Method and apparatus for establishing a voice call by way of an electronic mail message

• US 6,865,161 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pendse, Ajit, Rennert, Michele S., Kadinger, John R., Keeler, Kenneth L., Sponaugle, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US09/694,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/260, 370/261, 370/352, 370/356, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/395.6, 370/395.61, 370/401, 370/271, 379/88.17, 379/93.01, 379/93.07, 379/93.09, 379/93.24, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/93, 379/21, 379/202, 345/330, 348/14.08, 455/414, 455/416, 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a voice call by way of an electronic mail (email) message is provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, a first party (i.e. offeror), generates or causes to be generated, an electronic token representing an offer to participate in a voice which is transmitted to an offeree party in association with an email message. Upon receiving the electronic token, the offeree has the option of accepting the offer by activating the electronic token. When the offeree activates the electronic token, a first voice call is established with the offeree and a second voice call is established with a destination party identified by the offeror. Once the two calls have been established, they are bridged together to place the offeree in voice communication with the destination party. In one embodiment, the destination party is the offeror.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to implement a set of communication services on the computer system for generating on behalf of an offeror client, an electronic token representing an offer to participate in a voice call with a destination party designated by the offeror client and including a telephone number or an IP address of said destination party and a telephone number or an IP address of an offeree provided by said offeror for generating said electronic token, the electronic token to be transmitted by the offeror client in association with an electronic mail message to said offeree, services for receiving on behalf of the offeror client, through a data network link, a notification from the offeree denoting the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer by activating said electronic token, and services for causing, immediately in response to the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer, a first voice call connection to be initiated to the destination party designated by the offeror client and a second voice call connection to be initiated to the offeree, and bridging together the two connections so as to establish a voice call between the destination party and the offeree; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the offeree accepts the offeror client'"'"'s offer by activating the electronic token.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein activating the electronic token comprises selecting the electronic token with a user input device.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the electronic token comprises a graphical icon.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the electronic token comprises an URL.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the voice call comprises at least one of a circuit switched call and a packet based call.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the destination party designated by the offeror client is the offeror client.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first and second voice calls each comprise a circuit switched call.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first voice call comprises a circuit switched call and the second voice call comprises a packet based call.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first voice call comprises a packet based call and the second voice call comprises a circuit switched call.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first and second voice calls each comprise a packet based call.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the electronic token is generated on behalf of the offeror client based at least in part upon data provided to the computer system by the offeror client.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the telephone number or IP address of said destination party in said electronic token is obscured to prevent the offeree from identifying it.

14. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising programming instructions to implement services for receiving payment information from the offeror client in association with at least one of the first and second calls, and services for verifying the ability of the offeror client to pay an indicated amount, prior to causing the first and second voice calls to be bridged.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting by an offeror party in association with an electronic mail message, an electronic token representing an offer to participate in a voice call with a destination party and including an PSTN extension or a data network address of said destination party and a PSTN extension or a data network address of an offeree party provided by said offeror party for generating said electronic token;

receiving by said offeree party, the electronic token representing the offer to participate in the voice call with the destination party;

receiving on behalf of the offeror party, through a data network link, a notification from the offeree denoting the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror party'"'"'s offer by activating said electronic token; and

causing, immediately in response to the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer, a first voice call connection to be initiated to the destination party designated by the offeror client and a second voice call connection to be initiated to the offeree; and

bridging together the two connections so as to establish a voice call between the destination party and the offeree.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the offeree party accepts the offer to participate in the voice call by activating the electronic token representing the offer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating the electronic token includes selecting the electronic token with a user input device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic token comprises a graphical icon.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic token comprises an URL.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the destination party is the offeror party.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the voice call comprises at least one of a circuit switched call and a packet based call.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein both the first and second voice call connections are PSTN call connections.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the first voice call connection is a VOIP call connection, and the second voice call connection is a PSTN call connection.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the first voice call connection is a PSTN call connection, and the second voice call connection is a VOIP call connection.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein both the two voice call connections are VOIP call connections.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic token is generated by a third party based at least in part upon data provided to the third party by the offeror party in association with a contractual relationship previously established between the third party and the offeror party.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the data provided to the third party by the offeror party includes said PSTN extension or data network address of the destination party.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said PSTN extension or data network address is obscured to prevent the offeree party from identifying it.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the data provided to the third party includes billing information.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the voice call is bridged only after payment verification is received by the third party from an independent party assuring that the offeror party will pay for the cost of the call.

31. A computer system comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to implement a set of communication services on the computer system for receiving on behalf of an offeror client, through a data network link, a notification from an offeree denoting the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer to participate in a voice call with a designated destination party, the offer communicated to the offeree by an electronic token in association with an electronic mail message and including a telephone number or an IP address of said destination party and a telephone number or an IP address of said offeree provided by said offeror client for generating said electronic token, and for causing immediately in response to the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer by activating the electronic token, a first voice call connection to be initiated to the destination party designated by the offeror client and a second voice call connection to be initiated to the offeree, and bridging together the two connections so as to establish a voice call between the destination party and the offeree; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the destination party is designated by the offeror.

33. A computer system comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to implement a set of communication services on the computer system for generating on behalf of an offeror client, an electronic token representing an offer to participate in a voice call with a designated destination party and including a telephone number or IP address of said destination party and a telephone number or an 1P address of an offeree provided by said offeror client for generating said electronic token, the electronic token to be transmitted to said offeree in association with an electronic mail message and services for causing immediately in response to the offeree'"'"'s acceptance of the offeror client'"'"'s offer by activating said electronic token, a first voice call connection to be initiated to the destination party designated by the offeror client and a second voice call connection to be initiated to the offeree, and bridging together the two connections so as to establish a voice call between the destination party and the offeree; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.