Caller identification and voice/data synchronization for internet telephony and related applications

• US 6,914,899 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle OTC Subsidiary LLC (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Estara Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunter, Ian, Siegrist, Joseph, Zwa, Amen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shew, John
• Application Number:
  US09/771,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/310, 370352-356, 370/383, 370/389, 370/392, 370/399, 370/400, 370/401, 370/409, 370/493, 370/525, 379/112.01, 379/133, 379/93.01, 379/93.06, 705/7, 709/206
• US Class Current: 370/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

An data packet network telephony system provides identification information of an end user terminal making an Internet telephone call to a call center terminal and provides a call center agent with the ability to cause an end user terminal making an Internet telephone call to display selected web pages and or to synchronize displays between the agent and end user terminals. In one embodiment, customer identification information is provided in-band. In another embodiment, customer identification information is accomplished out of band, in some cases using an identifier of the PSTN gateway as an index into a table to identify an end user terminal. In another embodiment, an agent may enter DTMF (dual tone multi-frequency tones) to push web pages to an end user terminal. In still other embodiments, a second communications link between the end user terminal and the agent'"'"'s terminal is established, allowing for data sharing/synchronization.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an end user at an end user computer connected to a data packet network to a called party connected to a public switched telephone network comprising the steps of:

establishing a phone call between an end user computer and a called party, the call being routed through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network;

locating an identifier on the end user computer, the identifier being associated with a user of the end user computer, the identifier being present on the end user computer prior to an indication by the user that the phone call is desired;

converting the identifier to an analog signal; and

transmitting the analog signal to the called party over the public switched telephone network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is sent from the end user terminal to the gateway and is converted into an analog signal at the gateway.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to an automatic number identification format.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to a caller identification format.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to a dialed number identification service format.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the analog signal is transmitted in the same manner as voice information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is converted into a digitized packet at the end user computer and the digitized packet is transmitted to the gateway by the end user computer in the same manner as digitized voice data packets.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying data associated with the identifier on a display associated with the called party.

9. A method for identifying an end user at an end user computer connected to a data packet network to a called party connected to a public switched telephone network comprising the steps of:

transmitting a web page to an end user computer, the web page including a telephone call icon and an identifier associated with the end user computer;

activating the icon at the end user computer, the icon causing a telephone call to be established between the end user computer and the called party through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network;

converting the identifier to an analog signal;

transmitting the analog signal to the called party over the public switched telephone network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier is sent from the end user computer to the gateway and is converted to an analog signal at the gateway.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to an automatic number identification format.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to a caller identification format.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the analog signal is transmitted according to a dialed number identification service format.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the analog signal is transmitted in the same manner as voice information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification information is converted into a digitized packet at the end user computer and the digitized packet is transmitted to the gateway by the end user computer in the same manner as digitized voice data packets.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying data associated with the identifier on a display associated with the called party.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier is a session identification.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier is a is a customer number.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier is an icon identification.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the gateway identifier is used to retrieve the customer identification information by retrieving the customer identification information associated with a most recent call established through the gateway corresponding to the gateway identifier.

20. A method for identifying an end user at an end user computer connected to a data packet network to called party equipment connected to a public switched telephone network comprising the steps of:

collecting, at the end user computer, customer identification information the customer identification information being present on the end user computer prior to an identification by the end user that a phone call is desired;

transmitting the customer identification information to a first server;

storing the customer identification information at the first server;

establishing a phone call between an end user computer and called party equipment, the call being routed through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network;

detecting a gateway identifier at the called party equipment;

sending the gateway identifier to the first server;

using the gateway identifier to retrieve the customer identification information at the first server;

sending the customer identification information from the first server to the called party equipment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the customer identification information is collected from information included with an icon downloaded by the end user computer from a second server.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information included with the icon is a session identification.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the information included with the icon is a customer number.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the information included with the icon is an icon identification.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

assigning, at the gateway, a gateway identifier to the call, the gateway identifier being different from any other gateway identifier associated with any other call being routed through the gateway during a duration of the call; and

maintaining a database of customer identification information which can be indexed using the gateway identifier.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the gateway identifier is in a caller identification format.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the gateway identifier is in a dialed number identification service format.

29. A method for controlling a display of an end user computer comprising the steps of:

establishing a phone call between an end user computer connected to a data packet network and other party equipment connected to a public switched telephone network, the phone call being routed through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network at the end user computer;

generating a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) command at the other party equipment;

detecting the DTMF command;

forming an address based at least in part on the DTMF command at the end user computer;

receiving display information from the address at the end user computer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the end user terminal in data packets received from the gateway.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the gateway, and the gateway sends a message including the DTMF command to the end user computer.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the DTMF command detected at the gateway is not sent in voice data packets.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the address is formed at the gateway.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the address is formed at a server in communication with the gateway and sent to the end user terminal.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the address is formed at the end user terminal.

36. A method for exchanging information between an end user computer and a second terminal associated with a called party comprising the steps of:

assigning a chatroom identifier to the called party;

establishing a phone call between an end user computer connected to a data packet network and other party equipment connected to a public switched telephone network, the phone call being routed through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network;

generating a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) command corresponding to the chatroom identifier at the other party equipment;

detecting the DTMF command;

entering the chatroom at the end user computer;

entering the chatroom at the second terminal; and

exchanging messages between the end user terminal and the second terminal.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the end user computer.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the gateway.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the messages includes an address from which display information can be obtained and the end user computer, upon receipt of such a message, obtains the display information from the address.

40. A method for exchanging information between an end user computer and a second terminal associated with a called party comprising the steps of:

assigning an address corresponding to the second terminal to the called party, the address comprising a first portion and a second portion;

establishing a phone call between an end user computer connected to a data packet network and other party equipment connected to a public switched telephone network, the phone call being routed through a gateway connected to the data packet network and the public switched telephone network;

storing the first portion of the address at the end user terminal;

generating a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) command at the other party equipment, the command comprising the second portion of the address assigned to the called party;

detecting the DTMF command;

forming the address at the end user terminal using the DTMF command and the first portion;

using the address to establish communications between the end user computer and the second terminal.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the using step is performed by establishing a socket connection from the end user computer to the second terminal at the address.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the gateway.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the DTMF command is detected at the end user computer.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the first portion of the address is stored at the end user computer along with software downloaded to the end user computer and used to establish the phone call.