| System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation -> Monitor Keywords |
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System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operationRelated Patent Categories: Telephonic Communications, Telephone Line Or System Combined With Diverse Electrical System Or Signalling (e.g., Composite), Having Transmission Of A Digital Message Signal Over A Telephone Line, Amusement (e.g., Game, Lottery)System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060210036, System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a system for effecting a telephone call between telephonic devices. The present invention also relates to novel uses of a web browser and Internet capable software. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a category of hardware and software that enables the user to use a computer network such as the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using Internet Protocol (IP) rather than by traditional circuit transmissions of the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). This eliminates circuit switching and the associated waste of bandwidth. Instead, packet switching is used, wherein IP packets with voice data are sent over the network only when data needs to be sent, i.e. when a party to the call is speaking. [0005] The advantages of VoIP over traditional telephony include, by way example, lower costs per call, especially for long-distance calls, and lower infrastructure costs. That is, once the IP infrastructure is installed, no or little additional telephony infrastructure is required. [0006] However, despite the technological flexibility of a VoIP system, callers are still limited to initiating calls manually, that is by using the keypad on a telephone. there is an art desired need to greatly reduce or eliminate the user's manual activities in initiating a telephone call, including the telephone keypad operation. OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for effecting a telephone call between telephonic devices using a computer network without manual use of the telephonic device keypads. [0008] The third party call control (3PCC) application program interface (API) of the present invention provides the capability for users to use a web browser or other Internet capable software to place a call. This eliminates using the telephone keypad. The open nature of the API also provides the capability to integrate 3PCC functionality with new or existing applications, such as customer relationship management (CRM), contact management applications, and the like. [0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a third party call control application program interface includes a first uniform resource locator operable over the Internet to cause a call or connection between a first telephonic device and a second telephonic device to be completed. The first uniform resource locator includes identification of the first telephonic device and identification of the second telephonic device. [0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the first uniform resource locator may be generated on a computer system that is communicatively connected to the Internet. The call may be completed by initiating a call to the first telephone device and transferring the call, so as to complete the call, to the second telephone device, when the call to the first telephone device is answered. The call may be initiated to the first telephone device using the Session Initiation Protocol INVITE method. The call may be transferred to the second telephone device using the Session Initiation Protocol REFER method. [0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the identification of the first telephonic device may include identification of a telephone number of the first telephone device and the identification of the second telephonic device may include a telephone number of the second telephonic device. The telephonic devices may be conventional telephones. However, the present invention contemplates any present or future telephonic device. The third party call control application program may further include identification of an account to be billed. The identification of the first telephonic device includes a telephone number of the first telephone device and the identification of the second telephonic device includes a telephone number of the second telephonic device. The identification of the account to be billed may include the telephone number of the first telephonic device, the telephone number of the second telephonic device, or the telephone number of a third telephonic device. [0012] In one further aspect of the present invention, the third party call control application program may further include a second uniform resource locator operable over the Internet to obtain information identifying an account to be billed. The information identifying an account to be billed may also include at least one telephone number. At least one of the first uniform resource locator identification of the first telephone device and the first uniform resource locator identification of the second telephone device may include at least one telephone number obtained by the second uniform resource locator. [0013] In a still further aspect of the present invention, the third party call control application program includes identification and password information; such information is authenticated and validated before the call is completed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of the system in which the present invention may be implemented; [0015] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of an implementation of a contact list interface to functionality of the present invention; and [0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a vcard implementing functionality of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0017] The third party call control (3PCC) application program interface (API) of the present invention provides the capability for users to use a web browser or other Internet capable software to place a call. This eliminates using a keypad such as the alpha/numeric keypad on a conventional telephone. The open nature of the API also provides the capability to integrate 3PCC functionality with new or existing applications like customer relationship management (CRM), contact management applications, and the like. [0018] A system in which the present invention may be implemented is shown in FIG. 1. In one embodiment, a user computer system 102 is used to access the Internet and invoke the 3PCC API using a secure hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTPS) uniform resource locator (URL) 104 (secure sockets layer (SSL)). The URL 104 is used to pass authorization credentials, such as login information, along with at least two phone numbers, a "from" number and a "to" number. An example of a suitable URL is: [0019] https://secure.url.com/tpcc/makecall?username=aw&password=secret & [0020] from number=17325551111&tonumber=17325552222 [0021] This URL includes specification of the secure hyper-text transfer protocol (https:), the Internet address of web server 106 (secure.url.com), the action to be performed by web server 106 (makecall), the authorization credentials (username=aw&password=secret), the telephone number of the telephone from which the call is to originate (fromnumber=17325551111) and the telephone number of the telephone to which the call is to be completed (tonumber=17325552222). [0022] The HTTP URL activates a secure web server 106, which authenticates the user and passes the information to a CallController system 108. Preferably, the information is passed from secure web server 106 to CallController 108 using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) 110. The CallController 108 is a trusted peer of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server 114. Continue reading about System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation... Full patent description for System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System for effecting a telephone call over a computer network without alphanumeric keypad operation patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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