Methods and apparatus for providing communications services between connectionless and connection-oriented networks
First Claim
1. A method for managing call services in a server coupled to communicate over a connection-less network, the method comprising the steps of:
- configuring the server to be responsive to multiple users by providing multiple user agents that operate on behalf of the multiple users, each user agent provided by the server operating on behalf of a respective user of the multiple users;
receiving, at the server, at least one message including a request to create a call connection to a telephony device coupled to a public connection-based telephone network, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the multiple users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from the server; and
forwarding a call signaling message from the server through the connection-less network to create the call connection to the telephony device on the public connection-based telephone network.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telecommunications system uses software applications called user agents, that are preferably Internet-based and that operate on behalf of users in a telecommunications hosting server to control call connections under control of a telecommunications network server that interfaces with the telecommunications hosting server as well as a connection-based public telephone network. The telecommunications hosting server operates on a computer network on behalf of the user agents to provide call signaling in support of many advanced calling and telecommunications services. The functionality and performance (e.g., execution) of the user agent(s) preferably takes place primarily within the telecommunications hosting server, though user client computers can provide some and possibly all of the user agent functionality, depending upon the particular implementation chosen.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for managing call services in a server coupled to communicate over a connection-less network, the method comprising the steps of:
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configuring the server to be responsive to multiple users by providing multiple user agents that operate on behalf of the multiple users, each user agent provided by the server operating on behalf of a respective user of the multiple users; receiving, at the server, at least one message including a request to create a call connection to a telephony device coupled to a public connection-based telephone network, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the multiple users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from the server; and forwarding a call signaling message from the server through the connection-less network to create the call connection to the telephony device on the public connection-based telephone network.
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2. A method of providing communication services, the method comprising:
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receiving a communication over a connectionless network from a client computer, the communication including a request to establish a connection between a first telephony device related to a first user and a first user agent and a second telephony device related to a second user and a second user agent, both the first telephony device and the second telephony device being configured to directly couple to and communicate over a public switched telephone network via use of a public switched telephone network communication protocol, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from a server; in response to receiving the communication from the client, generating a message for controlling a public phone switch in the public switched telephone network; and
via use of the message, establishing a connection between the first telephony device and the second telephony device through use of the public phone switch. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19)
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13. A hosting server including:
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a processor; a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor, and an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the hosting server to execute the application and perform operations of; receiving a communication over a connectionless network from a client computer, the communication including a request to establish a connection between a first telephony device related to a first user and a first user agent and a second telephony device related to a second user and a second user agent, both the first telephony device and the second telephony device being configured to directly couple to and communicate over a public switched telephone network via use of a public switched telephone network communication protocol, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from a server; in response to receiving the communication from the client, generating a message for controlling a public telephone switch in the public switched telephone network; and
via use of the message, establishing a connection, via use of the public telephone switch, between the first telephony device and the second telephony device through use of the public telephone switch. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon for providing enhanced telecommunications services, such that the computer program logic, when executed on at least one processing unit to perform the steps of:
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receiving a communication over a connectionless network from a client computer, the communication including a request to establish a connection between a first telephony device related to a first user and a first user agent and a second telephony device related to a second user and a second user agent being configured to directly couple to and communicate over a public switched telephone network via use of a public switched telephone network communication protocol, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from a server; in response to receiving the communication, generating a message for controlling a public telephone switch in the public switched telephone network; and via use of the message, establishing a connection, via use of the public telephone switch, between the first telephony device and the second telephony device.
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25. A hosting server that provides communication services, the hosting server including;
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means for receiving a communication over a connectionless network from a client computer, the communication including a request to establish a connection between a first telephony device and a second telephony device, both the first telephony device related to a first user and a first user agent and a second telephony device related to a second user and a second user agent being configured to directly couple to and communicate over a public switched telephone network via use of a public switched telephone network communication protocol, each of the user agents programmed and configured by each of the users, the programming and configuration permitting the agents to receive a state of the telephony device, associated with at least one of the user agents, from a server; means for generating a message for controlling a public telephone switch in the public switched telephone network in response to receiving the communication; and means for establishing a connection via use of the public telephone switch, between the first telephony device and the second telephony device via use of the message.
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Specification