Methods and systems for providing communications services

• US 9,860,385 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• 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:
  US15/445,106
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

a network interface coupled to said at least one computing device;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the system to;

enable, using the network interface, communications over a network with a first instance of a software application installed on a first computing device of a user and with a second instance of the software application installed on a second computing device of the user;

detect an online presence of the first computing device of the user;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the first computing device of the user,

enable information associated with a first call from a caller to be displayed by a user interface of the first instance of the software application installed on the first computing device of the user;

enable the user to originate a text reply to the caller via a first control and to originate a callback to the caller via a second control,

wherein the first control and the second control are provided in association with the display, by the user interface of the first instance of the software application installed on the first computing device, of information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user;

detect an online presence of the second computing device of the user;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the second computing device of the user,

enable information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user to be displayed by a user interface of the second instance of the software application installed on the second computing device;

enable the user to originate a text reply to the caller via a third control and originate a callback to the caller via a fourth control,

wherein the third control and the fourth control are provided in association with the display, by the user interface of the second instance of the software application installed on the second computing device, of information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first computing device of the user comprises a smart phone.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second computing device of the user comprises a personal computing device.

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

provide a link to a voice message left by the caller in association with the display, by the user interface of the first instance of the software application installed on the first computing device, of information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call directed to the user comprises a call placed to a phone address associated with the first computing device or the second computing device of the user.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to detect the online presence of the first computing device of the user using a communication received from the first instance of the software application on the first computing device.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the text reply to the caller comprises an SMS or MMS text reply.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to store in system memory the detected online presence of the first computing device of the user and the detected online presence of the second computing device of the user.

9. A system, comprising:

a computing device comprising hardware;

a network interface;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the computing device, cause the system to;

enable, using the network interface, communications over a network with a software application installed on a first computing device of a user and with a software application installed on a second computing device of the user;

detect an online presence of the first computing device of the user;

detect an online presence of the second computing device of the user;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the first computing device of the user,

enable information associated with a first call from a caller directed to the user to be displayed via a user interface of the software application installed on the first computing device;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the second computing device of the user,

enable information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user to be displayed via a user interface of the software application installed on the second computing device;

enable the user to originate, via a control, a text reply to the caller,

wherein the control is provided in association with the display of information, associated with the first call directed to the user, via the user interface of the software application installed on the second computing device.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the first computing device of the user comprises a smart phone.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the system is configured to store in system memory the detected online presence of the first computing device of the user and the detected online presence of the second computing device of the user.

12. The system as defined in claim 9, the system configured to:

enable the user to originate, via a second control, a text reply to the caller,

wherein the second control is presented in association with the display of information, associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user, via the user interface of the software application installed on the first computing device.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the system is configured to detect the online presence of the second computing device using a communication from the software application on the second computing device.

14. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the system is configured to detect the online presence of the first computing device using a communication from the software application on the first computing device.

15. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the first call directed to the user comprises a call placed to a phone address associated with the first computing device or the second computing device of the user.

16. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the text reply to the caller comprises an SMS or MMS text reply.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

a network interface;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the system to;

enable, using the network interface, communications over a network with a software application installed on a first computing device of a user and with a software application installed on a second computing device of the user;

detect an online presence of the first computing device of the user;

detect an online presence of the second computing device of the user;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the first computing device of the user,

enable information associated with a first call from a caller directed to the user to be displayed via a user interface of the software application installed on the first computing device;

at least partly in response to the online presence detection of the second computing device of the user,

enable information associated with the first call from the caller directed to the user to be displayed via a user interface of the software application installed on the second computing device;

enable the user to originate, via a control, a callback to the caller,

wherein the control is provided in association with the display of information, associated with the first call directed to the user, via the user interface of the software application installed on the second computing device.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the first call directed to the user comprises a call placed to a phone address associated with the first computing device or the second computing device of the user.

19. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the system is configured to detect the online presence of the second computing device of the user using a communication received from the software application on the second computing device.