Method and system for establishing a voice communication service for business transactions and commerce applications

• US 7,065,070 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ifay F. Chang
• Original Assignee: Ifay F. Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Ifay F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H.
• Application Number:
  US09/909,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/395.2, 370400-408, 370493-495, 709200-203, 709227-228, 709249-253, 717124-127, 717176-178
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1056 Multi-site
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

A method and a system for establishing a self-owned and self-managed network-based voice communication solution (VCS) for supporting business transactions and commerce applications over the communications network(s) including the Internet and PSTN. The voice communication solution is requested by a merchant or business entity at a computer connected to the Internet by providing (i) information needed for approval and (ii) system configuration for accepting the solution. Through a friendly interactive process with a web server and a solution server, the necessary software for voice communication is downloaded to a merchant'"'"'s designated computer host, turning it to be a VCS server. Upon activation, the VCS server can support voice over IP (VOIP) communication and connect an incoming call to a telephone via PSTN or a PBX network. The VCS server can receive a VOIP call from anyone at anyplace via an Internet connected voice enabled computer. The caller launches a call agent via the merchant'"'"'s web page(s) or via a computer desktop interface or via a VOIP phone interface to reach the privately held voice communication server. The server connects the caller to a receiver according to the caller or merchant designated phone number. These phone numbers are designated as e800 numbers and are listed in various e800 directories for public use. Hence the VCS system can convert any local phone number into an e800 number with ‘800’ like properties, serving as a self-owned, self-activated and self-managed network-based voice communication system and solution.

Claims

1. An network-based voice communication system, comprising:

a) at least one voice communication server computer and

b) at least one call agent computer;

wherein said serve computer(s) and said call agent computer(s) are interconnected by a computer network;

said server computer(s) is downloaded with a VOIP server software to receive VOIP calls, and to terminate the calls at an ordinary phone via a termination device; and

wherein

said call agent computer(s) are downloaded with a call agent program to initiate a VOIP session with the said server computer(s) and to allow a caller to input desired data including entering an IP address, selecting one IP address from a directory, entering a telephone number and selecting one telephone number from a directory to facilitate a call;

said one server computer and said one call agent computer forming a pair and working under a client-server architecture and the pair jointly managing the VOIP session;

said server computers and said call agent computers forming a cluster of multiple units, working under a distributed architecture;

wherein said server computer is loaded with the call agent program to function as a call agent computer;

wherein said call agent computer is loaded with a VCS server program to function as a communication server with the termination device added to facilitate VCS system test and additional application in the category of branch-to-branch voice and data communication; and

wherein a number of said server/call agent computers are orgnized to perform a tie-line communication function between several branches.

2. A network-based voice communication system in accordance of claim 1, wherein said server computer is equipped with a full-duplex sound card with an appropriate driver supported by the computer operating system for handling digital voice transmission and processing;

wherein a server software program is programmed to handle a single communication session initiated by said call agent and to handle VOIP traffic with communication interface to a set of standard protocols and voice interface to a sound card to process voice signal, analog to digital and vice versa, and voice compression and decompression using a CODEC module;

wherein said protocol standards is selected from the family of VOIP communication protocols; and

is wherein a CODEC code is selected from the family of G723.1, G729, GSM, H261, H263 and G711.

3. A network-based voice communication system in accordance of claim 1, wherein said server computer is equipped with a standards-compliant termination device selected from the family of voice modem, PBX and VOIP gateways with an appropriate driver supported by the computer operating system for handling voice traffic and terminating a VOIP call to a PSTN telephone;

wherein a server software program is programmed to handle a single communication session initiated by said call agent and to handle the VOIP traffic with communication interface to the standard protocols, voice interface to a sound card to process voice signal, analog to digital and vice versa, and voice compression and decompression using a CODEC module and interface to the termination device;

wherein the protocol standards is selected from the family of VOIP communication protocols; and

wherein a CODEC code is selected from the family of G723.1, G729, GSM, H261, H263 and G711.

4. A network-based voice communication system in accordance of claim 1 wherein said call agent computer is multimedia enabled with a full duplex sound card, two speakers and one microphone for VOIP application;

wherein said call agent computer is programmed to initiate a communication session with said server computer compliant to the standard communication protocols; and

wherein said call agent computer is programmed to handle and monitor a voice session with data input, call and hang-up capabilities.

5. A network-based voice communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein

said call agent computer has a network interface, a web browser, and an e-mail application compatible with call agent computer operating system for facilitating on-line interaction.

6. A network-based voice communication system in accordance of claim 1 wherein at least one of said server computers is connected to a specific brand of PBX system so to terminate the VOIP call by dialing the PBX system with less than full length of telephone number code;

wherein at least one of said server computers is connected to a VOIP gateway device to terminate more than one voice session at a time; and

wherein at least one of said server computers is connected to a voice modem to terminate one dedicated voice session.

7. A method of establishing a working voice communication system with VOIP capability and interfacing with an ordinary phone and designating at least one local phone number as an e800 number into an e800 directory comprising of:

an automated process for making a request for downloading voice communication server program and call agent software, under control of a web site supported by a web server and a number of other servers resident in one or more computer servers,

displaying information about the voice communication system;

responding to requests of downloading the voice communication system;

capturing the requester identification and user profile;

establishing the system configuration for operating the voice communication system;

accepting and submitting IP addresses for operating the voice communication systems;

downloading a voice communication system server software;

downloading the call agent software;

activating the voice communication system server software; and

testing and running the voice communication system;

all in one continuous process with freedom to pause the process;

under the control of a mail server,

authenticating and conveying a ID code of a registrant;

authenticating and confirming payment received;

under control of a solution server,

delivering the voice communication system server software;

delivering a default ad image file;

delivering a call agent software;

delivering a call agent web icon instruction file and web icon file, address book and directory data;

under the control of an encryption engine,

creating an activation code corresponding to an IP address submitted;

delivering the activation code to a requester through the mail server;

under the control of a form server,

allowing forms to be presented to and filled by the requester;

under the control of a network server,

allowing remote dial-in and network connection to perform call agent test, under control of a Voice Communication System server and any number of call agent computers,

performing VOIP call test with a call agent;

whereby the request of establishing a working voice communication system can be accomplished with an on-line process in the end producing a working voice communication system to serve multiple business entities.

8. The method in claim 7

wherein server functions are performed by more than one computer servers with said server functions divided and served.

9. The method of claim 7

wherein the registration step creates a requester ID code for a requester to suspend and resume the requisition process at will;

wherein the activation step creates an activation code to insure said server program from being copied and misused; and

wherein the activation code is set to expire within a specified time, requiring reactivation upon expiration.

10. The method of claim 7

wherein the displaying of information comprising:

displaying the voice communication system architecture, system operation procedure, requirement of system configuration, procedures of establishing said voice communication system, personal ID, personal profile, system configuration data, download procedure, server program instruction, call agent program instruction, call agent icon image and instruction and ad image file and instruction;

wherein the download processes comprising;

VCS server program, call agent program, ad image file, call agent web icon file, instruction for incorporating web icon file, instruction for replacing ad image file with the ad image file of the merchant'"'"'s own and the activating VCS system, including information to reset firewall to permit VOIP transmission; and

wherein a number of parties can perform the request, install and any part of said procedures of establishing said voice communication system simultaneously to construct a multi-party VCS solution.

11. The method of claim 7

wherein the activation process comprising the usage of an encryption engine to generate an activation code using a number of known algorithms;

wherein one algorithm encrypts said IP address to produce an activation code;

wherein said download VCS server program is imbedded with a corresponding decryption algorithm with the activation code required for decryption; and

wherein said activation code is a special code which will expire within a specified time, requiring reactivation upon expiration.

12. The method of claim 7

wherein the server software is programmed to allow specific phone numbers to be included in the working directory and to allow large group of phone numbers defined by a specific code comprising country code, area code, specific exchange and the combination of said codes to be included in the working directory;

and

wherein the complementary of the working directory, reversing the allowed numbers to be not allowed and vice versa, is easily activated by a reverse action through a program input.

13. A call agent software in accordance of claim 7

wherein said call agent software acts like a browser window which can receive advertising image file or animation file to be displayed in its user interface and wherein said call agent software can accept download of data comprising of address book and directory entries.

14. A call agent software in accordance of claims 7

wherein the call agent software is launched from the call agent computer by means comprising:

from web page, from computer screen interface and from an interface of a handheld communication device with its base station connected to the Internet connected call agent computer;

wherein the call agent software contains as address book; and

wherein the call agent software contains generic functions not specific to any specific merchant so any merchant can make it downloaded freely from the web page belonging to the merchant.

15. A method in accordance of claims 7 is prepackaged as a turn-key system and is loaded on a storage medium for sales, installation, activation and testing of said voice communication system.

16. An Internet-based e800 directory system comprises:

at least one VOIP gateway computer;

at least one call agent computer; and

at least one server computer;

said gateway computer(s) having termination capability for at least one voice session with a PSTN telephone;

said call agent computer(s) being loaded with a call agent program to initiate a VOIP session with the said gateway computer(s) and to allow a caller to input desired data comprising;

entering an IP address, selecting one IP address from an e800 directory, entering a telephone number and selecting one telephone number from an e800 directory to facilitate a call;

wherein said server computer having a web server for rendering a web site program to receive request for designating a local phone number to be an e800 number, to list said e800 number in an e800 directory, to display said e800 directory when requested by a requester through a network browser and to facilitate placing a call agent icon next to the e800 number in the e800 directory;

said web server computer being loaded with form server program to provide on-line registration and on-line payment processing for accepting purchase of the e800 directory service; and

said web server computer being loaded with file download program to provide instant download of the call agent program, the e800 directory server program and the e800 franchise agreement file.

17. A database in accordance with claim 16 is used

wherein the IP addresses and user profile information and other information collected through interactive sessions are incorporated in the e800 directory and the call agent address book, all made available for user to query.

18. The call agent icon in accordance with claim 16 designates the availability of the call agent program by download and signifies the capability to facilitate a direct call to a designated number with a single click when said call agent icon is placed next to the e800 number of the e800 directory on a web page.

19. A method of establishing an automated sale and distribution of e800 number service in accordance of claim 16 comprises of:

making available the Internet-based e800 directory system, downloading the call agent program, designating the local phone number as an e800 number, placing the call agent icon, displaying e800 directory, providing on-line registration, and processing on-line payment;

whereby a requester can submit a local phone number to be designated as an e800 number by paying a registration and subscription fee; and

whereby the e800 directory owner can sell the e800 directory service through an on-line process.