Method and apparatus for new subscriber access to telephony features

• US 8,571,191 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2010
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage America LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Riley, John, Ma, Kevin, Smires, Daniel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US12/814,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 37920105-20107
• US Class Current: 379/201.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method and apparatus for gaining access to communication services includes receiving an initial inquiry for communication service access, collecting equipment information based upon the initial inquiry, sending a non-voice communication to said equipment and receiving a request from said equipment to obtain communication service access. The apparatus includes a system having one or more controllers for performing communication service access.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to packet-enabled voice communication services comprising:

receiving an initial inquiry for packet-enabled voice communication service access from a mobile device of a user;

collecting equipment information regarding the mobile device responsive to receiving the initial inquiry, wherein the equipment information is collected via an automated feature that detects one or more parameters, without manual user input, pertaining to the mobile device;

sending a non-voice communication to the mobile device where the non-voice communication comprises packet-enabled voice communication connection information generated using the collected equipment information;

receiving a request from the mobile device to provide the packet-enabled voice communication service access, wherein the request is associated with the packet-enabled voice communication connection information sent to the mobile device; and

negotiating a packet-enabled voice communication session across a packet based network for the mobile device using the packet-enabled voice communication service access provided to the mobile device responsive to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial inquiry is made via one of a telephone call, a text message, an email or a voicemail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment information collected comprises at least one of caller identification information, make of the mobile device, model of the mobile device, or a telephony feature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-voice communication is one of a text message, a mobile phone message, an email, or an Internet Protocol (IP) based message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-voice communication comprises a link having a target of at least one location where a downloadable software application is stored.

6. An apparatus for providing access to packet-enabled voice communication services comprising:

a service access terminal for receiving an initial inquiry for packet-enabled voice communication service access from a mobile device of a user and collecting equipment information regarding the mobile device responsive to receiving the initial inquiry, wherein the equipment information is collected via an automated feature that detects one or more parameters, without manual user input, pertaining to the mobile device; and

an access information message generator for sending a non-voice communication to the mobile device where the non-voice communication comprises packet enabled voice communication connection information generated using the collected equipment information, receiving a request from the mobile device to provide the packet-enabled voice communication service access, wherein the request is associated with the packet-enabled voice communication connection information sent to the mobile device, and negotiating a packet-enabled voice communication session across a packet based network for the mobile device using the packet-enabled voice communication service access provided to the mobile device responsive to the request.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the initial inquiry is made via one of a telephone call, a text message, an email or a voicemail.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the equipment information collected comprises at least one of caller identification information, make of the mobile device, model of the mobile device, or a telephony feature.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the non-voice communication is one of a text message, a mobile phone message, an email, or an Internet Protocol (IP) based message.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the non-voice communication comprises a link having a target of at least one location where a downloadable software application is stored.

11. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for gaining access to packet-enabled voice communication services comprising, the method comprising:

receiving an initial inquiry for packet-enabled voice communication service access from a mobile device of a user;

collecting equipment information regarding the mobile device responsive to receiving the initial inquiry, wherein the equipment information is collected via an automated feature that detects one or more parameters, without manual user input, pertaining to the mobile device;

sending a non-voice communication to the mobile device where the non-voice communication comprises packet-enabled voice communication connection information generated using the collected equipment information;

receiving a request from the mobile device to provide the packet-enabled voice communication service access, wherein the request is associated with the packet-enabled voice communication connection information sent to the mobile device; and

negotiating a packet-enabled voice communication session across a packet based network for the mobile device using the packet-enabled voice communication service access provided to the mobile device responsive to the request.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the initial inquiry is made via one of a telephone call, a text message, an email or a voicemail;

and wherein the equipment information collected comprises at least one of caller identification information, make of the mobile device, model of the mobile device, or a telephony feature.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the non-voice communication comprises a link having a target of at least one location where a downloadable software application is stored;

and wherein the non-voice communication is one of a text message, a mobile phone message, an email, or an Internet Protocol (IP) based message.