telecommunication system of claim 11, wherein the service impacts the processing of outbound calls.

15. The telecommunication device of claim 1, further comprising:

an application programming interface operable on a computing device coupled to the data network, the application programming interface configured to enable a subscriber to manage the configuration of the voice-over-Internet device.

16. The telecommunication device of claim 15, wherein the application programming interface enables the subscriber to manage the behavior of the phone service coupled to the first voice-over-Internet device.

17. The telecommunication device of claim 16, wherein the application programming interface provides a graphical user interface that enables a subscriber to select information that is communicated to the voice-over-Internet device which is directed to initiate a call responsive to the select information.

18. The telecommunication device of claim 17, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device selectively routes the call.

19. The telecommunication device of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interface generates an indication when a call is being connected via the phone service or via the data network.

20. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the first voice-over-Internet device is configured via the voice-over-Internet platform to route calls arriving from a select ingress port to a select egress port.

21. The telecommunication system of claim 19, wherein the ingress port and egress port are selected unconditionally.

22. The telecommunication system of claim 20, wherein the ingress port and egress port are selected conditionally.

23. A method for enabling a service provider to telephonic service subscriber channel, the method comprising:

providing a subscriber voice-over-Internet device at the edge between both an existing telephone network and a data network and a telephonic device coupled to the subscriber voice-over-Internet device at a subscriber premise;

providing a voice-over-Internet platform coupled to both the existing telephone network and the data network, the voice-over-Internet platform comprising a device interface that defines mechanisms for configuring and operating the subscriber voice-over-Internet device at the subscriber premise and a data network interface comprising a front-office solution; and

coupling the subscriber voice-over-Internet device to the voice-over-Internet platform to complete a service provider-to-subscriber channel that bypasses an existing telephone system service provider and enables a second service provider to promote and enable telephonic services operable at the telephonic device through the voice-over-Internet platform.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein providing a subscriber voice-over-Internet device comprises supplying a consumer retailer with a configurable plug-n-play device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the combination of the voice-over-Internet platform and the configurable plug-n-play device generate a systemic solution that exposes subscribers to non-traditional service providers.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution identifies telephonic services provided by the service provider.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution identifies telephonic services provided by an operator of the voice-over-Internet platform.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution presents a suite of services to potential subscribers.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution enables a potential subscriber to purchase a select service.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution enables a potential subscriber to purchase a suite of services.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the front-office solution presents one or more options for a subscriber to configure a select service.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the voice-over-Internet platform dynamically directs the voice-over-Internet device to route calls arriving from a select ingress port to a select egress port.