Portable VoIP Service Access Module

• US 20070248081A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: magicJack VocalTec Limited (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: I2Telecom International Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Mark, Barkley, Robb
• Application Number:
  US11/737,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248081A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A voice over IP (V0IP) softphone access module (VSAM) comprises a softphone client installed on a portable memory device (PMD). The softphone client is installed in its own read-only partition. The softphone client is adapted to autorun from the PMD when the PMD is connected to a computing device and to load an instance of the softphone client in the volatile memory of the computing device. When used with a computing device comprising a duplex audio system with analog-to-digital conversion and an Internet connection, the VSAM permits a VoIP service subscriber to send and receive VoIP telephone calls through a VoIP service provider gateway. The VSAM may be associated with an activation code that when sent to the VoIP service provider gateway associates a user with pro-paid softphone usage credits. Alternatively, the softphone client is installed on CD.

Claims

1. A voice over IP service access module (VSAM) comprising:

an audio transducer adapted to convert a first analog audio signal to a first digital signal; and

an actuator adapted to convert a second digital signal to a second analog audio signal;

a portable memory device, wherein the portable memory device comprises a read-only memory partition, and wherein the portable memory device is adapted to operate when installed in a computing device comprising a universal serial bus and random access memory (RAM);

a softphone client stored in the read-only memory partition and comprising instructions for;

upon detection of the portable memory device by the computing device, installing the instructions in the RAM;

auto-running the instructions; and

controlling the first and second digital signals to perform the functions of a plain old telephone.

2. The VSAM of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer and a personal data assistant.

3. The VSAM of claim 1, wherein the portable memory device further comprises read/write memory and wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions for:

reading and writing a telephone directory file to the read/write memory;

reading and writing a user preference file to the read/write memory; and

recording a telephone conversation and saving the recording as a file in the read/write memory.

4. The VSAM of claim 1 further comprising a keypad adapted to send a selected an alphanumeric character to the softphone client, wherein the softphone client further comprises instructions for:

receiving the alphanumeric character; and

converting the alphanumeric character into telephone signaling tones.