SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING CALLS TO VoIP DEVICES USING THE CALLED PARTY'S EMAIL ADDRESS

• US 20080159261A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bessis, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for system for processing calls to a SIP or VoIP device using the called party'"'"'s Email address in which a call redirect server component is provisioned with the called party'"'"'s Email address and VoIP or SIP device address, and a DNS system is updated with the called party'"'"'s Email address and an address of the call redirect server. VoIP calls or other SIP sessions directed to the called party'"'"'s Email address are resolved by the DNS system to the address of the redirect server, which in turn redirects the calls to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device. The subscriber called party may provision the call redirect server with updated Email address or VoIP or SIP device address information to allow the subscribed to change VoIP phone service providers while callers only need to remember the subscriber'"'"'s Email address.

Claims

1. A system for processing calls to a VoIP device, comprising:

a call redirect component provisioned with the called party'"'"'s Email address and the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address; and

call redirect service logic operatively associated with the call redirect component to update a DNS system with the called party'"'"'s Email address having a VoIP prefix and an address associated with the call redirect service logic, the service logic operative to redirect calls associated with the called party'"'"'s Email address to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the call redirect service logic is integrated into the call redirect component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call redirect component and the call redirect service logic are operatively associated with a web portal of the called party'"'"'s Email service provider.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the call redirect component is a server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the call redirect component allows the called party to update at least one of the called party'"'"'s Email address and the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a PSTN gateway component operatively coupled with the call redirect component and coupleable to a PSTN network to receive audio called party username only or the full Email address information from a call from the PSTN network, to correlate the called party username or Email address with the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address, and to forward the call to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP address.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is a SIP device.

8. A method of processing calls to a VoIP or SIP device using the called party'"'"'s Email address, the method comprising:

initiating a call to a called party'"'"'s Email address;

resolving the called party'"'"'s Email address as a SIP URI to obtain an address of a call redirect component;

processing the call using the call redirect component address;

at the call redirect component, providing the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address; and

redirecting the call to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating a DNS system with the called party'"'"'s Email address and an address of the call redirect component, wherein the called party'"'"'s Email address is resolved by the DNS system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing the called party to provision the call redirect component with at least one of the called party'"'"'s Email address and the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the call comprises:

receiving the call at a PSTN gateway associated with the call redirect component;

allowing a calling party to provide audio called party username or full Email address information;

correlating the called party username or Email address information with the called party'"'"'s VoIP device address; and

forwarding the call to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the call redirect component is associated with the called party'"'"'s Email service provider.

13. A method for processing calls to a VoIP or SIP device using the called party'"'"'s Email address, the method comprising:

receiving a call to a PSTN gateway legacy telephone number;

receiving audio called party username or full Email address information from the calling party;

correlating the called party username or Email address information with the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address; and

forwarding the call to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein correlating the called party username or Email address information with the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address comprises:

resolving the called party'"'"'s Email address to obtain an address of a call redirect component;

processing the call using the call redirect component address; and

at the call redirect component, providing the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address;

and wherein forwarding the call comprises redirecting the call to the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating a DNS system with the called party'"'"'s Email address and an address of the call redirect component, wherein the called party'"'"'s Email address is resolved by the DNS system.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing the called party to provision the call redirect component with at least one of the called party'"'"'s Email address and the called party'"'"'s VoIP or SIP device address.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the called party to provision the call redirect component with screening or filtering rules for selective forwarding services.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the called party to create and use a plurality of Email addresses and to provision the call redirect component with screening or filtering rules for each Email address for selective forwarding services.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing the called party to associate a single VoIP or SIP device address with at least two of the Email addresses.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing the called party to provision different screening or filtering rules for each Email address for selective forwarding services.