System and method for establishing a call between a calling party and a called party over a wired network

• US 20060193455A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Robelight LLC
• Inventors: Roberts, Jon L., Light, Elliott D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23178 Display status of currently selected controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• 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 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 : where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 : where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 : for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0421 : Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 : Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13152 : Callback
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 : Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1318 : Ringing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 : Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 : Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

A system and method for establishing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone over a wired network. A telephone number associated with the called party telephone is monitored using a telephone status monitor to obtain a status of the called party telephone. The status of the called party telephone is entered in a called party telephone status file that is accessible to a calling party processor over the wired network. The calling party processor dials the telephone number of the called party telephone when an on-hook status is detected by the calling party processor so as to establish a telephone call between the calling party telephone and the called party telephone over the wired network.

Claims

1. A process for establishing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone over a wired network comprising:

monitoring a telephone number associated with the called party telephone using a telephone status monitor to obtain a status of the called party telephone;

entering the status of the called party telephone in a called party telephone status file;

accessing the called party telephone status file over the wired network using a calling party processor to obtain the status of the called party telephone; and

dialing the telephone number of the called party telephone from the calling party processor when an on-hook status is detected by the calling party processor to establish a telephone call between the calling party telephone and the called party telephone over the wired network.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the wired network is selected from the group consisting of a public switched telephone network, a packet switched network, a digital network and a cable network.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the wired network is a digital network, wherein the calling party telephone comprises a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone, and wherein the calling party telephone is connected to the calling party processor via a digital interface.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the digital interface is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) gateway and wherein the telephone status monitor is a soft switch adapted for processing VoIP communications.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the calling party processor is a computer.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the wired network is a cable network and the calling party processor is a set top terminal device connected to the cable network.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the wired network is a cable network and the calling party processor is connected to the cable network via a cable modem.

8. A system for establishing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone over a wired network comprising:

a telephone status monitor connected so as to obtain a status of the called party telephone; and

a telephone status file connected to the telephone status monitor for receiving the status of the called party telephone, the telephone status file being accessible via the wired network;

a calling party processor adapted for;

accessing the called party telephone status file over the wired network to obtain the status of the called party telephone;

determining when the status of the called party telephone is indicative of an on-hook state; and

dialing the telephone number of the called party telephone when the status of the called party telephone is indicative of an on-hook state to establish a telephone call between the calling party telephone and the called party telephone over the wired network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the wired network is selected from the group consisting of a public switched telephone network, a packet switched network, a digital network and a cable network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the wired network is a digital network, wherein the calling party telephone comprises a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone, and wherein the calling party telephone is connected to the calling party processor via a digital interface.

11. The system of claim 10, and wherein the digital interface is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) gateway and wherein the telephone status monitor is a soft switch adapted for processing VoIP communications.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the calling party processor is a computer.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the wired network is a cable network and the calling party processor is a set top terminal device connected to the cable network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the wired network is a cable network and the calling party processor is connected to the cable network via a cable modem.