Methods and systems for providing telecommunications services

• US 8,908,848 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: McClintock, David C., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US14/175,926
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 379/201.01, 379/210.01, 379/216.01, 715/700, 725/37
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The present invention is related to telecommunications. A call processing system receives a first call from a caller intended for a first person. A notification regarding the first call is transmitted over a network to a terminal associated with the first person. A user interface is displayed on the terminal via which the first person can indicate that a callback message is to be transmitted to the caller. The callback message is transmitted to the caller, wherein the callback message includes an identification of the first person, a callback control, and text indicating that the caller is to activate the control to initiate another call to the first person. At least partly in response to the caller activating the control, A second call to be placed via which the first person and caller are connected.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

communicating with a first software program installed on a mobile computing device associated with a user;

communicating with a second software program installed on a computing device associated with a first person;

receiving a first call from the first person to the user wherein the first software program displays via a first user interface a first call event;

originating an instant message or an email message to the first person, wherein the instant message or the email message includes an identification of the user and an associated control which when activated initiates a call session with the user; and

at least partly in response to the first person activating the control, at least partly causing via the first software program and the second software program a call session to be created via which the user and the first person are connected.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, the system further comprising a network interface configured to be coupled to a PSTN and an interface coupled to an Internet Protocol network.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, the system further comprising a network interface configured to communicate using SS7 protocol and an interface configured to communicate using Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) signaling.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first software program and the second software program are the same software program.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device associated with the user is a smart phone.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second software program is a softphone program.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first software program is downloadable over a network to the mobile computing device associated with the user.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising including in the instant message or the email message to the first person a link to a portion of a voice message left by the first person in a voice and/or text format.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising providing a second user interface via the second software program by which the first person can specify a phone address utilized in the call session.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising providing a second user interface via which the first person can specify a phone address utilized in the call session wherein the second user interface is web-based.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

providing a second user interface via the second software program by which the first person can specify a phone address utilized in the call session; and

rejecting the call initiation if the phone address specified by the first person does not match a phone address stored in association with the first person.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising providing a second user interface accessible via a link contained within the instant message or the email message via which the first person can indicate that a future callback message is not to be transmitted to the first person.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the call session is a video call session.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

transmitting the second software program in association with the instant message or with the email message; and

enabling the second software program to be installed on the computing device of the first person in response to a user gesture.

15. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

transmitting the second software program in association with the instant message or with the email message; and

automatically installing the second software program on the computing device of the first person.

16. A method of processing a call session, comprising:

communicating, by at least one system comprising hardware, with a first software program installed on a mobile computing device associated with a user;

communicating, by at least one system comprising hardware, with a second software program installed on a computing device associated with a first person;

receiving, by at least one system comprising hardware, a first call from the first person to the user wherein the first software program displays via a first user interface a first call event;

originating, by at least one system comprising hardware, an instant message or an email message to the first person, wherein the instant message or the email message includes an identification of the user and an associated control which when activated initiates a call session with the user; and

at least partly in response to the first person activating the control, at least partly causing, by at least one system comprising hardware, via the first software program and the second software program a call session to be created via which the user and the first person are connected.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the second software program is a softphone program.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising including in the instant message or the email message to the first person a link to a portion of a voice message left by the first person in a voice and/or text format.

19. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

communicating with a software program installed on a mobile computing device associated with a first person;

receiving a first call from a second person to the first person wherein the software program displays via a first user interface a first call event;

transmitting, over a network, an instant message or an email message to the second person, wherein the instant message or the email message includes an identification of the first person and an associated control which when activated initiates a call session with the first person; and

at least partly in response to the second person activating the control, at least partly causing via the software program a call session to be created via which the first person and second person are connected.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, further comprising a network interface configured to be coupled to a PSTN and an interface coupled to an Internet Protocol network.

21. The system as defined in claim 19, further comprising a network interface configured to communicate using SS7 protocol and an interface configured to communicate using Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) signaling.

22. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the mobile computing device associated with the first person is a smart phone.

23. The system as defined in claim 19, the operations further comprising including in the instant message or the email message to the second person a link to a portion of a voice message left by the second person in a voice and/or text format.

24. The system as defined in claim 19, the operations further comprising providing a second user interface via which the second person can specify a phone address which is utilized in the call session.

25. The system as defined in claim 19, the operations further comprising providing a second user interface accessible via a link contained within the instant message or the email message via which the second person can indicate that a future callback message is not to be transmitted to the second person.

26. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein the call session is a video call session.

27. The system as defined in claim 19, the operations further comprising:

providing a second user interface via which the second person can specify a phone address which is utilized in the call session; and

rejecting the call initiation if the phone address specified by the second person does not match a phone address stored in association with the first person.

28. A method of processing a call session, comprising:

communicating, by at least one system comprising hardware, with a software program hosted on a mobile computing device associated with a first person;

receiving, by at least one system comprising hardware, a first call from a second person to the first person wherein the software program displays via a first user interface a first call event;

transmitting, over a network, by at least one system comprising hardware, an instant message or an email message to the second person, wherein the instant message or the email message includes an identification of the first person and an associated control which when activated initiates a call session with the first person; and

at least partly in response to the second person activating the control, at least partly causing, by at least one system comprising hardware, via the software program a call session to be created via which the first person and second person are connected.

29. The method as defined in claim 28, wherein the mobile computing device associated with the first person is a smart phone.

30. The method as defined in claim 28, the method further comprising including in the instant message or the email message to the second person a link to a portion of a voice message left by the second person in a voice and/or text format.