Systems and methods of providing communications services

• US 9,854,102 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage America LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage America Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Ma, Ka-Yui Kevin, Erickson, John, Cannon, Eugene Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansari, Najeebuddin
• Application Number:
  US14/447,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20140341364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/16 Arrangements for providing special services to substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

An IP telephony system allows a user to register a telephony device that receives its native telephony service from a different telephony service provider as an extension telephone. The user can then place calls through the IP telephony system using the extension telephone. Such calls may or may not be established using the extension telephone'"'"'s native telephony service provider.

Claims

1. A method of providing communications services, comprising:

receiving, at a first telephony services provider, a request for communications services from a first telephony device that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony services provider, wherein the request includes caller ID information that identifies a telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device, wherein the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device is controlled by the second telephony services provider, wherein the first telephony services provider is an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system, wherein the second telephony services provider is a cellular telephony system, and wherein receiving a request for communications services from a first telephony device comprises the IP telephony system receiving a communication from a software application on the telephony device via a data network;

determining whether the first telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services based on at least the caller ID information identifying the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device that is included in the received request; and

providing the requested communications services if the first telephony device is determined to be entitled to receive the requested communications services, wherein providing the communications services comprises sending a communication to a second telephony device, the communication including caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the determining step comprises determining if the first telephony device is associated with a valid account of the first telephony services provider based on the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the first telephony services provider, a second request for communications services from a third telephony device that receives its native telephony service from the second telephony services provider, wherein the request includes caller ID information that identifies a telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device;

determining whether the third telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services based on at least the caller ID information identifying the telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device that is included in the received request, wherein determining whether the third telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services comprises determining that the third telephony device is associated with the same account of the first telephony services provider as the first telephony device; and

providing the requested communications services if the third telephony device is determined to be entitled to receive the requested communications services, wherein providing the communications services comprises sending a communication to a fourth telephony device, the communication including caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request for communications services comprises receiving an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device comprises receiving caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the requested communications services comprises sending an SMS or MMS message to the second telephony device, the SMS or MMS message indicating that it originated from the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the requested communications services comprises determining a telephone number of the second telephony device based on the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device, and based on a telephone number to which the request for communications services was directed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is one that was provided by the IP telephony system.

8. A system for providing communications services, comprising:

an extension connection unit that is part of a first telephony services provider and that receives a request for communications services from a first telephony device that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony services provider, wherein the request includes caller ID information that identifies a telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device, wherein the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device is controlled by the second telephony services provider, wherein the first telephony services provider is an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system, wherein the second telephony services provider is a cellular telephony system, and wherein the extension connection unit receives the request for communications services from a software application on the telephony device via a data network;

an authorization unit that is also part of the first telephony services provider and that determines whether the first telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services based on at least the caller ID information identifying the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device that is included in the received request;

wherein the extension connection unit provides the requested communications services if the first telephony device is determined to be entitled to receive the requested communications services, wherein providing the communications services comprises sending a communication to a second telephony device, the communication including caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the software application is one that was provided by the IP telephony system.

11. The system of claim 8, where the authorization unit determines if the first telephony device is associated with a valid account of the first telephony services provider based on the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the extension connection unit also receives a second request for communications services from a third telephony device that receives its native telephony service from the second telephony services provider, wherein the request includes caller ID information that identifies a telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device;

the authorization unit determines whether the third telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services based on at least the caller ID information identifying the telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device that is included in the received request, wherein the authorization unit determines that the third telephony device is associated with the same account of the first telephony services provider as the first telephony device; and

the extension connection unit provides the requested communications services if the third telephony device is determined to be entitled to receive the requested communications services, wherein providing the communications services comprises sending a communication to a fourth telephony device, the communication including caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the third telephony device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the extension connection unit receives a request for communications services by receiving an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein when the extension connection unit receives an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device, the extension connection unit receives caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the extension connection unit sends an SMS or MMS message to the second telephony device, the SMS or MMS message indicating that it originated from the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the extension connection unit determines a telephone number of the second telephony device based on the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device, and based on a telephone number to which the request for communications services was directed.

9. A system for providing communications services, comprising:

means for receiving, at a first telephony services provider, a request for communications services from a first telephony device that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony services provider, wherein the request includes caller ID information that identifies a telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device, wherein the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device is controlled by the second telephony services provider, wherein the first telephony services provider is an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system, wherein the second telephony services provider is a cellular telephony system, and wherein receiving a request for communications services from a first telephony device comprises the IP telephony system receiving a communication from a software application on the telephony device via a data network;

means for determining whether the first telephony device is entitled to receive the requested communications services based on at least the caller ID information identifying the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device that is included in the received request; and

means for providing the requested communications services if the first telephony device is determined to be entitled to receive the requested communications services, wherein the means for providing the communications services sends a communication to a second telephony device, the communication including caller ID information that includes the telephone number assigned to or associated with the first telephony device.