Personal IP toll-free number
First Claim
1. A method of providing communications services in an internet telephony communications system, the method comprising:
- receiving predetermined criteria, at a call manager located in an internet protocol network, from a broadband residential gateway located at a customer premises, the predetermined criteria comprising data associated with a call that identifies a calling party, a geographical location of the calling party, a time of day during which calls are accepted by a call destination associated with the call, and a world-wide-web domain name from which calls are to be accepted, the world-wide-web domain name being specified by a user of the broadband residential gateway;
identifying, at the call manager, a call source and the call destination based on call data associated with a call;
determining if the call to the call destination is allowable according to the predetermined criteria; and
routing the call data to the broadband residential gateway if the call to the call destination is allowable, wherein the broadband residential gateway receives the call data, re-routes the call data to a particular communications port and re-directs the call data to a multi-media engine if the call destination is not available.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an internet telephony system, toll-free service and the calls that are accepted and paid for can be specified by the IP telephony system user to be limited according to the calling party'"'"'s identity, time of day, day of week or other criteria. Data that is used to screen or filter incoming calls is programmed into a call manager by the IP telephone system user'"'"'s broadband residential gateway. Using such a system the user can carefully screen calls that are paid for and more closely control telecommunications service costs. More generally, the user has the ability to store predefined call handling criteria, which may be executed by the broadband residential gateway and/or the call manager.
274 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of providing communications services in an internet telephony communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving predetermined criteria, at a call manager located in an internet protocol network, from a broadband residential gateway located at a customer premises, the predetermined criteria comprising data associated with a call that identifies a calling party, a geographical location of the calling party, a time of day during which calls are accepted by a call destination associated with the call, and a world-wide-web domain name from which calls are to be accepted, the world-wide-web domain name being specified by a user of the broadband residential gateway; identifying, at the call manager, a call source and the call destination based on call data associated with a call; determining if the call to the call destination is allowable according to the predetermined criteria; and routing the call data to the broadband residential gateway if the call to the call destination is allowable, wherein the broadband residential gateway receives the call data, re-routes the call data to a particular communications port and re-directs the call data to a multi-media engine if the call destination is not available. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for providing communications services in an internet telephony communications system, the system comprising:
a call manager located in an internet protocol network, wherein the call manager; receives predetermined criteria from a broadband residential gateway located at a customer premises, the predetermined criteria comprising data associated with a call that identifies a calling party, a geographical location of the calling party, a time of day during which calls are accepted by a call destination associated with the call, and a world-wide-web domain name from which calls are to be accepted, the world-wide-web domain name being specified by a user of the broadband residential gateway; identifies a call source and the call destination based on call data associated with a call; determines if the call to the call destination is allowable according to the predetermined criteria; and routes the call data to the broadband residential gateway if the call to the call destination is allowable, wherein the broadband residential gateway receives the call data, re-routes the call data to a particular communications port and re-directs the call data to a multi-media engine if the call destination is not available. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for providing communications services in an internet telephony communications system, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising; receiving predetermined criteria from a broadband residential gateway located at a customer premises, the predetermined criteria comprising data associated with a call that identifies a calling party, a geographical location of the calling party, a time of day during which calls are accepted by a call destination associated with the call, and a world-wide-web domain name from which calls are to be accepted, the world-wide-web domain name being specified by a user of the broadband residential gateway; identifying a call source and the call destination based on call data associated with a call; determining if the call to the call destination is allowable according to the predetermined criteria; and routing the call data to the broadband residential gateway if the call to the call destination is allowable, wherein the broadband residential gateway receives the call data, re-routes the call data to a particular communications port and re-directs the call data to a multi-media engine if the call destination is not available. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification