Method and apparatus for co-socket telephony
Methods and apparatus for allowing a caller on a telephone network to establish an internet co-socket. In a first embodiment, a protocol stack establishes an Internet connection over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) link and then operates and maintains the Internet connection on a second link. Internet socket establishment is initiated with a caller-ID packet so the distant end may pick up with an Internet form instead of a interactive voice response system (IVR). This allows the caller to interact with a graphical form instead of a voice prompt, and provides new methods of operation for web call-back systems for call centers. The invention also enables mixed PSTN/internet multimedia telephone calls. In an exemplary embodiment, when a point-to-point telephone PSTN connection is established, a screen of information automatically appears at both ends via the Internet. This allows users who have computers connected to an internet to easily mix PSTN calling with internet services.
1 - 61 . (canceled)
62 . A computerized wireless handset, comprising:
a wireless local area network air interface which enables wireless communications between the computerized wireless handset and a wireless Internet access gateway coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) packet-switched network;
a user interface which enables a user to specify a set of dialing digits corresponding to a telephone number of a callee where the callee can be reached via telephone calls originated from a circuit-switched telephone network; and
executable instructions which implement a plurality of functions, including:
(i) sending information related to the callee to a remote database server, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network;
(ii) receiving from the remote database server, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network, a destination address that corresponds to an IP address where a remote device associated with the callee can be presently reached;
(iii) establishing a voice over Internet (VoIP) communication connection between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network, using the Internet address.
63 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , further comprising:
a digital camera; and
an image communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital picture captured by the digital camera to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network.
64 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , further comprising:
a digital video camera; and
a video communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital video stream produced by the digital video camera to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network.
65 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 64 , wherein the video communication function supports two-way real-time video communication between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
66 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 64 , wherein the video communication function supports transmission of a video clip from the computerized wireless handset to the remote device.
67 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , further comprising a text messaging communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of textual characters entered by the user of the computerized wireless handset to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network.
68 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 67 , wherein the text messaging communication function supports a two-way real-time chat session between the user of the computerized wireless handset and a user of the remote device.
69 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , further comprising an application sharing communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of application layer data from a first application program in the computerized wireless handset to a second application program in the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network, and wherein the application sharing communication function supports a real-time, interactive, two-way application sharing session between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
70 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , further comprising a function implemented by the executable instructions to support web browsing functions with one or more remote Internet servers, via the wireless Internet access gateway and at least partially via the IP packet-switched network.
71 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , wherein the user interface comprises an interface selected from a group consisting of a keypad interface which enables the user to specify the set of dialing digits by manually keying in the set of dialing digits to thereby dial the telephone number, and a menu-based user interface which enables the user to select the dialing digits via interaction with the menu-based user interface.
72 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , wherein the IP packet-switched network comprises a portion of the global ubiquitous Internet.
73 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 62 , wherein the sending information related to the callee comprises sending the set of dialing digits.
74 . A computerized wireless handset, comprising:
a wireless local area network air interface which enables wireless communications between the computerized wireless handset and a wireless wide area network (WAN) access gateway coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) packet-switched network;
a user interface which enables a user to specify a set of dialing digits corresponding to a telephone number of a callee where the callee can be reached via telephone calls originated from a public switched telephone network (PSTN); and
executable instructions which implement a plurality of functions, including:
(i) sending the dialing digits to a remote database server via the wireless WAN access gateway and via a wide area network connection at least partially through the IP packet-switched network, wherein the remote database server is accessible to the public and provides dynamic information indicative of active IP addresses available for use in communicating with subscribers who can be reached at least partially via the IP packet-switched network;
(ii) receiving from the remote database server, via the wireless WAN access gateway and via the wide area network connection, a destination IP address where a remote device associated with the callee can be presently reached at least partially via the IP packet-switched network; and
(iii) establishing a voice over Internet (VoIP) communication connection between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection, using the Internet address;
wherein the computerized wireless handset can place dialed telephone calls to the remote device using the wireless local area network air interface protocol, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection, irrespective of whether the remote device is only a VoIP telephony endpoint, or only a PSTN telephony endpoint.
75 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , further comprising:
a digital camera; and
an image communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital picture captured by the digital camera to the remote device, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection.
76 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , further comprising:
a digital video camera; and
a video communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital video stream produced by the digital video camera to the remote device, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection.
77 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 76 , wherein the video communication function supports two-way real-time video communication between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
78 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 76 , wherein the video communication function supports transmission of a video clip from the computerized wireless handset to the remote device.
79 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , further comprising a text messaging communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of textual characters entered by the user of the computerized wireless handset to the remote device, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection.
80 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 79 , wherein the text messaging communication function supports a two-way real-time chat session between the user of the computerized wireless handset and a user of the remote device.
81 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , further comprising an application sharing communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of application layer data from a first application program in the computerized wireless handset to a second application program in the remote device, via the wireless WAN access gateway and at least partially via the wide area network connection, and wherein the application sharing communication function supports a real-time, interactive, two-way application sharing session between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
82 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , further comprising a function implemented by the executable instructions to support web browsing functions.
83 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , wherein the user interface comprises an interface selected from a group consisting of a keypad interface which enables the user to specify the set of dialing digits by manually keying in the set of dialing digits to thereby dial the telephone number, and a menu-based user interface which enables the user to make select the dialing digits via interaction with the menu-based user interface.
84 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 74 , wherein the IP packet-switched network comprises a portion of the global ubiquitous Internet.
85 . A computerized wireless handset, comprising:
a wireless local area network air interface which enables wireless communications between the computerized wireless handset and a wireless Internet access gateway coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) packet-switched network;
a non-graphical user interface which enables a user to specify a set of dialing digits corresponding to a telephone number of a callee where the callee can be reached via telephone calls originated from a circuit-switched telephone network, and a graphical user interface which enables the user to make selections via interaction with the graphical user interface; and executable instructions which implement a plurality of functions, including:
(i) sending information related to the callee to a remote database server via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network;
(ii) receiving from the remote database server, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network, a destination address that corresponds to an IP address where a remote device associated with the callee can be presently reached;
(iii) establishing a voice telephony communication connection between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device at least partially via the circuit-switched telephone network; and
(iv) establishing an IP communication connection between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network, using the IP address, in support of at least one other media type in addition to voice.
86 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , further comprising:
a digital camera; and
an image communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital picture captured by the digital camera to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network.
87 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , further comprising:
a digital video camera; and
a video communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of a digital video stream produced by the digital video camera to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network.
88 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 87 , wherein the video communication function supports two-way real-time video communication between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
89 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 87 , wherein the video communication function supports transmission of a video clip from the computerized wireless handset to the remote device.
90 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , further comprising a text messaging communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of textual characters entered by the user of the computerized wireless handset to the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network.
91 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 90 , wherein the text messaging communication function supports a two-way real-time chat session between the user of the computerized wireless handset and a user of the remote device.
92 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , further comprising an application sharing communication function implemented by the executable instructions for effecting transmission of application layer data from a first application program in the computerized wireless handset to a second application program in the remote device, via the wireless Internet access gateway and via the IP packet-switched network, and wherein the application sharing communication function supports a real-time, interactive, two-way application sharing session between the computerized wireless handset and the remote device.
93 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , further comprising a function implemented by the executable instructions to support web browsing functions.
94 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , wherein the non-graphical user interface comprises a keypad interface which enables the user to specify the set of dialing digits by manually keying in the set of dialing digits to thereby dial the telephone number, the graphical user interface comprises a menu-based user interface which enables the user to select the dialing digits via interaction with the menu-based user interface, and the sending comprises sending the dialing digits.
95 . The computerized wireless handset of claim 85 , wherein the IP packet-switched network comprises a portion of the global ubiquitous Internet.