System and method for monitoring and handling telecommunication activity via a computer network
First Claim
1. A method for handling calls placed to a subscriber line, comprising:
- retrieving, by a device, a network address that is associated with the subscriber line, wherein the subscriber line is associated with a plurality of directory numbers;
detecting, by the device, a telephone call to one of the plurality of directory numbers;
in response to the detecting the telephone call, sending, by the device, an event descriptor to the network address;
receiving, by the device, an instruction indicating a call-handling option selected by a user from a plurality of call-handling options; and
handling, by the device, the telephone call according to the call-handling option selected by the user;
wherein the network address comprises an internet protocol address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A configurable PSTN call-handling (CPC) service enables monitoring and custom responses to calls received over multiple subscriber lines. A CPC Client Program runs on a computer and presents a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the user to associate call-handling options with call characteristics. The GUI also allows the user to customize the notification signals provided and to provide custom responses to certain callers, by associating call characteristics with various GUI appearances, sound files, or images. The CPC relieves the communications network of performing certain call-handling functions, such as call forwarding, by moving decision-making processes to the user'"'"'s PC. The user can remotely monitor any subscriber line associated with the user from any browser, because the communications network sends notifications directly to an IP address specified by the user. The IP address associated with a computer connected to the subscriber line need not be the IP address specified by the user.
31 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for handling calls placed to a subscriber line, comprising:
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retrieving, by a device, a network address that is associated with the subscriber line, wherein the subscriber line is associated with a plurality of directory numbers; detecting, by the device, a telephone call to one of the plurality of directory numbers; in response to the detecting the telephone call, sending, by the device, an event descriptor to the network address; receiving, by the device, an instruction indicating a call-handling option selected by a user from a plurality of call-handling options; and handling, by the device, the telephone call according to the call-handling option selected by the user; wherein the network address comprises an internet protocol address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A tangible computer-readable medium storing executable instructions which, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform operations, the operations comprising:
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sending a network address associated with a subscriber line to be registered; providing a user of the subscriber line with a graphical user interface that includes a plurality of call-handling options; receiving an input from the user comprising a plurality of directory numbers associated with the subscriber line to be monitored; prompting the user to pre-select a call-handling option of the plurality of call-handling options to be transmitted upon receiving a notification of an incoming call to a directory number of the plurality of directory numbers that has a particular characteristic; receiving from a telephone network at the network address the notification of the incoming call to the directory number that has the particular characteristic; and transmitting to the telephone network the call-handling option pre-selected by the user; wherein the network address comprises an internet protocol address. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for handling calls placed to a subscriber line, comprising:
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a device for; retrieving a network address that is associated with the subscriber line, wherein the subscriber line is associated with a plurality of directory numbers; detecting a telephone call to one of the plurality of directory numbers; sending an event descriptor to the network address in response to detecting the telephone call; receiving an instruction indicating a call-handling option selected by a user from a plurality of call-handling options; and handling the telephone call according to the call-handling option selected by the user; wherein the network address comprises an internet protocol address. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification