Method and apparatus for establishing communications with a remote node on a switched network based on hypertext calling received from a packet network

• US 9,203,971 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Focal IP, LLC
• Inventors: Wilson, Michael Anthony, Narain, Alfredo Jos, German, Angel
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US13/154,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/352, 370/356, 370/401, 379/88.17, 379/93.07, 379/93.24, 379/201.01, 379/207.02, 709/203, 709/218, 709/227, 709/249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and a methodology enabling a first provider party to provide to a second recipient party software and services to enable the recipient party to embed in an Internet e-mail of the recipient party directed to an addressee, an HTML hyperlink file which includes a telecommunication initiating trigger, sending the e-mail to the addressee via the Internet, the addressee upon receiving the e-mail actuating the hyperlink via its trigger and, responsive to the trigger actuation, connecting the addressee via the Internet to a web page located on an Internet server, wherein the web page includes a request for a telephone number of the addressee. The addressee entering its telephone number information at the server, which information is communicated to a database associated with the server, the server communicating with the database and with a telephony switch, including sending to the switch instructions which result in the switch originating and managing a public switched telephone network (PSTN) communication between the recipient party and the addressee.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

operations performed by a service provider operating a computer server for establishing a connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, wherein the operations comprise;

providing software and related services to implement a push-to-talk initiating trigger button, by the service provider, to a computing device of the first entity;

maintaining a web page including a request to enter a telephone number;

connecting the web page via the Internet to a computing device of the second entity as a result of activation of the push-to-talk initiating trigger button embedded in a hypertext markup language (HTML) file received from the first entity by the computing device of the second entity;

receiving, through the web page, a telephone number of the second entity; and

connecting the first entity and the second entity in response to receiving the telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the first entity and the second entity comprises:

establishing a first connection between a telephone switch and the first entity;

establishing a second connection between the telephone switch and the telephone number of the second entity; and

bridging the first connection and the second connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the push-to-talk initiating trigger button includes a HTML link.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an instruction to the first entity to embed the HTML file in an e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the first entity and the second entity comprises:

transmitting a signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone switch, wherein the telephone switch is coupled with the computer server of the service provider.

6. A system for a service provider to establish a connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, the system comprising:

a computer server of the service provider programmed to, following activation by the second entity of a push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button embedded in a hypertext markup language (HTML) file received from the first entity, wherein software and related services were previously provided by the service provider to the first entity for implementing the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button, receive through a web page that a) includes a request to enter a telephone number and b) is connected via the Internet to a computing device of the second entity, a telephone number of the second entity and in response connect the first entity and the second entity.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer server is programmed to connect the first entity and the second entity by establishing a first connection between a telephone switch and the first entity, establishing a second connection between a telephone switch and the telephone number of the second entity, and bridging the first connection and the second connection.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button includes a HTML link.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer server is further programmed to provide an instruction to the first entity to embed the HTML file in an e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer server is programmed to connect the first entity and the second entity by transmitting a signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone switch.

11. A method comprising:

operations performed by a service provider for establishing a voice connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, where the voice connection is established after the second entity activates a push to talk telecommunication initiating trigger button that is embedded in a hypertext markup language (HTML) file, wherein the operations comprise;

maintaining a web page on a web server, the web page including a request to enter a telephone number;

generating, by the service provider, software and related services to implement a push-to-talk initiating trigger button, the software and related services configured to establish a connection to the web page on the web server in response to activation of the push-to-talk initiating trigger button, the push-to-talk initiating trigger button capable of being embedded in the HTML file;

providing the software and related services to the first entity;

receiving, by a computer server of the service provider, a telephone number of the second entity, the telephone number being received through the web page; and

signaling, by the computer server of the service provider, the voice connection to be established automatically between the first entity and the telephone number of the second entity in response to receiving the telephone number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein signaling the voice connection to be established comprises:

instructing a telephone switch to establish a first voice connection with the first entity; and

instructing a telephone switch to establish a second voice connection with the telephone number of the second entity,

wherein the first voice connection and the second voice connection are then bridged for communication between the first entity and the second entity.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button includes a HTML link.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing an instruction to the first entity to embed the HTML file in an e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein signaling the voice connection to be established comprises:

signaling a telephone switch to transmit a signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein the telephone switch is coupled with the computer server of the service provider.

16. A system for a service provider to establish a voice connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, wherein the voice connection is established after the second entity activates a push to talk telecommunication initiating trigger button that is embedded in a hypertext markup language (HTML) file, the system comprising:

a computer server of the service provider programmed to a) establish, in response to activation of a push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button embedded in the HTML file received from the first entity, wherein software and related services were previously provided by the service provider to the first entity for implementing the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button and the HTML file is capable of being embedded in an e-mail message, a connection to a web page that includes a request to enter a telephone number, and b) receive, through the webpage, a telephone number of the second entity and, in response to receipt of the telephone number of the second entity, signal the voice connection to be established automatically between the first entity and the telephone number of the second entity.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer server is programmed to signal the voice connection to be established by instructing a telephony switch to establish a first voice connection with the first entity, and a second voice connection with the telephone number of the second entity, wherein the first voice connection and the second voice connection are to be bridged for communication between the first entity and the second entity.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button includes a HTML link.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer server is further programmed to provide an instruction to the first entity to embed the HTML file in the e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer server is programmed to signal the voice connection to be established by signaling a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone switch.

21. A method, comprising:

operations performed by a service provider operating a computer server for establishing a connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, wherein the operations comprise;

providing software and related services to implement a push-to-talk initiating trigger button, by the service provider, to a computing device of the first entity;

maintaining a web page including a request to enter a telephone number;

connecting the web page via the Internet to a computing device of the second entity as a result of activation of the push-to-talk initiating trigger button embedded in a e-mail message received from the first entity by the second entity;

receiving, through the web page, a telephone number of the second entity; and

connecting the first entity and the second entity in response to receiving the telephone number.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein connecting the first entity and the second entity comprises:

establishing a first connection between a telephone switch and the first entity;

establishing a second connection between a telephone switch and the telephone number of the second entity; and

bridging the first connection and the second connection.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the push-to-talk initiating trigger button includes a hypertext markup language (HTML) link.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing an instruction to the first entity to embed the push-to-talk initiating trigger button in the e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein connecting the first entity and the second entity comprises:

transmitting a signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone switch, wherein the telephone switch is coupled with the computer server of the service provider.

26. A system for a service provider to establish a connection between a first entity other than the service provider and a second entity other than the service provider, the system comprising:

a computer server of the service provider programmed to, following activation by the second entity of a push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button embedded in a e-mail message received from the first entity, wherein software and related services were previously provided by the service provider to the first entity for implementing the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button, receive through a web page that a) includes a request to enter a telephone number and b) is connected via the Internet to a computing device of the second entity, a telephone number of the second entity and in response connect the first entity and the second entity.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer system is programmed to connect the first entity and the second entity by establishing a first connection between a telephone switch and the first entity, establishing a second connection between a telephone switch and the telephone number of the second entity, and bridging the first connection and the second connection.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button includes a hypertext markup language (HTML) link.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer server is further programmed to provide an instruction to the first entity to embed the push-to-talk telecommunication initiating trigger button in the e-mail message and transmit the e-mail message to the second entity.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer server is programmed to connect the first entity and the second entity by transmitting a signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone switch.