System for providing hosted telephone services to a subscriber via the internet
First Claim
1. A method for providing telephone services from a service provider to subscribers comprising, in combination, the steps of:
- employing a host data processing system operated on behalf of said service provider to publish one or more web pages which describe said telephone services and invite members of the public to subscribe to said telephone services by using a web browser to display, complete and submit one or more web page subscription forms,employing said host data processing system to accept and store account information including a credit card number submitted by a given subscriber using said one or more web page subscription forms to establish a subscription account between said telephone service provider and said given subscriber,on the condition that a password known to said given subscriber and accessible to said host data processing system is satisfactorily received by said host data processing system from said given subscriber, employing said host data processing system to accept preference data submitted by said given subscriber to specify the manner in which telephone calls will be handled on behalf of said given subscriber in accordance with said subscription account,connecting an interface for transmitting call management and caller identification signals between said host data processing system and the public switched telephone system,establishing an assigned telephone number to which incoming telephone calls directed to said given subscriber may be placed via said public switched telephone system,employing said host data processing system and said interface to handle incoming telephone calls directed to said assigned telephone number in a manner specified by said preference specification data, including the sub-steps of forwarding at least selected ones of said incoming telephone calls in a manner specified by said preference specification data and handling voice mail messages directed to said assigned telephone number in a manner specified by said preference data, andbilling said given subscriber for said telephone services provided by said service provider in accordance with said subscription account.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet controlled telephony system employing a host services processor connected to a subscriber via the Internet and further connected to the public switched telephone system (PSTN). The subscriber employs a web interface to populate a database with preference data which is used by the host services processor to handle incoming calls and establish outgoing telephone connections in accordance with the preference data provided by the subscriber. Incoming calls to a telephone number assigned to the subscriber may be automatically forwarded to any telephone number specified by the preference data. The subscriber may also use the web interface to specify whether call waiting is to be activated, to screen or reroute calls from designated numbers, for recording voice mail messages in designated voice mailboxes, for selectively playing back voice mail messages via the web interface or for forwarding voice mail as an email attachment, for handling incoming fax transmissions using character recognition and email attachment functions, and for automatically paging the subscriber when incoming voice mail, fax or email messages are received, all in accordance with the preference data supplied by the subscriber using the web interface. Outgoing connections and conference calls may be initiated using the web interface, and the subscriber may block the operation of caller identification functions. Call progress information may be visually displayed to the subscriber during calls by transmitting web pages from the host services computer to the subscriber'"'"'s web browser.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for providing telephone services from a service provider to subscribers comprising, in combination, the steps of:
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employing a host data processing system operated on behalf of said service provider to publish one or more web pages which describe said telephone services and invite members of the public to subscribe to said telephone services by using a web browser to display, complete and submit one or more web page subscription forms, employing said host data processing system to accept and store account information including a credit card number submitted by a given subscriber using said one or more web page subscription forms to establish a subscription account between said telephone service provider and said given subscriber, on the condition that a password known to said given subscriber and accessible to said host data processing system is satisfactorily received by said host data processing system from said given subscriber, employing said host data processing system to accept preference data submitted by said given subscriber to specify the manner in which telephone calls will be handled on behalf of said given subscriber in accordance with said subscription account, connecting an interface for transmitting call management and caller identification signals between said host data processing system and the public switched telephone system, establishing an assigned telephone number to which incoming telephone calls directed to said given subscriber may be placed via said public switched telephone system, employing said host data processing system and said interface to handle incoming telephone calls directed to said assigned telephone number in a manner specified by said preference specification data, including the sub-steps of forwarding at least selected ones of said incoming telephone calls in a manner specified by said preference specification data and handling voice mail messages directed to said assigned telephone number in a manner specified by said preference data, and billing said given subscriber for said telephone services provided by said service provider in accordance with said subscription account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system operated by a service provider for providing telephone services to a subscriber comprising, in combination:
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a host data processing system operated on behalf of said service provider, a telephone interface connection between said host data processing system and the public switched telephone network for receiving incoming telephone calls directed to a telephone number assigned exclusively to said subscriber, a digital data communication link for connecting said host data processing system to a remotely located client data processing system operated by said subscriber, and a database accessible to said host data processing system for storing; (1) subscription information establishing a subscription account between said telephone service provider and said subscriber, said subscription information being submitted by said subscriber and received via said digital data communications link from said client data processing system, (2) preference data submitted by said subscriber and received via said digital data communication link from said remotely located client data processing system, said preference data specifying the manner in which said incoming telephone calls directed to said telephone number assigned exclusively to said subscriber will be handled on behalf of said subscriber, said preference data specifying; (1) the conditions under which at least selected ones of said incoming telephone calls will be forwarded to destinations specified by said preference data, and (2) the conditions under which voice mail messages from callers placing said incoming telephone calls will be recorded or made available to said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification