Hyperlink-based softphone call and management

• US 7,817,792 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, Lon-Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane; William J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khai N
• Application Number:
  US11/533,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/88.01, 379/144.02, 455/411, 455/517, 455/518
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A hyperlink is added to user interface code to provide a user with an easy way to access various functions of a communication application. The hyperlink can provide target telephone numbers in different formats, specify a web page to be displayed during a call, specify rules to be used to identify a telephone number from a set of telephone numbers, and include commands to manage the communication application.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for communicating, comprising:

receiving a selection of a hyperlink in a first interface associated with a device, said hyperlink is in a first web page, said device is coupled to a network;

receiving said hyperlink at a parser in a voice communication application on said device;

parsing said hyperlink by said parser;

providing a first set of information in said hyperlink from said parser to a redirector in said voice communication application;

providing a second set of information in said hyperlink from said parser to a voice engine for establishing said voice connection;

establishing a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection between said device and a target node based on second information in said hyperlink, said establishing is performed automatically by said voice communication application in response to said selection of said hyperlink;

redirecting said interface to a second web page over said network based on said first information in said hyperlink, said redirecting is performed automatically by said voice communication application in response to said selection of said hyperlink, said first information in said hyperlink identifies said second web page;

communicating, by said device, voice data over said VOIP connection; and

presenting said second web page on said device while said device communicates voice data over said VOIP connection.

2. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said hyperlink identifies a destination for said voice over Internet Protocol connection.

3. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein:

said hyperlink includes a rule; and

said step of establishing a voice connection includes choosing a communication target based on evaluating said rule and establishing voice communication between said device and said target.

4. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein:

said hyperlink includes a command;

said method further includes executing said command using said voice communication application; and

said step of establishing said voice connection is performed by said voice communication application.

5. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein:

said selection of said hyperlink is received by a network browser that is running on said device.

6. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein:

said selection of said hyperlink is received by an application other than a network browser.

7. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, wherein:

said hyperlink includes a designation of a source context where said hyperlink is executed; and

said method further includes storing said designation in a business intelligence data store in response to receiving said selection of said hyperlink.

8. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a protocol handler associated with said hyperlink based on header information in said link;

passing said hyperlink to said protocol handler; and

using said protocol handler to activate said voice communication application, said voice communication application performs said establishing said voice connection.

9. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

redirecting to a different domain using a cross-domain credential to avoid having a user sign-in an additional time, said redirecting is based on said first set of information.

10. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

issuing an API command from an application to a shell for an operating system in response to said receiving said selection of said hyperlink in said first interface, said first interface is part of said application;

identifying a protocol handler associated with said hyperlink using said shell;

launching said protocol handler; and

using said protocol handler to activate said voice communication application, said voice communication application performs said establishing said voice connection.

11. A machine implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

issuing an API command from an application on said device to a shell for an operating system on said device in response to said receiving said selection of said hyperlink in said first interface, said first interface is part of said application;

sending a request from said shell to a browser on said device asking said browser to identify a protocol handler associated with said hyperlink;

identifying a protocol handler using said browser;

launching said protocol handler; and

using said protocol handler to activate said voice communication application on said device, said voice communication application performs said establishing said voice connection.

19. A machine implemented method according to claim 3, wherein said rule includes an ordered list of communication targets, said step of establishing a voice connection includes attempting to establish communication with the communication targets on the ordered list based on the order on the list.

20. A machine implemented method according to claim 9, wherein said redirecting to a different domain using a cross-domain credential includes sending a request to a cross domain authentication server based on said first set of information.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a storage device, said storage device stores code;

a display;

a voice communication interface; and

one or more processors in communication with said storage device, said display, and said voice communication interface;

said code which when executed on said one or more processors causes said computing device to receive a selection of a hyperlink in said display, said code causes said computing device to access a rule included in said hyperlink, said rule identifies one or more conditions and a plurality of ordered lists of voice communication targets, said code causes said computing device to access data for evaluating the one or more conditions, said code causes said computing device to evaluate the one or more conditions based on the data, said code causes said computing device to select one of the ordered lists based on evaluating the one or more conditions, said code causes said computing device to attempt to establish voice communication with the targets in the order in the selected list, said code causes said computing device to receive voice data from a first of the voice communication targets for which said voice communication was established, said code causes said computing device to present said voice data in said voice communication interface.

13. A computing device according to claim 12, wherein:

a first of the conditions is based on a first time period and a second of the conditions is based on a second time period;

said first time period is associated with a first telephone number; and

said second time period is associated with a second telephone number.

14. A computing device according to claim 12, wherein:

said rule includes a designation of an address book entry, said address book entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers, said code causes said computing device to attempt to establish voice communication with the targets by selecting from among the plurality of telephone numbers based on evaluating said one or more conditions.

15. One or more processor readable storage devices having code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said code for programming said one or more processors to implement:

a voice communication application that comprises a parser, a hyperlink redirector, an authentication manager, and a voice engine;

said authentication manager receives a hyperlink that was selected in an interface of a device and verifies that a user is authenticated;

said parser receives said hyperlink and parses said selected hyperlink into a plurality of components based on a syntax of said selected hyperlink, said syntax allows said selected hyperlink to specify information for establishing a voice call and to specify a plurality of types of commands, said plurality of types of commands include a first type of command for establishing a voice communication and a second type of command for performing an action other than establishing a voice communication;

said parser extracts from said selected hyperlink, based on said syntax, information for establishing a voice call and said first type of command, said information include a target and passes said extracted information to said voice engine if said hyperlink includes said first type of command, said voice engine uses said extracted information to establish said voice call between said device and said target;

said parser extracts said second type of command from said selected hyperlink based on said syntax, said parser passes said second type of command to said hyperlink redirector, said hyperlink redirector redirects said interface to a web site based on said second type of command, said hyperlink redirector redirects said interface to a web site associated with said voice call while said voice call is established if said second type of command is to make a voice call, said hyperlink redirector redirects said interface to an online account management web site if said second type of command is to access an account, said device sends a request to a cross domain authentication server such that the user does not need to authenticate a second time if said second type of command is to access said account.

16. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said parser extracts a rule from said selected hyperlink and passes said extracted rule to said voice engine, said voice engine selects a telephone number based on said extracted rule and establishes said voice call to said selected telephone number.

17. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein said second type of command allows an action that includes accessing said online account management web site to allow one or more of:

viewing a balance for said account, adding to said balance for said account, viewing a billing history for said account, and viewing a calling history for said account.

18. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein the voice communication application further comprises an address book, said information for establishing a voice call includes one or more rules and one or more parameters, said voice engine resolves said one or more rules and said one or more parameters using said address book in order to establish said voice call.