Embedded WEB phone module
View Patent ↗A system for enabling Data Network Telephony (DNT) communication through a WEB page includes a Web server hosting an interactive WEB page and having an Internet port, a link in the WEB page adapted for launching a DNT-capable telephone module, and a DNT-capable telephone module associated with the link. In this system, upon selection of the link by a person accessing the WEB page over the Internet using a computer platform, an instance of the IP telephone module is downloaded to computer platform, and an IP call is launched to an IP address pre-stored and associated with the link. The DNT network may be the Internet. In a preferred embodiment the system first investigates the computer platform for hardware and software characteristics, and attaches the determined characteristics to the instance of the IP telephone module to be downloaded. The downloaded module then self-launches and configures, and then launches the associated call. In some embodiments the module disappears after a single call, and thus serves as an instant enabler for IP telephony.
1. A system for enabling Internet Protocol Network Telephone (IPNT) communication, the system comprising:
a Web server hosting an interactive WEB page; and
a link in the WEB page adapted for transmitting to an IP address an IPNT-capable telephone module;
wherein, upon selection of the link by a person accessing the WEB page over the Internet using a computer platform, an instance of the IPNT-capable telephone module is transmitted to the computer platform, where it automatically installs, launches a first IPNT call to a pre-stored IP address, and launches successive IPNT calls to the same IP address in event of call failure until a successful connection is made.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the WEB page is a multi-tenant page representing a plurality of hosts, the different hosts are represented by different portions of the page, and different IPNT calls are launched to different destinations according to placement of links according to the different portions.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein different organizations are represented by distinct banners, and IPNT-capable modules are launched and calls placed to the different destinations by iconic links placed in the banners associated with the organizations.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computer telephony integration (CTI) server executing on a CTI processor connected to the WEB server by a data link.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the CTI server is adapted to provide the IPNT-capable telephone module.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the CTI server has a data link separate from the Internet, and is further adapted to transmit data associated with a launched IPNT call on the separate data link.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the downloaded instance of the IPNT-capable telephone module is one of a WEB browser plug-in.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the downloaded instance of the IPNT-capable telephone module is adapted to uninstall and disappear after a pre-stored number of calls.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the pre-stored number of calls is 1.
10. A method for enabling Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) communication between a first computer and a second computer, comprising steps of:
(a) placing a link in a WEB page on a WEB server, the server and page accessible by the first computer;
(b) associating the link with a IPNT-capable call module; and
(c) upon the link being selected, transmitting a copy of the IPNT-capable call module to the first computer, where it automatically installs and launches a first IPNT to the second computer, and launches successive IPNT calls to the second computer in event of call failure until a successful connection is made.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step for determining characteristics of the first platform before downloading in step (c), and a step for configuring the IPNT-capable call module to the determined characteristics after downloading.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the WEB page is a multi-tenant page representing a plurality of hosts, the different hosts are represented by different portions of the page, and different IPNT calls are launched to different hosts according to placement of links according to the different portions.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein different organizations are represented by distinct banners, and IPNT-capable modules are launched and calls placed to the different organizations by iconic links placed in the banners associated with the organizations.
14. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step for transmitting data associated with a launched IPNT call via a data link separate from the Internet.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the IPNT-capable call module is one of a WEB browser plug-in.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the IPNT-capable call module is adapted to uninstall and disappear after a pre-stored number of calls.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the IPNT-capable call module is adapted to uninstall and disappear after a single successful call.