Integrated chat client with receiving party choice
Phone systems for an integrated chat client service are provided. A representative phone system includes a call processing system operable to check a chat server for accessibility of a calling party chat client associated with a calling party and coupled to the internet, the call processing system being further operable to prompt a called party to select to talk or chat. Methods to connect telephone calls and answer telephone calls are also provided.
1. A method of conducting a network chat session, comprising:
recording, by a computer processor, a network user identification associated with a party as being present on a computer network with a network database when the party is registered as being logged onto the computer network;
after receiving an incoming telephone call, checking, by the computer processor, the network database to ascertain accessibility of a calling party and a called party on the computer network; and
prompting, by the computer processor, the called party to engage in the network chat session with the calling party when the calling party and the called party are ascertained to be accessible on the computer network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is determined based on a computer of the called party being actively present on the computer network.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is further determined based on the called party being designated as being available for communicating with others on the computer network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is further determined based on the called party being designated as being receptive to receiving an invitation to engage in the network chat session.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a voice connection with the called party when the calling party declines to invite the called party to engage in the network chat session.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating the telephone call and initiating the network chat session when the calling party invites the called party to engage in the network chat session and the called party accepts the invite.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessibility of the calling party is determined based on a computer of the calling party being actively present on the computer network.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the accessibility of the calling party is further determined based on the calling party being designated as preferring to engage in network chat communications.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program for conducting a network chat session that when executed by a computer processor causes the computer processor to perform:
recording a network user identification associated with a party as being present on a computer network with a network database when the party is registered as being logged onto the computer network;
after receiving an incoming telephone call, checking the network database to ascertain accessibility of a calling party and a called party on the computer network; and
prompting the called party to engage in the network chat session with the calling party when the calling party and the called party are ascertained to be accessible on the computer network.
10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is determined based on a computer of the called party being actively present on the computer network.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is further determined based on the called party being designated as being available for communicating with others on the computer network.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is further determined based on the called party being designated as being receptive to receiving an invitation to engage in the network chat session.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , the computer program further causing the computer to perform initiating a voice connection with the called party when the calling party declines to invite the called party to engage in the network chat session.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , the computer program further causing the computer to perform terminating the telephone call and initiating the network chat session when the calling party invites the called party to engage in the network chat session and the called party accepts the invite.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the accessibility of the calling party is determined based on a computer of the calling party being actively present on the computer network.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the accessibility of the calling party is further determined based on the calling party being designated as preferring to engage in network chat communications.
17. A system of conducting a network chat session, comprising:
a network database that records a network user identification associated with a party as present on a computer network with a network database when a the party is registered as being logged onto the computer network; and
a call processing component that checks the network database to ascertain accessibility of a calling party and a called party after receiving an incoming telephone call,
the call processing component prompting the called party to engage in the network chat session with the calling party when the calling party and the called party are ascertained to be accessible on the computer network.
18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:
a switching component that initiates a voice connection with the called party when the calling party declines to invite the called party to engage in the network chat session.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the accessibility of the called party is determined based on the called party being designated as being receptive to receiving an invitation to engage in the network chat session.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the accessibility of the calling party is further determined based on the calling party being designated as preferring to engage in network chat communications.