Internet controlled telephone system
DCFirst Claim
1. A telephone communications system for providing telephone services to a subscriber via the Internet comprising, in combination,a host services computer connected to the Internet,a subscriber computer accessible to said subscriber connected to the Internet at a location remote from said host services computer,call processing apparatus connected to said host services computer,said host services computer including data storage means for storing preference values which are accessed by said call processing apparatus to customize the manner in which incoming telephone calls directed to said subscriber are handled on behalf of said subscriber,a plurality of telephone lines connecting said call processing apparatus to the public switched telephone network, a particular one of said telephone lines being employed to establish a telephone connection directed to a particular telephone number assigned to said subscriber via the public switched telephone network, anda gateway connected between at least said particular one of said telephone lines and the Internet for transforming voice signals transmitted to said subscriber from said public switched telephone network into digitized and packetized voice signals for transmission via the Internet using the Internet Protocol and for transforming digitized and packetized voice signals received from said subscriber via the Internet using the Internet Protocol into voice signals for transmission via the public switched telephone network,said call processing apparatus including means for receiving an incoming telephone call directed to said particular telephone number via said particular one of said telephone lines and connecting said incoming call to said subscriber via said particular one of said telephone lines, said gateway and the Internet to said subscriber computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet controlled telephony system employing a host services processor connected to a subscriber via the Internet and further connected to the public switched telephone system (PSTN). The subscriber employs a web interface to populate a database with preference data which is used by the host services processor to handle incoming calls and establish outgoing telephone connections in accordance with the preference data provided by the subscriber. Incoming calls to a telephone number assigned to the subscriber may be automatically forwarded to any telephone number specified by the preference data. The subscriber may also use the web interface to specify whether call waiting is to be activated, to screen or reroute calls from designated numbers, for recording voice mail messages in designated voice mailboxes, for selectively playing back voice mail messages via the web interface or for forwarding voice mail as an email attachment, for handling incoming fax transmissions using character recognition and email attachment functions, and for automatically paging the subscriber when incoming voice mail, fax or email messages are received, all in accordance with the preference data supplied by the subscriber using the web interface. Outgoing connections and conference calls may be initiated using the web interface, and the subscriber may block the operation of caller identification functions. Call progress information may be visually displayed to the subscriber during calls by transmitting web pages from the host services computer to the subscriber'"'"'s web browser.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A telephone communications system for providing telephone services to a subscriber via the Internet comprising, in combination,
a host services computer connected to the Internet, a subscriber computer accessible to said subscriber connected to the Internet at a location remote from said host services computer, call processing apparatus connected to said host services computer, said host services computer including data storage means for storing preference values which are accessed by said call processing apparatus to customize the manner in which incoming telephone calls directed to said subscriber are handled on behalf of said subscriber, a plurality of telephone lines connecting said call processing apparatus to the public switched telephone network, a particular one of said telephone lines being employed to establish a telephone connection directed to a particular telephone number assigned to said subscriber via the public switched telephone network, and a gateway connected between at least said particular one of said telephone lines and the Internet for transforming voice signals transmitted to said subscriber from said public switched telephone network into digitized and packetized voice signals for transmission via the Internet using the Internet Protocol and for transforming digitized and packetized voice signals received from said subscriber via the Internet using the Internet Protocol into voice signals for transmission via the public switched telephone network, said call processing apparatus including means for receiving an incoming telephone call directed to said particular telephone number via said particular one of said telephone lines and connecting said incoming call to said subscriber via said particular one of said telephone lines, said gateway and the Internet to said subscriber computer.
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19. A method of processing telephone calls on behalf of a subscriber which comprises, in combination, the steps of:
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employing a cable modem or other network connection to connect a subscriber computer to a digital Internet Protocol transmission network at an Internet Protocol address assigned to said subscriber computer, at a host services location remote from said subscriber location, connecting call processing apparatus to the public switched telephone network via a plurality of subscriber lines, including a specific subscriber line for receiving an incoming call directed to a specific telephone number assigned for the exclusive use of said subscriber, employing a client program that executes on a computer accessible to said subscriber to display, edit and store preference data in a network server accessible to said call processing apparatus, said preference data defining the manner in which said subscriber desires to have telephone calls processed by said call processing apparatus, employing a gateway connected between said specific subscriber line and said Internet Protocol transmission network for establishing an Internet Protocol voice connection using IP telephony between said specific subscriber line and said subscriber computer via said Internet Protocol transmission network, and employing said call processing apparatus and said gateway to connect said incoming call to said subscriber computer via said Internet Protocol voice connection to establish a working two-way voice connection via said Internet Protocol voice connection and said specific subscriber line. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification