SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TELECOMMUNICATION WITH A WEB-BASED NETWORK, SUCH AS A SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20100238919A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Froelich, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

A system and method is described for establishing a communications session between a telecommunications device and one or more registered users on web-based networks, such as social networks. Further details and features are described herein.

Claims

1. A system for establishing synchronous communications between at least one mobile telecommunications device and a called party associated with a called-party telecommunications device, wherein the mobile telecommunications device is associated with a cellular telecommunications network, an IP-based telecommunications network, or a converged telecommunications network, the system comprising;

a network server computer, coupled to the wireless telecommunications network, and coupled to an IP based network,

wherein the called party is associated with a social networking site,

wherein the social networking site is available over the IP based network, and

wherein the network server computer is configured to coordinate communications between the mobile telecommunications device and the called-party telecommunications device, without the need for the mobile telecommunications device to have installed thereon a client application enabling synchronous communication with the social network; and

a database configured to communicate with the network server computer, wherein the database stores a table of contacts associated with the mobile telecommunications device, wherein the network server computer automatically populates at least a portion of the table based on data for the called party, wherein the network server computer automatically obtains the data from the social networking site, and wherein the table includes;

an identifier associated with the mobile telecommunications device or the user,

an alphanumeric label associated with the called party, and

at least one internal network address associated with the called-party telecommunications device, wherein each internal network address permits the mobile telecommunications device to place a synchronous communication with the called-party telecommunications device, but wherein the internal network addresses are inapplicable for use outside of at least the wireless telecommunications network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the identifier is a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number, wherein the alphanumeric label is a user name, and wherein the internal network address is a dummy phone number or Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the table is a network-based address book, and wherein the network server computer periodically updates an address book internally stored on the mobile telecommunications device based on the network-based address book.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the table includes presence information to indicate availability of the called party, and wherein the network server computer periodically updates called party availability information for the mobile telecommunications device.

5. A method of permitting telecommunications sessions between a telecommunications network customer and a social networking contact, wherein the telecommunications network customer is associated with a user device, and wherein the social network contact is associated with a telecommunications device, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining, from a social networking site and via a public computer network, contact information for the social networking contact;

automatically creating at least a portion of a database that stores the contact information, wherein the contact information is associated in the database with at least one identifier, and wherein the identifier is associated with the telecommunications network customer or the user device;

receiving input from the user to initiate a telecommunications session with the social networking contact or with the telecommunications device; and

initiating a telecommunications session between the telecommunications device and the user device,

wherein the initiated telecommunications session is performed without the user device having installed thereon a specific client application to accept the telecommunications session via an interface associated with the social network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the telecommunications network is a wireless network, wherein the public computer network is the internet, wherein the user device is a cell phone, wherein at least one of the telecommunications devices is a personal computer or laptop computer, and wherein the cell phone communicates with the personal computer or laptop through both the wireless network and the internet.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically creating at least a portion of a database includes associating an internal telephone number with the social networking contact or telecommunications device, wherein the internal telephone number is incapable of being used to make calls outside of at least the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the database includes presence information to indicate availability of the social networking contact, and wherein the method includes providing to the user device the presence information.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the identifier is a unique wireless number for the user, and wherein the database includes logon credentials for the user, wherein the logon credentials permit the user to log onto the social networking site.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein initiating a telecommunications session includes initiating a voice call, and wherein at least a portion of the voice call employs a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) protocol.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein initiating a telecommunications session includes initiating a text messaging or instant messaging session.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the telecommunications network is a wireless network, and wherein the database includes a select set of telephone numbers associated with reduced rate calling plan for the calling party.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein the contact information includes a phone number for the social networking contact.

14. A tangible computer-readable medium storing computer instruction for a method of permitting a telecommunications session between a customer of a wireless telecommunications network and a social networking contact, wherein the telecommunications network customer is associated with a wireless user device, and wherein the social network contact is associated with a telecommunications device, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining, from the social networking site and via a public computer network, contact information for the social networking contact;

automatically creating at least a portion of a database that stores the contact information, wherein the contact information is associated in the database with at least one identifier, and wherein the identifier is associated with the telecommunications network customer or the wireless user device,

wherein automatically creating at least a portion of a database includes associating an internal telephone number with the social networking contact or telecommunications device, wherein the internal telephone number is incapable of being used by mobile devices to make calls outside of at least the wireless telecommunications network;

receiving input from the wireless user device to initiate a telecommunications session with the social networking contact or with the telecommunications device; and

initiating a telecommunications session between the telecommunications device and the wireless user device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the public computer network is the internet, wherein the wireless user device is a cell phone, wherein the telecommunications device is a personal computer or laptop computer, and wherein the cell phone communicates with the personal computer or laptop through both the wireless network and the internet.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the initiated telecommunications session is performed without the wireless user device or the telecommunications device having installed thereon a specific client application to accept the telecommunications session via an interface associated with the social network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the database include presence information to indicate availability of the social networking contact, and wherein the method includes providing to the wireless user device the presence information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the identifier is a unique wireless number for the user, and wherein the database includes logon credentials for the user, wherein the logon credentials permit the user to log onto the social networking site.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein initiating a telecommunications session includes initiating a voice call, and wherein at least a portion of the voice call employs a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) protocol.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein initiating a telecommunications session includes initiating a text messaging or instant messaging session.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the wireless telecommunications network is a wireless network, and wherein the database includes a select set of telephone numbers associated with a reduced rate calling plan for the calling party.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the contact information includes a phone number for the social networking contact.

23. A system to establish a communication session between a telecommunications device and one or more users on web-based networks, the system comprising:

a web portal configured to receive registration information associated with one or more registered accounts on the web-based networks and an identifier of the telecommunications device,

wherein the one or more registered accounts include respective contact lists defined by a user of the telecommunications device,

wherein the contact lists include registered users on the web-based networks;

a messaging server operable to access the one or more registered accounts on the web-based networks based at least in part on the registration information and to determine the registered users on the web-based networks which are included in the contact lists,

wherein the messaging server creates internal addresses to be associated with the registered users and maps the internal addresses to the identifier of the telecommunications device,

wherein the messaging server creates labels corresponding to the respective internal addresses, and

wherein a client-specific software is not loaded onto the telecommunications device;

a database configured to store at least the registered users included in the contact lists of the web-based networks and the corresponding mapping of the internal addresses to the identifier of the telecommunications device; and

a synchronization component having stored therein the internal addresses and corresponding labels of the registered users included in the contact lists,

wherein the synchronization component is operable to forward the internal addresses and corresponding labels of the registered users to the telecommunications device,

wherein the internal addresses and corresponding labels are selectively retrievable by the user of the telecommunications device.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a communications server configured to receive a communications request for a respective one of the registered users and the internal address associated with the respective one of the registered users, wherein the communications server converts the communications request into a formatted communications request recognizable by the web-based networks.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the respective one of the registered users is a “

target”

buddy.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the communications server is a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) server operable to convert the communications request into a SIP format.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the messaging server accesses the database in response to receiving the formatted communications request, the messaging server retrieves the respective one of the registered users if the internal number associated therewith is mapped to the identifier of the telecommunications device, and the messaging server does not retrieve the respective one of the registered users if the internal number associated therewith is not mapped to the identifier.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the web-based networks are social networks.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the synchronization component is a Network Address Book (NAB) server.