Systems and methods for receiving telephone calls via instant messaging

• US 6,697,474 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirchner, Mike, Fergus, Don, Maurer, Donald J., Galvin, Tom, Moey, Tony, OʼBrien, Mark, Hanson, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/858,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/211.01, 709/204-227
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 : Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 : where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

A system establishes a telephone call between a calling party and a called party. The system receives a telephone call connection request, including identification of the called party, from the calling party and determines, based on the identification information, if the called party is currently connected to a data network. If the called party is currently connected to the data network, the system establishes the telephone call between the calling party and an instant messaging client of the called party.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

receiving a telephone call connection request from the calling party; and

establishing the telephone call, via an instant messaging client, as an end-to-end voice call, without selection by the called party for call establishment effected through the instant messaging client, if the called party is connected to a data network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving includes:

receiving the telephone call connection request via a public switched telephone network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a current network address of the called party, and wherein the establishing includes;

establishing the telephone call using the current network address.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, based on profile information associated with the called party, a destination to route the telephone call when the called party is not connected to the data network; and

routing the telephone call to the destination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing includes:

prompting the calling party to leave a voice message when the called party is not connected to the data network, and

delivering the voice message to an e-mail account or instant messaging client associated with the called party.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing includes:

prompting the calling party to leave a facsimile message when the called party is not connected to the data network, and

delivering the facsimile message to an e-mail account or instant messaging client associated with the called party.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing includes:

prompting the called party as to whether to accept the telephone call, and routing the telephone call to an alternate destination when the telephone call is not accepted.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the routing includes:

prompting the calling party to leave a voice message for the called party, recording the voice message,

determining the alternate destination based on a profile associated with the called party, and

routing the voice message to the alternate destination.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the alternate destination includes one of an e-mail account of the called party and the instant messaging client.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing includes:

determining an instant messaging version number of the instant messaging client of the called party, and

routing the telephone call to called party based on the instant messaging version number.

7. The method of claim l wherein the establishing includes:

retrieving a profile associated with the called party based on an identification information specific to the called party, and

examining the profile to determine how to route the telephone call.

12. A system for establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

a server configured to store profile information associated with the called party; and

an automated call processor configured to receive a telephone call connection request from a calling party, determine if the called party is currently connected to a data network based on the profile information, and establish the telephone call, via an instant messaging client, as an end-to-end voice call without selection by the called party for call establishment effected through the instant messaging client, if the called party is connected to the data network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the automatic call processor is further configured to:

determine, based on the profile information, a destination to route the telephone call when the called party is not connected to the data network, and

routing the telephone call to the destination.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the automated call processor is further configured to:

prompt the calling party to leave a voice or facsimile message when the called party is not connected to the data network, and

route the voice or facsimile message to one of an e-mail account and instant messaging client of the called party.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein automated call processor is further configured to:

determine an instant messaging version number of the instant messaging client, and

route the telephone call to the called party based on the instant messaging version number.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the automated call processor receives the telephone call connection request from a public switched telephone network.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the automated call processor is further configured to:

retrieve a current network address of the called party, and

wherein, when establishing, the automated call processor is configured to;

establish the telephone call using the current network address.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile information includes one or more of an instant messaging identifier, a telephone number, and a current network address.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the profile information further includes at least one of one or more time ranges, one or more dates or range of dates, and destination information.

20. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

instructions for receiving a telephone connection request from at least one calling party; and

instructions for connecting the at least one calling party with the called party, via an instant messaging client, as an end-to-end voice call, without selection by the called party for call establishment effected through the instant messaging client, if the called party is available on the data network.

21. A method for routing a voice call to a called party, comprising:

receiving a call connection request, including identification information specific to the called party, from a calling party to establish the voice call via an instant messaging client, without selection by the called party for call establishment effected through the instant messaging client, if the called party is connected to the instant messaging client;

obtaining, based on the identification information, an instant messaging user identification corresponding to the instant messaging client; and

routing the voice call to the called party based on the instant messaging user identification.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the receiving includes:

receiving the telephone call connection request via a public switched telephone network.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining an instant messaging version number of the instant messaging client; and

establishing the telephone call between the calling party and the called party based on the instant messaging version number.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining, based on profile information associated with the called party, a destination to route the telephone call when the called party is not available on the network; and

routing the telephone call to the destination.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the profile information includes one or more time ranges and one or more dates or range of dates.