Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service

• US 8,891,753 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., Trandal, David S., Kelley, Colin, Brahm, David J., Smith, Robert F., Hofstatter, David F., Dolan, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/734,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20130195264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212.01, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.

Claims

1. A method of processing calls, the method comprising:

providing a software program to a computing device associated with a first subscriber;

storing in computer readable memory associated with a call processing system a first phone address, a second phone address different than the first phone address, and a third phone address different than the first phone address and the second phone address, wherein the first, second and third phone addresses are associated with the first subscriber;

participating at the call processing system in a first call associated with the first subscriber, the first call associated with the second phone address,

wherein the first call is initiated in response to the first subscriber selection of a user interface control presented via the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber; and

wherein the first call comprises at least in part a first data request over a data network from the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber,

routing the first call to the first subscriber by calling the third phone address associated with the first subscriber;

placing an outcall from the call processing system to a called party, wherein the call processing system inserts at least a portion of the first phone address in a caller identification field associated with signaling information associated with the outcall; and

causing the first call and the outcall to be bridged.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the software program is configured to enable a firewall to be penetrated by a call-related communication.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the software program is configured to enable the first data request to penetrate a firewall.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the software program is configured to store one or more first subscriber contacts.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the third phone address is the first subscriber'"'"'s phone extension.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first phone address is a virtual telephone address associated with the first subscriber.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein public switched telephone network calls to the virtual telephone address associated with the first subscriber route to the call processing system.

8. A method of processing calls, the method comprising:

providing a software program to a computing device associated with a first subscriber, wherein the software program is;

transmitted to the computing device of the first subscriber over a data network;

storing in computer readable memory associated with a call processing system a first phone address and a second phone address associated with the first subscriber, wherein the first phone address is different than the second phone address;

participating at the call processing system in a first call associated with the first subscriber, the first call associated with the second phone address,

wherein the first call is initiated at least partly in response to the first subscriber selection of a user interface control presented via the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber; and

wherein the first call comprises at least in part a first data request over the data network from the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber,

placing an outcall from the call processing system to a called party, wherein the call processing system inserts at least a portion of the first phone address in a caller identification field associated with signaling information associated with the outcall; and

causing the first call and the outcall to be bridged.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, the method further comprising:

storing a third phone address associated with the called party; and

,

storing a fourth phone address associated with the called party.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein placing the outcall to the called party includes placing the outcall to the third phone address.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein placing the outcall to the called party includes routing the outcall to the fourth phone address.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the called party is behind a private branch exchange.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the software program is configured to enable a firewall to be penetrated by a call-related communication.

14. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the software program is configured to enable the first data request to penetrate a firewall.

15. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the software program is configured to store one or more first subscriber contacts.

16. The method as defined in claim 8, the method further comprising:

notifying the first subscriber via the user interface of inbound calls from callers to the first phone address.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the notification includes a caller'"'"'s phone address.

18. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first phone address is a virtual telephone address associated with the first subscriber.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein public switched telephone network calls to the virtual telephone address associated with the first subscriber route to the call processing system.

20. A system comprising:

at least one computer processor; and

a non-transitory memory embodied with a computer program comprising instructions which when executed by the at least one computer processor causes the system to perform operations comprising;

providing a software program to a computing device associated with a first subscriber, wherein the software program is;

transmitted to the computing device of the first subscriber over a data network;

storing a first phone address and a second phone address associated with the first subscriber, wherein the first phone address is different than the second phone address;

participating in a first call associated with the first subscriber, the first call associated with the second phone address,

wherein the first call is initiated at least partly in response to the first subscriber selection of a user interface control presented via the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber; and

wherein the first call comprises at least in part a first data request over the data network from the software program executing on the computing device associated with the first subscriber,

placing an outcall to a called party, wherein the call processing system inserts at least a portion of the first phone address in a caller identification field associated with signaling information associated with the outcall; and

causing the first call and the first outcall to be bridged.