Virtual telephone extension

• US 9,055,423 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Vincent, Jean, Chan, Tony, Catz, Jean-Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PARTHKUMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/729,869
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/390, 370/401, 370/432, 379/219, 379/221.13, 379/211.02, 455/432.1, 455/406
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for routing communications. A plurality of communication devices are coupled to a communications network. Each communication device has a device identifier. A user-programmable database associates each of a plurality of user identifiers with a device identifier. A call-routing switch arrangement is coupled to the communication network through a portal communication device having a portal identifier. A user designates a destination user identifier when making a communication. The call-routing switches the call, directing the call to a destination device identifier responsive to the user-programmable database association between the destination user identifier and a device identifier. According to certain aspects, communications are directed to users and are routed to associated equipment, a user identifier serving as a virtual extension number. Users remotely program the database to direct their calls to communication devices at various geographic, voice mail and e-mail destinations.

Claims

1. A packet-based communication routing system for routing a call between different PSTNs (public switched telephone networks) for a plurality of user subscribers, the system comprising:

a dynamic assignment circuit configured to assign a device identifier to each of a plurality of destination communication devices, receive user identifiers from the user subscribers, and for each of the user subscribers and in response to respective user identifiers received from the user subscribers, assign at least two of the user identifiers with a device identifier for a destination communication device operated by the user subscriber; and

a call router circuit configured and arranged to, for each call initiated from an origination device to a first one of the at least two user identifiers, and for each call initiated from the origination device to the other one of the at least two user identifiers, associate the call with the device identifier to which the user identifier included in the call is assigned by the dynamic assignment circuit, select the one of the destination communication devices to which the device identifier associated with the call is assigned by the assignment circuit, and route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device through a packet-based network and one of the PSTNs that is different than a PSTN via which the call is initiated, wherein the call is routed through the packet-based network using a protocol in which digitized voice is carried over the Internet and one or more of the user identifiers corresponds to web-based addresses, and wherein the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to reassign a user identifier assigned to a device identifier for a user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to a user logging into a call routing database with the user identifier from the other one of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to dynamically reassign a user identifier assigned to a device identifier for a user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to location-based characteristics of at least one of the user'"'"'s respective destination communication devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to determine a location of a destination communication device for a particular one of the users based upon data received via the user'"'"'s destination communication device, and the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to dynamically reassign a user identifier assigned to a device identifier for the one of the user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to the determined location of the at least one of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to route calls to a mobile destination communications device operating on a mobile telephone PSTN, based upon an association of the routed calls with the mobile destination communications device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic assignment circuit includes a programmable data storage circuit that stores data indicative of the device identifiers assigned to the respective destination communications devices, and that stores data indicative of the user identifiers assigned to each device identifier, and the call router circuit is respectively configured to associate the call with a device identifier by accessing the data storage circuit and using the stored data indicative for use in associating the call with a device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic assignment circuit includes a programmable data storage circuit that stores data indicative of the device identifiers assigned to the respective destination communications devices, and that stores data indicative of the user identifiers assigned to each device identifier, the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to reassign user identifiers with different device identifiers for routing calls for the user identifier to a different destination communication device, the programmable data storage circuit is responsive to the reassignment by storing data indicative of the reassignment of the user identifiers with new device identifiers, and the call router circuit is respectively configured to associate the call with a device identifier by accessing the data storage circuit and using the stored data indicative for use in associating the call with a device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to associate the call with a device identifier to which the user identifier in the call is assigned by associating the call with at least two device identifiers to which the user identifier in the call is assigned, select both of the destination communication devices to which the at least two device identifiers are respectively assigned, simultaneously route the call to both of the destination communication devices, and in response to the routed call being answered at one of the destination communication devices, connecting the call to the one of the destination communication devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to associate the call with a device identifier to which the user identifier in the call is assigned by associating the call with at least two device identifiers to which the user identifier in the call is assigned, select two of the destination communication devices to which the at least two device identifiers are respectively assigned, route the call to a first one of the two destination communication devices, and in response to the routed call not being answered at the first one of the two destination communication devices, route the call to the other one of the two destination communication devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to route received calls including either of at least two user identifiers associated with a device identifier to the destination communication device to which the device identifier is assigned.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to route received calls including either of at least two user identifiers associated with a device identifier to the destination communication device to which the device identifier is assigned, and communicate with the destination communication device to control an audible ring tone used to announce the respective calls at the destination communication device using different ring tones that are specific to the different user identifiers in the received calls.

11. The system of claim 1, further including a local gateway circuit configured to route received calls to a plurality of destination communication devices communicatively coupled to a packet-based network via the local gateway circuit, wherein the call router circuit is configured to route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device over the packet-based network and via the local gateway circuit, in response to the selected destination communication device being one of the plurality of destination communication devices coupled to the packet-based network via the local gateway circuit.

12. The system of claim 1, further including a cellular telephone gateway-switch circuit configured to route received calls to a plurality of cellular telephone-destination communication devices communicatively coupled to the cellular telephone gateway-switch circuit, wherein the call router circuit is configured to route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device via the cellular telephone gateway-switch circuit, in response to the selected destination communication device being one of the plurality of cellular telephone-destination communication devices.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected destination communication device is a packet-based communication device, and the call router circuit is configured to route the call from the origination device to the packet-based communication device using a packet-based network.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user identifiers are associated with a user profile that includes at least two of:

a user name, address, billing information, back-up call routing, voicemail communication device identifier, e-mail account address, greetings, caller ID display data, and a communication device ring pattern.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic assignment circuit is further configured and arranged to associate a plurality of user identifiers with one communication device, in response to a plurality of users logging in from the one communication device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two user identifiers includes a personal user identifier and a business user identifier of the user subscriber that operates the destination communication device having the device identifier assigned to the at least two user identifiers.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the call router circuit is configured to, for a call including one of the at least two user identifiers, authenticate a user answering the call with a password prior to completing routing of the call.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the different PSTNs are connected by a long distance carrier;

the call router circuit is further configured and arranged to, route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device through the packet-based network in response to a calling party selecting a first calling option; and

route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device through the long distance carrier in response to the calling party selecting a second calling option.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user identifiers are geographically non-descriptive;

and call router circuit is further configured and arranged to, in response to a call to one of the user identifiers, assess long-distance fees applicable to the call.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the call router circuit is configured and arranged to assess the long-distance fees in a manner independent of the user identifiers.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the call router circuit is further configured and arranged to, in response to determining long-distance fees are applicable to the call, provide a signal to the originating device to indicate to a calling party that long distance fees may be applied.

22. A packet-based communication routing system for telephony communications over different PSTNs for a plurality of user subscribers, the system comprising:

a plurality of user-configurable destination communication devices configured to initiate and receive telephone calls and having a user-interface for receiving user inputs provided at the destination communication device for setting call routing options;

a dynamic assignment circuit configured to assign a device identifier to each of a plurality of destination communication devices, receive the call routing options, set by the user inputs, from the plurality of user-configurable destination communication devices over a packet-based network, and for each of the users, assign at least two user identifiers with a device identifier for a destination communication device operated by the user, based upon the received call routing options set by the user inputs; and

a call router circuit configured to, a call router circuit configured to, for each call initiated from an origination device and including a first one of the at least two user identifiers, and for each call initiated from the origination device and including the other one of the at least two user identifiers, associate the call with a device identifier to which the user identifier in the call is assigned by the dynamic assignment circuit, select the one of the destination communication devices to which the device identifier associated with the call is assigned by the assignment circuit, and route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device using one of the PSTNs that is different than a PSTN via which the call is received, wherein the call is routed through the packet-based network using a protocol in which digitized voice is carried over the Internet and one or more of the user identifiers corresponds to web-based addresses, and wherein the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to reassign a user identifier assigned to a device identifier for a user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to a user logging into a call routing database with the user identifier from the other one of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices.

23. A method for routing a call between different PSTNs for a plurality of user subscribers, the method comprising:

in a dynamic assignment circuit,

assigning a device identifier to each of a plurality of destination communication devices,

receiving user identifiers from the user subscribers, and

for each of the user subscribers and in response to respective user identifiers received from the user subscribers, assigning at least two user identifiers with a device identifier for a destination communication device operated by the user subscriber; and

in a call router circuit, for each call received from an origination device and including a first one of the at least two user identifiers, and for each call initiated from the origination device and including the other one of the at least two user identifiers

associating the call with a device identifier to which the user identifier in the call is assigned by the dynamic assignment circuit,

selecting the one of the destination communication devices to which the device identifier associated with the call is assigned by the assignment circuit, and

routing the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device using one of the PSTNs that is different than a PSTN via which the call is received, wherein the call is routed through a packet-based network using a protocol in which digitized voice is carried over the Internet and one or more of the user identifiers corresponds to web-based addresses, and wherein the dynamic assignment circuit is configured to reassign a user identifier assigned to a device identifier for a user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to a user logging into a call routing database with the user identifier from the other one of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices.

24. The method of claim 23, further including a step of dynamically reassigning a user identifier, in the dynamic assignment circuit, assigned to a device identifier for a user'"'"'s destination communication device, to a different device identifier for another of the user'"'"'s destination communication devices, in response to location-based characteristics of at least one of the user'"'"'s respective destination communication devices.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of assigning the at least two user identifiers with the device identifier for the destination communication device operated by the user includes logging in by the user through the communication device to establish an association between the user identifiers and the device identifier.

26. The, A packet-based communication routing system for routing a call between different PSTNs (public switched telephone networks) for a plurality of user subscribers, the system comprising:

a dynamic assignment circuit configured to assign a device identifier to each of a plurality of destination communication devices, receive user identifiers from the user subscribers, and for each of the user subscribers and in response to respective user identifiers received from the user subscribers, assign at least two of the user identifiers with a device identifier for a destination communication device operated by the user subscriber; and

a call router circuit configured and arranged to, for each call initiated from an origination device to a first one of the at least two user identifiers, and for each call initiated from the origination device to the other one of the at least two user identifiers, associate the call with the device identifier to which the user identifier included in the call is assigned by the dynamic assignment circuit, select the one of the destination communication devices to which the device identifier associated with the call is assigned by the assignment circuit, and route the call from the origination device to the selected destination communication device through a packet-based network and one of the PSTNs that is different than a PSTN via which the call is initiated, wherein the call router circuit is configured to, for a call including one of the at least two user identifiers, authenticate a user answering the call with a password prior to completing routing of the call, and wherein the call router circuit is configured to, in response to an incorrect password, associate the call with a second device identifier to which the one of the at least two user identifiers is assigned, select a second one of the plurality of destination communication devices to which the second device identifier is assigned, and route the call from the origination device to the second one of the plurality of communication devices.