At+t Corp.

At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

James C Ehlinger

Christopher P Gilboy

Marius Jonas Gudelis

Amit Garg

Rajeev B Patil

Barry S Bosik

Paul James Fellingham

Ali M Cherchali

Steven M Michelson

Jeffrey L Tuttle

Robert J McLaughlin

William G Lester

Daniel Sheinbein

Jerry Allen Robinson

Frank J Androski

James Yatsko

Nancy Binowski

A network is defined with several alternative softswitches/proxies, which may be used for communication. Each softswitch/proxy has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. The softswitches/proxies receive configuration data from a centralized user-profile server, which maintains user-profile information. A centralized call-detail record (CDR) server is connected to each softswitch/proxy and maintains CDRs on each user on each softswitch/proxy. Based on the network configuration, an end-device configuration system generates a provisioning file. The provisioning file includes the IP addresses of each softswitch/proxy. The provisioning file is communicated to user devices. Each user device accesses the provisioning file and uses the IP address for communication. Should the communication fail for any reason, the user device may autonomously access the provisioning file and initiate another call using the next IP address in the provisioning file.

Method and apparatus for implementing a high-reliability load balanced easily upgradeable packet technology

A network is defined with several alternative softswitches/proxies, which may be used for communication. Each softswitch/proxy has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. The softswitches/proxies receive configuration data from a centralized user-profile server, which maintains user-profile information. A centralized call-detail record (CDR) server also is connected to each softswitch/proxy and maintains CDRs on each user on each softswitch/proxy. Based on the network configuration, an end-device configuration system generates a provisioning file. The provisioning file includes the IP addresses of each softswitch/proxy. The provisioning file is communicated to user devices. Each user device accesses the provisioning file and uses the IP address for communication. Should the communication fail for any reason, the user device may autonomously access the provisioning file and initiate another call using the next IP address in the provisioning file. This process may continue until a call is completed.

A subscriber in communication with an IP network () such as the Internet, through a terminal () may launch an application on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) () by entering a data packet that takes the format of a telephone number that identifies the PSTN application. An IP gateway () couples the IP network () to the PSTN () and serves to recognize the data packet in the format of the PSTN application telephone number as well as translate the packet yield a stream of DTMF or other signals corresponding to the PSTN application telephone number. The IP gateway () then launches the stream of signals to dial the telephone number of the PSTN application. The gateway may also request information or control PSTN calls via the signaling/data channel between the gateway and the PSTN.

Method and apparatus for accessing a telephone network from the internet

A method that permits a user to select a telephone number contained in an e-mail, web page, or other text page displayed on the screen of a computing device and store that telephone number in memory for later use. Other information may also be selected and stored, such as the name or e-mail address of a person associated with the telephone number.

Method for remote population of speed dial information

A method of call forwarding a call originally placed to a mobile telephone number of a mobile telephone to a landline telephone number of a landline telephone is provided, wherein the call is routed through a telephone network by a service provider. A forwarding location of the mobile telephone is determined using a mobile location technology. The landline telephone number of the landline telephone is provided to the service provider. A current mobile telephone location is determined by a mobile location technology. The mobile location technology is capable of locating the mobile telephone using service provider equipment. The service provider determines that the call is being made to the mobile telephone when the current mobile telephone location is at the forwarding location. The call to the mobile telephone number is forwarded to the landline telephone number when the current mobile telephone location is at the forwarding location.

Method for call forwarding a call from a mobile telephone

When an entity (such as a customer using a communication device. . . ) attempts to communicate with a target (such as an employee), an arrangement indicates to the customer, 'status' information describing at least the employee's present and future ability to communicate with the entity (such as by returning his call). At least one sensing device-is configured to provide sensing information concerning the target employee's status in response to an action of the target employee with respect to the sensing device. A monitoring serveris configured to receive the sensing information and to govern communication to the entity (customer) of the target's 'status.' In one implementation, a particular sensing device (such as a cash register, computer terminal, or time clock) is configured to perform both (A) a primary function that is not related to providing the sensing information, and (B) the secondary function of providing the sensing information. In this implementation, the particular sensing device provides the sensing information in response to the person's ordinary use of the particular sensing device as he goes about his job (performing the particular sensing device's primary function), so that the person does not have to explicitly perform any purely presence-related action in order to cause the particular sensing device to communicate the sensing information.

Arrangement for indicating presence of individual

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls received in a Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) network () maintained by a provider of HFC VoIP telephony services are advantageously translated into a Time-Division Multiplex (TDM) format by an Internet Protocol Device Terminal (IPDT) () in the HFC network. Once translated into a TDM format, the call passes to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) () for call processing to afford the call features subscribed to by the called party, such as caller-ID and call waiting. Once processed, the PSTN routes the call to the destination. Likewise, a call destined for an HFC VoIP customer can be processed within the PSTN to afford the call features subscribed to by the HFC VoIP customer. In this way, the HFC VoIP telephony service can offer full-featured VoIP cable telephony without the need to perform call processing in its own network.

Technique for providing translation between the packet environment and the PSTN environment

A system and method for delivering interactive voice messages using a voice messaging system are disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, the system comprises a voice messaging processor and memory containing machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the voice messaging system to: receive an inbound call from a sender; record an interactive voice message from the sender directed to at least one recipient; receive a voice message retrieval request from a recipient; play the interactive voice message for the recipient; and initiate an interactive session with the recipient to elicit responses from the recipient regarding the interactive voice message. In one aspect of the invention, an application server is provided for generating interactive voicemails and placing the inbound call from the sender to the voice messaging processor.

Method and apparatus for interactive voicemail

A subscriber in communication with an IP network () such as the Internet, though a terminal () may launch an application on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) () by entering a data packet that takes the format of a telephone number that identifies the PSTN application. An IP gateway () couples the IP network () to the PSTN () and serves to recognize the data packet in the format of the PSTN application telephone number as well as translate the packet yield a stream of DTMF or other signals corresponding to the PSTN application telephone number. The IP gateway () then launches the stream of signals to dial the telephone number of the PSTN application. The gateway may also request information or control PSTN calls via the signaling/data channel between the gateway and the PSTN.

An integrated message management system that allows a subscriber to retrieve voice mail messages using a voice mail or email server, and that also updates the status of messages on both servers upon retrieval of the message from either server. The voice mail server is accessed via a local exchange carrier, whereas the email server is accessed via the Internet. The email server also notifies the subscriber of the presence of a new message. When the subscriber retrieves a voice mail message, the email server updates the status of the corresponding email message. Similarly, when a subscriber retrieves an email message, the voice mail server updates the status of the corresponding voice mail message. This eliminates the need for a subscriber to manually change the status of corresponding messages to 'clean out' a voice mail or email box when the other is accessed.

Integrated message management method and system

A call from a calling party () is routed to at least one called party (, and) in accordance with the network preference of the calling party while taking into account the network capability of the called party. The calling party initiates an attempt to the called party over a preferred network () by first querying a database () containing records, each indicating the network capability of a corresponding called party. If the called party has the capability of receiving a call on the preferred network, the call is routed over that network. Otherwise, the call is routed over an alternate network () on which the called party has the capability of receiving a call.

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Colts Neck, NJ, United States of America

James C Ehlinger