Enhanced voice calling using smart phone services

• US 8,737,973 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2013
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Petrunka, Robert W.
• Original Assignee: Petrunka, Robert W.
• Inventors: Petrunka, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US13/947,402
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/428, 455/406, 379/114.24, 379/220.01, 379/221.13
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing voice telephone communications from a smart phone. The method is implemented on an app for a smart phone. Steps include capturing digits dialed on the smart phone; establishing a data connection with a database external to the smart phone; transmitting to the database the digits dialed on the smart phone; a telephone number for calling the smart phone; and any multimedia capabilities of the smart phone. Additional steps include receiving at the smart phone: a second telephone number sent from the database and any multimedia information accessible to the smart phone; displaying the multimedia information on the display screen when such multimedia information is displayable; and using the second telephone number received from the database to cause the smart phone to establish a voice connection through the public switched telephone network as if the second telephone number had been dialed by the user.

Claims

1. A method of automatically dialing a non-toll free number when a toll free number is dialed on a smart phone, the smart phone comprising a display screen and nontransitory memory storing computer readable program code adapted to be executed on the smart phone to implement steps enhancing voice telephone services to a user dialing a telephone number, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing digits dialed on the smart phone, the digits consisting of ten digits of a toll free telephone number of a business;

establishing a data connection with a database external to the smart phone and accessible to the smart phone using network access, said data connection based upon the digits dialed on the smart phone;

transmitting to the database from the smart phone;

the digits dialed on the smart phone; and

a telephone number for calling the smart phone;

receiving at the smart phone a second telephone number sent from the database, said second telephone number derived from the digits dialed on the smart phone;

using the second telephone number received from the database to cause without user action the smart phone to establish a voice connection through the public switched telephone network as if the second telephone number had been dialed by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data connection based upon the digits dialed on the smart phone is defined by the data connection made only when predetermined digits are dialed by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined digits is alterable by the user or other person having access to the smart phone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of manually activating the computer readable program code prior to capturing digits dialed on the smart phone.

5. A computer program product for use on a smart phone, the smart phone comprising a display screen, the computer program product comprising an application embodied in nontransitory memory usable by the smart phone, the application comprising computer readable program code adapted to be executed on the smart phone to implement a method supplementing voice telephone services to automatically dial a non-toll free number when a toll free number is dialed, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing digits dialed on the smart phone, the digits consisting of ten digits of a toll free telephone number of a business;

establishing a data connection with a database on a computer and accessible to the smart phone using network access, said data connection based upon the digits dialed on the smart phone;

transmitting to the database from the smart phone;

the digits dialed on the smart phone;

a telephone number for calling the smart phone; and

any multimedia capabilities of the smart phone, said multimedia capabilities comprising;

a codec supported by the smart phone, a data address associated with the smart phone, and data necessary to enable provision of multimedia service via the smart phone;

receiving via network access, at the smart phone, data from the database, the data comprising;

a second telephone number derived from the digits dialed on the smart phone; and

any multimedia information accessible on the smart phone;

displaying any multimedia information that is displayable on the display screen; and

using the second telephone number received from the database to cause without user action the smart phone to establish a voice connection through a public switched telephone network as if the second telephone number had been dialed on the smart phone.

6. A call servicing system supporting a smart phone automatically dialing a non-toll free number when a toll free number is dialed on the smart phone, the call servicing system comprising:

a computer connected to a network,

nontransitory computer readable medium in the computer;

a database stored on the nontransitory computer readable medium, the database accessible to the computer, the database comprising;

a non-toll-free telephone number associated with a toll-free telephone number, the toll-free number consisting of ten digits of a toll free telephone number of a business; and

any multimedia information displayable on a smart phone, said multimedia information associated with the toll-free telephone number;

a computer readable program code embodied in the nontransitory computer readable medium, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed on the computer to implement a method for sending data to the smart phone, said method comprising the steps of;

receiving from the smart phone via the data connection through the network the toll-free number;

using the toll-free number to identify;

the non-toll-free number associated with the toll-free number; and

any multimedia information associated with the toll-free telephone number; and

sending the non-toll-free number and any such any multimedia information to the smart phone over the network so that the smart phone can contact without user action a destination of the non-toll-free number.

7. The call servicing system of claim 6, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the step of enabling an owner of the non-toll-free telephone number to alter the database with respect to:

the toll-free number;

the non-toll-free telephone number; and

any multimedia information associated with the toll-free telephone number.

8. The call servicing system of claim 6, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the step of enabling the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number to contact the smart phone through any mutually accessible data network.

9. The call servicing system of claim 6, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the steps of:

transmitting to the smart phone a first data address for the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number; and

transmitting to the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number a second data address associated with the smart phone, so as to enable direct data transfer between the smart phone and the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number.

10. The call servicing system of claim 6, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the steps of:

accessing a second database at the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number;

retrieving data from the second database; and

sending the data retrieved to the smart phone.

11. The call servicing system of claim 10, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the steps of:

receiving from the smart phone a selection made based on the data retrieved from the second database; and

taking action based on the selection.

12. The call servicing system of claim 6, wherein the method implemented by the computer readable program code further comprises the steps of:

collecting billing information, said billing information comprising the telephone number for calling the smart phone;

a duration of the call; and

a record of any multimedia information provided; and

providing the billing information to a billing address for the destination of the non-toll-free telephone number.