Methods and systems for communications processing

• US 8,943,159 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: D'Agruma, Daniel, Phillips, Chris, Burwell, Nicholas, Bland, Loren
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Application Number:
  US14/290,633
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

Communication systems and methods are described. In an illustrative embodiment, embeddable code is provided to a user to embed on a user web page. A communication request is received from a visitor via a user interface displayed on the user web page, the user interface including an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor, and a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor, wherein the user interface is generated at least in part by the code. If the visitor enters a phone address into the address field, a determination is made as to whether the phone address is valid at least partly in response to a first action by the visitor. If the visitor enters text into the text entry field, the text is transmitted to the user at least partly in response to a second action by the visitor.

Claims

1. A method of providing user communications, the method comprising:

creating, by a computing system comprising a computing device and a network interface, a user account at least partly in response to receiving account registration information from a user;

providing an application software program for installation on a mobile computing device associated with the user;

receiving, at the computing system, from a first visitor to a web document of the user, a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed in association with the web document of the user;

at least partly in response to receiving a presence indication at the computing system that the application software program is online, transmitting, by the computing system, to the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, a text message entered by the first visitor into a text entry field, without the first visitor providing, and without revealing to the first visitor, a mobile communication device phone address of the user; and

notifying the user, via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, of the text message transmission.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving at the computing system over a data network a presence indication transmission from the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, the presence indication transmission indicating that the application software program is online.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

enabling at least one visitor to the user web document to leave a voice message for the user via the communication interface; and

providing the user with access to the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

enabling at least one visitor to the user web document to leave a voice message for the user via the communication interface; and

providing the user with access to a textual version of the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising, at least partly in response to a voice message from a second visitor to the web document, providing the user with access to a textual version of the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising enabling the user to search for a contact in a contact data store via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the text message is transmitted over a Short Message Service (SMS) to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising notifying the user, via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, of the text message transmission.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising notifying the user, via an SMS service, of the text message transmission.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the text message is transmitted over the Internet to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the web document is a web page of the user.

12. A system, comprising:

at least one network-based server comprising hardware;

at least one network interface;

a router subsystem, which serves as an interface to the Internet to manage communications between online Internet Protocol client devices and the network-based server; and

non-transitory memory, coupled to the network-based server, that stores instructions that when executed by the network-based server cause, at least in part, the system to perform operations comprising;

creating a user account in response to receiving account registration information from a user;

enabling an application software program on a mobile computing device associated with the user;

receiving from a first visitor to a web page of the user a selection of a communication request control wherein the communication request control is displayed in association with the web page of the user;

enabling a text entry field to be displayed in association with the web page of the user; and

at least partly in response to receiving a presence indication that the application software program on the mobile computing device associated with the user is online, transmitting text entered into the text entry field by the first visitor wherein the text is transmitted to the mobile computing device associated with the user having the application software program installed thereon, without the first visitor providing, and without revealing to the first visitor, a mobile communication device phone address of the user.

13. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising:

receiving over a data network a presence indication transmission from the application software program on the mobile computing device associated with the user, the presence indication transmission indicating that the application software program is online.

14. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising:

enabling a second visitor to the web page of the user to leave a voice message for the user via the selection of the communication request control; and

providing the user with access to the voice message of the second visitor via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

15. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising:

enabling a second visitor to the web page of the user to leave a voice message for the user via the selection of the communication request control; and

providing the user with access to a textual version of the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

16. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising enabling the user to search for a contact in a contact data store via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

17. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the text is transmitted over a Short Message Service (SMS) to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

18. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising notifying the user, via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, of the text message transmission.

19. The system as defined in claim 12, the operations further comprising notifying the user, via an SMS service, of the text message transmission.

20. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the text is transmitted over the Internet to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

21. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the application software program includes a user login interface enabling the user to provide login information to access the user account.

22. A system, comprising:

at least one network-based server comprising hardware;

at least one network interface;

a router subsystem, which serves as an interface to the Internet to manage communications between online Internet Protocol client devices and the network-based server; and

non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one computing device that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to perform operations comprising;

creating a user account at least partly in response to receiving account registration information from a user;

providing an application software program for installation on a mobile computing device associated with the user;

receiving from a first visitor to a web document of the user a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed in association with the web document of the user; and

at least partly in response to receiving a presence indication at the computing system that the application software program is online, transmitting, by the computing system, to the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user a text message entered by the first visitor into a text entry field, without the first visitor providing, and without revealing to the first visitor, a mobile communication device phone address of the user.

23. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising:

receiving at the computing system over a data network a presence indication transmission from the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, the presence indication transmission indicating that the application software program is online.

24. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising:

enabling at least one visitor to the user web document to leave a voice message for the user via the communication interface; and

providing the user with access to the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

25. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising:

enabling at least one visitor to the user web document to leave a voice message for the user via the communication interface; and

providing the user with access to a textual version of the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

26. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein if a voice message from a second visitor is recorded by the computing system, the operations further comprising providing the user with access to a textual version of the voice message via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

27. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising enabling the user to search for a contact in a contact data store via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user.

28. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the text is transmitted over a Short Message Service (SMS) to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

29. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising notifying the user, via the application software program installed on the mobile computing device associated with the user, of the text transmission.

30. The system as defined in claim 22, the operations further comprising notifying the user, via an SMS service, of the text transmission.

31. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the text is transmitted over the Internet to the application software program installed on the mobile communication device of the user.

32. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the web document is a web page of the user.