System and method for providing a remote user with a virtual presence to an office
First Claim
1. A system which provides a remote user with a virtual presence to a corporate office, comprising:
- a user communications device physically located remotely from the corporate office, wherein the user communications device is operated by the remote user, wherein the user communications device is adapted for coupling to a transmission media;
wherein the user communications device transmits communications to the corporate office, wherein said communications include identification information of said user communications device;
a virtual presence server located at the corporate office, wherein the virtual presence server includes;
one or more connections for coupling to a telephony server and a local area network;
one or more connections for coupling to transmission media, wherein the one or more connections receives communications from said user communications device;
a memory for storing said identification information received from said user communications device; and
a virtual presence server (VPS) communication device coupled to said memory and coupled to said one or more connections for coupling to transmission media, wherein said VPS communication device is operable for providing voice, data and telephony control information to the user communications device;
wherein the virtual presence server routes communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server which are intended for the remote user of said user communications device, wherein said communications intended for the remote user of said user communications device are routed from either of the telephony server or the local area network to said user communications device;
wherein the virtual presence server uses said identification information stored in said memory to determine if said communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server are intended for the remote user of said user communications device.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for enabling a remote user to maintain a virtual presence at a corporate office and behave substantially as if the user were physically present at the corporate office. The remote user'"'"'s telephone behaves as a PBX extension, and the remote user may send and receive faxes and email, have Internet access and maintain LAN connectivity, substantially as if the user were present at the corporate office. The remote computer system includes an individual remote worker unit or communication device, and the remote computer executes virtual presence software according to the present invention. The corporate office includes a virtual presence server according to the invention which connects to the corporate PBX and also to the corporate LAN. The virtual presence server executes software which enables the remote user to maintain a virtual presence at the corporate office. First the remote user establishes a virtual presence at the corporate office, including providing identification and security information. Once the remote user is connected, the virtual presence server instructs the corporate PBX to automatically forward all calls to the remote user. The virtual presence server also routes email, faxes, and LAN data to the remote user. The virtual presence server also extends the corporate PBX and corporate LAN features to the remote user, just as if the remote user were physically located in the corporate office. According to the invention, the remote user makes outgoing telephone calls, sends faxes, transmits data, sends email and performs Internet access as if the remote user were physically present in the corporate office. Likewise, incoming calls, faxes, data transmissions and email received at the corporate office are routed to the remote user as if the remote user were physically present in the corporate office. Therefore, a co-worker or external party who telephones the user at the corporate office, or sends email or a fax to the user at the corporate office, is unaware that the user is actually not physically located at the corporate office, but rather is at a remote location. The present invention also includes methods for disconnecting and re-establishing virtual presence to reduce message rate charging.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A system which provides a remote user with a virtual presence to a corporate office, comprising:
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a user communications device physically located remotely from the corporate office, wherein the user communications device is operated by the remote user, wherein the user communications device is adapted for coupling to a transmission media; wherein the user communications device transmits communications to the corporate office, wherein said communications include identification information of said user communications device; a virtual presence server located at the corporate office, wherein the virtual presence server includes; one or more connections for coupling to a telephony server and a local area network; one or more connections for coupling to transmission media, wherein the one or more connections receives communications from said user communications device; a memory for storing said identification information received from said user communications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS) communication device coupled to said memory and coupled to said one or more connections for coupling to transmission media, wherein said VPS communication device is operable for providing voice, data and telephony control information to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server routes communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server which are intended for the remote user of said user communications device, wherein said communications intended for the remote user of said user communications device are routed from either of the telephony server or the local area network to said user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server uses said identification information stored in said memory to determine if said communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server are intended for the remote user of said user communications device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for providing a remote user operating a user communications device with a virtual presence at a corporate office, wherein the corporate office includes a telephony server, wherein the corporate office further includes a virtual presence server which routes communications between the corporate office and the user communications device, the method comprising:
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the user communications device connecting to the corporate office; the user communications device providing identification information to a virtual presence server at the corporate office after said user communications device connecting to the corporate office, said identification information including an identity of the user operating the user communications device; the virtual presence server storing said identification information provided by the user communications device; and the virtual presence server communicating telephony control information with said user communications device, wherein said user communications device operates as an extension to the telephony server located at the corporate office. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for providing a user of a user communications device with a virtual presence at a corporate office, wherein the corporate office includes a telephony server and a local area network, wherein the corporate office further includes a virtual presence server which automatically routes communications between the corporate office and the user communications device, the method comprising:
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the user communications device connecting to the virtual presence server at the corporate office; the user communications device providing identification information to the virtual presence server at the corporate office after the user communications device connecting to the host office, said identification information including an identity of the user operating said user communications device; the virtual presence server storing said identification information provided by the user communications device; the telephony server in the corporate office receiving a communications from a party, wherein said communications are intended for a telephone in the corporate office associated with the user of said user communications device; the virtual presence server automatically routing said communications from said telephony server to said user communications device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A method for providing a remote user operating a user communications device with a virtual presence at a corporate office, wherein the corporate office includes a telephony server and a local area network, wherein the corporate office further includes a virtual presence server which routes communications between the corporate office and the user communications device, the method comprising:
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the user communications device connecting to the virtual presence server at the corporate office; the user communications device providing identification information to a virtual presence server at the corporate office after said user communications device connecting to the host office, said identification information including an identity of the remote user of said user communications device; the virtual presence server storing said identification information provided by the user communications device; the user communications device connecting to the corporate office local area network, wherein said user communications device operates as a node to said local area network; the user communications device operating as an extension of the telephony server in the corporate office; the corporate office receiving a communications from a party, wherein said communications are intended for the remote user of said user communications device; and the virtual presence server automatically routing said communications from said corporate office to said user communications device.
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40. A system which provides a plurality of workers at a branch office with a virtual presence to a corporate office, comprising:
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a plurality of user communications devices physically located in the branch office, wherein the branch office is located remotely from the corporate office, wherein the user communications devices are operated by the plurality of workers at the branch office; a branch office server physically located in the branch office and coupled to each of said plurality of user communications devices, wherein said branch office server includes one or more communications devices for coupling to a transmission media; wherein the branch office server transmits communications to the corporate office, wherein said communications include identification information of said branch office server; a virtual presence server located at the corporate office and operable for coupling to a telephony server and a local area network located in the corporate office, wherein the branch office server is operable to connect to the virtual presence server, wherein the virtual presence server includes; a plurality of connections for coupling to transmission media, wherein one or more of said plurality of connections receives communications from said branch office server; a memory for storing said identification information received from said branch office server; and a communication device coupled to said memory and said plurality of connections for providing voice, data and telephony control information to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server routes communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server which are intended for workers in said branch office, wherein said communications intended for said workers in said branch office are routed from either of the telephony server or the local area network to said branch office server in said branch office; wherein the virtual presence server uses said identification information stored in said memory to determine if said communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server are intended for one of said plurality of workers in said branch office.
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41. A virtual presence server system which provides a remote user with a virtual presence to a corporate office, wherein the virtual presence server is located at the corporate office, comprising:
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one or more connections for coupling to a telephony server and a local area network, one or more connections for coupling to a transmission media, wherein the one or more connections for coupling to a transmission media are for receiving communications from a user communications device physically located remotely from the corporate office; a memory for storing identification information received from a user communications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS) communications device coupled to said memory and coupled to said one or more connections for coupling to a transmission media, wherein said VPS communications device is operable to provide voice, data and telephony control information to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server routes communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server which are intended for the remote user of the user communications device, wherein said communications intended for the remote user of the user communications device are routed from either of the telephony server or the local area network to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server uses said identification information stored in said memory to determine if said communications received by either of the local area network or the telephony server are intended for the remote user of said user communications device. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49)
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48. The system of claim 81, wherein said virtual presence server is further operable to automatically reconnect to the user communications device in response to an external party initiating communications and in response to the user communications device not being connected to the corporate office;
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wherein the virtual presence server communicates with the user communications device after the virtual presence server automatically reconnects to the user communications device.
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50. A system which provides a remote user with a virtual presence to a corporate office, comprising:
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a user communications device physically located remotely from the corporate office, wherein the user communications device is operated by the remote user, wherein the user communications device is adapted for coupling to a transmission media; wherein the user communications device transmits communications to the corporate office, wherein said communications include identification information of said user communications device; a telephony server located at the corporate office, wherein the telephony server controls a plurality of telephones; a local area network located at the corporate office, said local area network including a plurality of interconnected computer systems; and a virtual presence server located at the corporate office and coupled to said telephony server and said local area network, wherein the user communications device is operable to connect to the virtual presence server, wherein the virtual presence server includes; a plurality of inputs for coupling to transmission media, wherein one or more of said plurality of inputs receives communications from said user communications device; a memory for storing said identification information received from said user communications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS) communication device coupled to said memory for providing voice, data and telephony control information to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server routes communications received by either of said local area network or said telephony server which are intended for the remote user of said user communications device, wherein said communications intended for the remote user of said user communications device are routed from either of said telephony server or said local area network to said user communications device; wherein the virtual presence server uses said identification information stored in said memory to determine if said communications received by either of said local area network or said telephony server are intended for the remote user of said user communications device.
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Specification