Internet-activated callback service

• US 6,944,278 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny
• Application Number:
  US08/978,874
• Time in Patent Office: 2,848 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/209, 379/93.24, 379/90.01, 379/202.01, 379/265.02, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/210.02, 370/352, 370/356
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Techniques for using the Internet to establish an international telephone call using a callback service where there is a rate difference between the source and destination countries are disclosed. In one approach the customer sends the call information to the callback service by connecting to their website and by completing an Internet based form. Alternatively call information can be provided in an e-mail. The callback service database places the call soon after the call information is received.

Claims

1. A callback service, comprising:

a telephone network;

a plurality of users, each having access to said telephone network;

a data network;

at least one user having access to said data network; and

a computer having access to said telephone network and said data network and configured to originate a call to at least one user over said telephone network in response to information received over said data network and to provide a dial tone to said at least one user, wherein the call is delayed a predetermined amount of time after the information is received over the data network, the predetermined amount of time being determined using an estimate of the amount of time a message takes to go across the data network from a user to said callback service and sufficient for the at least one user to disconnect from the data network.

2. The callback service of claim 1 in which a call originated by said computer is to a user in a country different from the country in which said computer is located.

3. The callback service of claim 1 in which said information received over said data network is received over the Internet.

4. The callback service of claim 1 in which said information received over said data network is received over the world wide web portion of the Internet.

5. The callback service of claim 1 in which said information received over said data network is received by e-mail over the Internet.

6. The callback service of claim 1 in which telephone connections of said telephone network and data of said data network are carried at least in part over an integrated voice-data network.