Portable VoIP service access module

• US 20060088025A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MagicJack VoIP Services LLC (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sinon Data, LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Mark, Barkley, Robb
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A voice over IP (VoIP) softphone access module (VSAM) comprises a softphone client installed on a portable memory device (PMD). The softphone client is installed in its own read-only partition. The softphone client is adapted to autorun from the PMD when the PMD is connected to a computing device and to load an instance of the softphone client in the volatile memory of the computing device. When used with a computing device comprising a duplex audio system with analog-to-digital conversion and an Internet connection, the VSAM permits a VoIP service subscriber to send and receive VoIP telephone calls through a VoIP service provider gateway. The VSAM may be associated with an activation code that when sent to the VoIP service provider gateway associates a user with pre-paid softphone usage credits. Alternatively, the softphone client is installed on CD.

Claims

1. A voice over IP service access module (VSAM) comprising:

a portable memory device, wherein the portable memory device comprises a read-only memory partition, and wherein the portable memory device is adapted to operate when installed in a computing device comprising a duplex audio system;

a softphone client stored in the read-only memory partition and comprising instructions for;

auto-running the softphone client upon detection of the portable memory device by the computing device; and

performing the functions of a plain old telephone.

2. The VSAM of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer and a personal data assistant.

3. The VSAM of claim 1, wherein the portable memory device further comprises read/write memory and wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions for:

reading and writing a telephone directory file to the read/write memory;

reading and writing a user preference file to the read/write memory; and

recording a telephone conversation and saving the recording as a file in the read/write memory.

4. A voice over IP (VoIP) provisioning system comprising:

a network;

a VoIP service provider gateway connected to the network and comprising a user record;

a VoIP softphone access module (VSAM) comprising;

a portable memory device, wherein the portable memory device comprises a read-only memory partition, and wherein the portable memory device is adapted to operate when installed in a computing device comprising a duplex audio system;

a softphone client stored in the read-only memory partition and comprising instructions for;

auto-running the softphone client upon detection of the portable memory device by the computing device;

performing the functions of a plain old telephone; and

communicating with the VoIP service provider gateway to initiate and receive telephone calls over the network.

5. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer and a personal data assistant.

6. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 4, wherein the portable memory device further comprises read/write memory and wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions for:

reading and writing a telephone directory file to the read/write memory;

reading and writing a user preference file to the read/write memory; and

recording a telephone conversation and saving the recording as a file in the read/write memory.

7. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 4, wherein the user record comprises softphone usages credits indicative of minutes of use of the softphone client.

8. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 7, wherein the softphone usage credits are pre-assigned to a purchaser of a VSAM.

9. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 7, wherein the softphone further comprises instructions for communicating with VoIP service provider gateway to add softphone usage credits to the user record.

10. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 4, wherein a telephone call terminates with a VoIP service subscriber.

11. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 4, wherein a telephone call terminates with a public switched telephone network service subscriber.

12. A voice over IP service access disk (VSAD) comprising:

a CD, wherein the CD comprises a read-only memory partition, and wherein the CD is adapted to operate when installed in a computing device comprising a duplex audio system;

a softphone client stored in the read-only memory partition and comprising instructions for;

auto-running the softphone client upon detection of the portable memory device by the computing device; and

performing the functions of a plain old telephone.

13. The VSAM of claim 12, wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer and a personal data assistant.

14. The VSAM of claim 12, wherein the CD further comprises read/write media and wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions for:

reading and writing a telephone directory file to the read/write memory;

reading and writing a user preference file to the read/write memory; and

recording a telephone conversation and saving the recording as a file in the read/write memory.

15. A voice over IP (VoIP) provisioning system comprising:

a network;

a VoIP service provider gateway connected to the network and comprising a user record;

a VoIP softphone access module (VSAM) comprising;

a CD, wherein the CD comprises a read-only memory partition, and wherein the CD is adapted to operate when installed in a computing device comprising a duplex audio system;

a softphone client stored in the read-only memory partition and comprising instructions for;

auto-running the softphone client upon detection of the portable memory device by the computing device;

performing the functions of a plain old telephone; and

communicating with the VoIP service provider gateway to initiate and receive telephone calls over the network.

16. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer and a personal data assistant.

17. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 15, wherein the CD further comprises read/write memory and wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions for:

reading and writing a telephone directory file to the read/write memory;

reading and writing a user preference file to the read/write memory; and

recording a telephone conversation and saving the recording as a file in the read/write memory.

18. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 15, wherein the user record comprises softphone usages credits indicative of minutes of use of the softphone client.

20. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 18, wherein the softphone further comprises instructions for communicating with VoIP service provider gateway to add softphone usage credits to the user record.

21. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 15, wherein a telephone call terminates with a VoIP service subscriber.

22. The VoIP provisioning system of claim 15, wherein a telephone call terminates with a public switched telephone network service subscriber.

19. The VoIP provisioning system 18, wherein the softphone usage credits are pre-assigned to a purchaser of a VSAM.