Enabling quality voice communications from web page call control

• US 8,130,750 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rex Hester
• Inventors: Hester, Rex
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US11/196,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20050265322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A system and method of bypassing the regulated portion of the Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) to establish carrier-grade voice transmissions and/or IP data communications between an Internet Calling Person having a first telephone and a first PC coupled to a first Local Service Access Provider (LSAP) and an Internet Called Party having a second telephone and a second PC coupled to a second different Local Service Access Provider (LSAP).

Claims

1. A method for enabling voice communication between parties, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a request to activate a voice communication connection between a first party having a first customer premise equipment and a second party having a second customer premise equipment, wherein the request to activate is in response to the first party selecting an object, and wherein the object is based on information from an internet browsed by the first party; and

activating the voice communication connection in response to the request to activate, wherein the voice communication between the first and second parties is carried over a managed VoIP connection, wherein the managed VoIP connection provides Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) voice quality, wherein the managed VoIP connection is separate and distinct from the internet browsed by the first party, wherein activating includes requesting establishment of the voice communication connection, and wherein the managed VoIP connection is automatically activated in response to the selecting of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is located on a web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is from an email message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second party is an advertiser, and wherein the object is associated with the advertiser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object includes a name, number, symbol or button.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the voice communication connection comprises forwarding information required to establish the voice communication connection to a call control server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein activating the voice communication connection further comprises requesting a managed VoIP connection.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein forwarding information required to establish the voice communication connection comprises forwarding at least one IP address.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein forwarding information required to establish the voice communication connection comprises forwarding a calling number associated with the first party and a called number associated with the second party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the entire voice communication between the first party and the second party is a managed VoIP connection.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the first party selection.

12. The method of claim 11, where receiving the request to activate the voice communication connection is received over a network connection.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information associated with the first party.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the received information associated with the first party includes first party profile information.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding information associated with the first party.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the forwarded information associated with the first party includes first party profile information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the forwarding information associated with the first party includes forwarding the information to the second party.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the second party based on information associated with the first party.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the first party includes information retrieved from storage.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically navigating an auto-attendant directory associated with the second party.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first party is held in queue.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first party is held in queue until the second party is available.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein an availability status of the second party is determined, and wherein the availability status of the second party is sent to the first party.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the amount of time the first party will be held in queue is estimated, and where the estimated time is sent to the first party.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the amount of time the first party will be held in queue is determined by the first party.

26. A method for enabling voice communication between a first party and a second party, the voice communication being carried over a managed VoIP connection that provides Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) voice quality, in response to the first party selecting an object that is based on information from an internet browsed by the first party, wherein the managed VoIP connection is separate and distinct from the internet browsed by the first party, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server on the internet, a request to activate a voice communication connection between the first party and the second party, wherein the request to activate was sent in response to the selecting of the object; and

activating the voice communication connection in response to the request to activate, wherein activating includes requesting establishment of the voice communication connection, and wherein the voice communication connection includes the managed VoIP connection that provides Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) voice quality and is separate and distinct from the internet.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first party has a telephone and a computer, wherein the first party selecting the object includes the first party selecting the object using the computer, and wherein the voice communication connection is established to the telephone without connecting to the computer.

28. A method for enabling voice communication between a first party and a second party in response to the first party selecting an object that is based on information from an internet, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server on the internet, an internet-object-selection initiated request to activate a voice communication connection between the first party and the second party; and

activating the voice communication connection in response to the request to activate, wherein activating includes requesting establishment of the voice communication connection, and wherein the voice communication connection includes a managed VoIP connection that provides Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) voice quality and is separate and distinct from the interne from which the internet-object-selection initiated request to activate was received.