Electronic telephone client service provider system (EP/CSP)

• US 6,477,242 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automated Business Companies
• Original Assignee: Automated Business Companies
• Inventors: Freeny, Jr., Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/510,028
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/93.24, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 358/440, 358/438, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/93.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

An alpha-numeric string electronic telephone and client service provider communication system is superimposed over the existing Internet, telephone and pager legacy systems to provide a much simpler communication system that will work seamlessly with the existing communication systems. The new system will allow an unlimited number of connections and unlimited number of signal type protocols to be used in the future and eventually phase out all of the separate numeric only telephone systems world wide and at the same time integrate the legacy e-mail system of the Internet with the legacy world wide numeric communication systems in a seamless and more powerful manner.

Claims

1. A client service provider unit for connecting a caller E-phone to a receiver E-phone uniquely identified by at least one of an alphanumeric string and a numeric string, comprising:

a backend telephone system processing unit outputting a connect signal including protocol and communication signals, responsive to receiving a signal containing a numeric string, to connect the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the numeric string;

an E-phone dialer processing unit outputting a connect signal including protocol and communication signals, responsive to receiving a signal containing an alphanumeric string, to connect the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string;

a front-end processing unit receiving a front-end connection signal containing one of an alphanumeric string and a numeric string uniquely identifying the receiver E-phone from the caller E-phone, the front-end processing unit determining which of the alphanumeric string and the numeric string is contained in the front-end connection signal, and outputting a first signal including the alphanumeric string where the front-end connection signal includes the alphanumeric string, and a second signal including the numeric string to the backend telephone system processing unit where the front end connection signal includes the numeric string whereby the backend telephone system processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the numeric string;

a string conversion processing unit receiving the first signal including the alphanumeric string from the front end processing unit, the string conversion processing unit comprising a client service provider E-mail database including a plurality of alphanumeric strings identifying a plurality of receiver E-phones and a plurality of numeric strings identifying a plurality of receiver E-phones where each of the numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with at least one of the alphanumeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database, the string conversion processing unit determining whether at least one of the plurality of numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal, and outputting a signal, including the numeric string correlated with the alphanumeric string in the first signal, to the backend telephone system processing unit where one of the plurality of numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal whereby the backend telephone system processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the numeric string, and outputting a signal, including the alphanumeric string in the first signal, to the E-phone dialer processing unit where one of the plurality of numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database is not correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal whereby the E-phone dialer processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string.

2. The client service provider unit of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric string contained in the front end connection signal is an e-mail address.

3. The client service provider unit of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric string contained in the front end connection signal is a domain name.

4. The client service provider unit of claim 1, wherein a function code and an alphanumeric string are contained in the front end connection signal, the alphanumeric string being correlated in the client service provider E-mail database with at least two numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database such that the alphanumeric string and the function code cooperate to uniquely identify one of the numeric strings.

5. The client service provider unit of claim 1, wherein the front end connection signal further includes a demand code to initiate a selected function in response to a predetermined event.

6. The client service provider unit of claim 5, wherein the predetermined event is the receiver E-phone failing to answer the connect signal.

7. The client service provider unit of claim 6, wherein the selected function is connecting, via at least one of the backend telephone system processing unit and the E-phone dialer processing unit, the caller E-phone to a selected receiver E-phone, the selected receiver E-phone being different from the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string in the front end connection signal.

8. The client service provider unit of claim 6, wherein the selected function is connecting, via at least one of the backend telephone system processing unit and the E-phone dialer processing unit, the caller E-phone to a voice mail system associated with the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string in the front end connection signal.

9. A client service provider unit for connecting a caller E-phone to a receiver E-phone uniquely identified by at least one of an alphanumeric string and a telephone number, comprising:

a backend telephone system processing unit outputting protocol and communication signals, responsive to receiving a signal containing a telephone number, to connect the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the telephone number;

an E-phone dialer processing unit outputting protocol and communication signals, responsive to receiving a signal containing an alphanumeric string, to connect the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string;

a front-end processing unit receiving a front-end connection signal containing one of an alphanumeric string and a telephone number uniquely identifying the receiver E-phone from the caller E-phone, the front-end processing unit determining which of the alphanumeric string and the telephone number is contained in the front-end connection signal, and outputting a first signal including the alphanumeric string where the front-end connection signal includes the alphanumeric string, and a second signal including the telephone number to the backend telephone system processing unit where the front end connection signal includes the telephone number whereby the backend telephone system processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the telephone number;

a string conversion processing unit receiving the first signal including the alphanumeric string from the front end processing unit, the string conversion processing unit comprising a client service provider E-mail database including a plurality of alphanumeric strings and a plurality of telephone numbers where each of the telephone numbers in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with at least one of the alphanumeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database, the string conversion processing unit determining whether at least one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal, and outputting a signal, including the telephone number correlated with the alphanumeric string in the first signal, to the backend telephone system processing unit where one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the client service provider E-mail database is correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal whereby the backend telephone system processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the telephone number, and outputting a signal, including the alphanumeric string in the first signal, to the E-phone dialer processing unit where one of the plurality of telephone numbers in the client service provider E-mail database is not correlated with the alphanumeric string included in the first signal whereby the E-phone dialer processing unit connects the caller E-phone to the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string.

10. The client service provider unit of claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric string contained in the front end connection signal is an e-mail address.

11. The client service provider unit of claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric string contained in the front end connection signal is a domain name.

12. The client service provider unit of claim 9, wherein a function code and an alphanumeric string are contained in the front end connection signal, the alphanumeric string being correlated in the client service provider E-mail database with at least two numeric strings in the client service provider E-mail database such that the alphanumeric string and the function code cooperate to uniquely identify one of the numeric strings.

13. The client service provider unit of claim 9, wherein the front end connection signal further includes a demand code to initiate a selected function in response to a predetermined event.

14. The client service provider unit of claim 13, wherein the predetermined event is the receiver E-phone failing to answer the connect signal.

15. The client service provider unit of claim 14, wherein the selected function is connecting, via at least one of the backend telephone system processing unit and the E-phone dialer processing unit, the caller E-phone to a selected receiver E-phone, the selected receiver E-phone being different from the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string in the front end connection signal.

16. The client service provider unit of claim 14, wherein the selected function is connecting, via at least one of the backend telephone system processing unit and the E-phone dialer processing unit, the caller E-phone to a voice mail system associated with the receiver E-phone identified by the alphanumeric string in the front end connection signal.