Virtual telephone extension
First Claim
1. A communication routing system comprising:
- a computer server that includes a relational database storing association information between user identifiers and communication device identifiers;
a plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices, each of the common VoIP-enabled communication devices is associated with and configured to be used for VoIP calls on behalf of certain system users sharing common user-identification data, whereby different sets of the user identifiers are respectively associated with one of the plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices, and each of the plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices is further configured to route the VoIP calls in response to login data provided to authenticate and differentiate between users for each call to be routed by the common communication device;
a plurality of gateways, each of the gateways including communications circuitry configured to connect or route certain of the VoIP calls between the computer server and certain ones of the common communication devices, based on information associated with the VoIP calls;
a call router circuit configured to route VoIP telephone calls to particular ones of the common communication devices in response to the association with the particular user identifiers;
the computer server being configured to receive database modification instructions via at least one of the plurality of gateways and in response to the instructions, modify, in the relational database, the association information to include an association between a particular user identifier and a particular communication device, wherein for each set of database modification instructions; and
the computer server being further configured to receive over the Internet, account login data on behalf of the corresponding common communication device, and configured to identify, based upon the account login data, a particular user identifier from the user identifiers stored in the relational database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for routing communications. A plurality of communication devices are coupled, via a shared common (interface) communication device, to a communications network. Each such 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 accordingly.
82 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A communication routing system comprising:
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a computer server that includes a relational database storing association information between user identifiers and communication device identifiers; a plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices, each of the common VoIP-enabled communication devices is associated with and configured to be used for VoIP calls on behalf of certain system users sharing common user-identification data, whereby different sets of the user identifiers are respectively associated with one of the plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices, and each of the plurality of common VoIP-enabled communication devices is further configured to route the VoIP calls in response to login data provided to authenticate and differentiate between users for each call to be routed by the common communication device; a plurality of gateways, each of the gateways including communications circuitry configured to connect or route certain of the VoIP calls between the computer server and certain ones of the common communication devices, based on information associated with the VoIP calls; a call router circuit configured to route VoIP telephone calls to particular ones of the common communication devices in response to the association with the particular user identifiers; the computer server being configured to receive database modification instructions via at least one of the plurality of gateways and in response to the instructions, modify, in the relational database, the association information to include an association between a particular user identifier and a particular communication device, wherein for each set of database modification instructions; and the computer server being further configured to receive over the Internet, account login data on behalf of the corresponding common communication device, and configured to identify, based upon the account login data, a particular user identifier from the user identifiers stored in the relational database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification