Method and apparatus for establishing communications from browser application

• US 6,275,490 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1997
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Net2Phone, Inc. (IDT Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NetSpeak Corporation (IDT Corporation)
• Inventors: Hancock, Steven M., Noe, Bradley D., Mattaway, Shane D., Hutton, Glenn W., Pietras, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US08/915,034
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/354, 370/353, 370/389, 370/401, 370/355, 370/356, 370/410, 370/427, 379/93.17, 379/93.24, 713/201, 707/3, 707/513, 707/104, 711/200, 711/249, 709/239, 709/245, 709/250, 709/205, 709/218, 345/331
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A technique for initiating communications from a web browser to a destination on either a packet-switched data network or a circuit-switched communication network includes a communication utility capable of interacting with a browser utility and responsive to address information obtained from a website for establishing a communication link with the website with the other destination defined by the address information. In one embodiment, the address information may comprise either an Internet protocol address, an E-mail address, or a traditional telephone number. The communication utility further enables sharing of URL data so that once a communication link is established, the parties may examine the same website pages simultaneously while communicating over a point-to-point communication link.

Claims

1. A method for establishing real-time audio communications between a process executing on a computer system coupled to a packet-switched network and an information source coupled to either a packet-switched data network or terminating apparatus on a circuit-switched communication network, the method comprising:

A. retrieving, with a browser process executing on the computer system, address information usable in establishing a real-time audio communication connection with a destination;

B. supplying the address information from the browser process to a computer telephony communication utility associated with the browser process; and

C. initiating with the computer telephony communication utility a real-time audio communication connection with the destination identified by the address information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information comprises an electronic mail address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information comprises a network protocol address.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the network protocol address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information comprises a telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information is associated with the destination and step A further comprises:

A.1 selecting the address information with the browser process.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step A.1 further comprises:

A.1.1 selecting the address information with a pointing device from a user interface associated with the browser process.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step B comprises:

B.1 supplying the address information to a communication utility executable on the computer system as the browser process, the communication utility responsive to the browser utility.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step B further comprises:

B.1 receiving an executable copy of the communication utility, the communication utility responsive to the browser utility.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein step C further comprises:

C.1 supplying the address information to the communication utility; and

C.2 initiating a communication link from the communication utility to the destination specified by the communication information.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

D. establishing a communication link with the destination designated by the address information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the address information comprises an Internet Protocol address and step D further comprises:

D.1 establishing a communication link with the network protocol address specified in the address information.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the address information specifies an electronic mail address and wherein step D further comprises:

D.1 obtaining a network protocol address associated with the electronic mail address specified in the address information; and

D.2 establishing a communication link with the network protocol address associated with the E-mail address.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein step D.1 further comprises:

D.1.1 searching a directory for the network protocol address associated with the electronic mail address.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the address information comprises a telephone number and step D comprises:

D.1 establishing a communication link with a gateway capable of communicating with the terminating apparatus specified by the telephone number.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein step D.1 comprises:

D.1.1 resolving the telephone number into a network protocol address; and

D.1.2 using the network protocol address to contact the gateway.

6. The method of claim I wherein the address information is in the form of hypertext markup language (HTML).

18. A computer program for use with a computer system operatively coupled to a computer network, the computer system capable of executing one or more processes, the computer program comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the program code comprising:

A. browser program code configured to obtain address information usable in establishing a real-time audio communication connection with a destination;

B. computer telephony program code for establishing a real-time audio communication connection with the destination, the destination comprising an address on a packet-switched network or terminating apparatus on a circuit-switched communication network;

C. program code, responsive to the browser program code, for supplying to the computer telephony program code the address information; and

D. program code for initiating execution of the computer telephony program code for establishing a real-time audio communication connection with the destination specified by the address information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

program code configured to provide a visual presentation of information obtained over the computer network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

program code, responsive to user commands from a computer system pointing device, for retrieving address information from a remote address operatively coupled to the computer system.