×

Telephone service via networking

  • US 7,664,097 B2
  • Filed: 03/22/2004
  • Issued: 02/16/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method comprising:

  • detecting an off-hook condition of a calling station;

    subsequent to detecting the off-hook condition, receiving dialed digits from the calling station, the dialed digits indicating a call request and a telephone number of a called party;

    providing a request to a routing database, the request including at least a portion of the telephone number of the called party;

    receiving in response to the request an identity of a gateway to the called party;

    sending a first signaling message over a packet-switched data network to the gateway using the identity of the gateway, the first signaling message including the telephone number of the called party and a telephone number of the calling station;

    receiving the first signaling message at the gateway;

    formulating an SS7 signaling message in response to the first signaling message, the SS7 signaling message including the telephone number of the calling station and the telephone number of the called party;

    sending the SS7 signaling message from the gateway over a connection to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) system;

    receiving at the gateway over the connection to the PSTN system an indication that the called party is at least one of busy or available;

    when the called party is indicated busy, sending a second signaling message from the gateway over the packet-switched data network indicating the called party is busy;

    when the called party is indicated available, sending a third signaling message from the gateway over the packet-switched data network indicating that the called party is available;

    recording billing information associated with the call request.

View all claims
  • 4 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×