Granted Patent B2

US 7,564,961 · App. 10/395,186 · Granted Jul 21, 2009

Abstract

Claims (56)

1. A method for operating a telephone network to provide multiple communication protocols for handling communications between an originating phone and a destination phone connected through the telephone network in conjunction with a data network utilizing a plurality of incoming and outgoing ports in communication with and controlled by a remote network processor (RNP), comprising:

providing a plurality of protocols applicable to the incoming and outgoing ports;

creating a protocol database in a database accessed by the RNP;

selecting a protocol for at least one incoming port;

accepting a call from the originating phone on the at least one incoming port;

determining if the call is to be completed;

setting parameters for completing the call;

selecting a protocol for at least one outgoing port; and

connecting the incoming port to the outgoing port.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein completing the call is performed by sending the call through the telephone network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein completing the call further comprises digitizing the telephone call and forwarding a copy thereof for monitoring to a monitoring phone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a protocol further comprises:

generating queries and answers and protocols associated with the answers;

selecting appropriate queries based on data from the call;

accepting user responses to queries; and

designating the protocol of the port based on comparison of the responses to the answers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call includes ANI data and wherein selecting the protocol comprises determining the protocol appropriate based on the ANI data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call includes DNIS data and wherein selecting the protocol comprises determining the protocol appropriate based on the DNIS data in the call.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call is comprised of data and message content and wherein the protocol is determined based on the data portion of the call.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data portion of the call is sent to the remote network processor by a WAN and wherein the protocol is selected on the basis of the data portion of the call.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising recording the telephone call.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

selecting keywords and phrases;

monitoring the call with voice recognition software to identify the key words or phrases within the recorded call; and

alerting the monitor of the keywords and phrases.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating digitally a recorded record of the call;

marking the keywords and phrases in the call; and

submitting the recorded record of the call to the monitoring user.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

providing a reading means for obtaining user information;

adding the user information to the call through the data or voice portion of the call; and

setting the protocol based on the user information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reading means is selected from the group consisting of card readers, credit card readers, biological marker readers, finger print readers, optics readers, and pin readers.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data portion of the call is comprised of call data of at least one of the group consisting of switching information, call data information and call message information, ANI information, DNIS information and user data and wherein the protocol is set based on the call data plus the port usage at the time the call is made.

15. The method of claim 4 , further comprising creating a billing record associated with the call.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising creating at least one user profile associated with the user from a local network processor of a user and from data from the originating call and from a comparison of data from the call.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

adding the user profile to the protocol database; and

setting future profiles based on the altered protocol database.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating a protocol database comprises setting parameters for protocols and allowing at least one user to define at least one group of protocols within the parameters.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein recording comprises:

identifying the recording with markers including the start time, origination number, the destination number, and a user identifier;

compressing the recording;

encrypting the recording; and

providing a security envelope around the recording.

20. A method for operating a telephone network in communication with a remote network processor, comprising:

providing a plurality of originating telephones;

providing a plurality of receiving telephones;

providing at least one network switching means to connect the originating and receiving telephones to a plurality of incoming ports of a remote network processor;

determining at the remote network processor the characteristics associated with calls from the originating telephones by:

setting a plurality of rules to determine the type of routing associated with an incoming signal including monitoring and recording;

providing a plurality of protocols comprised of instructions for handling calls and port settings associated with different types of phone calls;

setting the protocol of an incoming port at the remote network processor based on the instructions;

setting the protocol of at least one outgoing port at the remote network processor based on the instructions; and

connecting the incoming ports and the at least one outgoing port.

Assignments (29)