America Online, Inc.

Infointeractive Corp.

Aol Llc, a Delaware Limited Liability Company

Inpointeractive Corp.

Interactive Telecom Inc.

William P McMullin

Liam John Keast

Stephen Vaughan Murphy

Roberto J Devoto

In one embodiment, a telephone service method that provides subscribers with the functionality of an extra telephone line during data/Internet sessions is disclosed. Each subscriber has a unique telephone number Dns that can be dialed by anyone with access to the PSTN. When the Dns is dialed the call will be routed via the PSTN to the ILTD server. The ILTD server upon receiving the call attempt from the Dnc will analyze the dialed number (Dns) and determine if the subscriber's computer is able to receive the telephone call. If the subscriber's computer is actively engaged in an Internet Protocol session, with the ILTD client software running, the ILTD server will connect the call over the Internet to the ILTD client software.

Internet based telephone line

A telephone service method that provides subscribers with the functionality of an extra telephone line during data/Internet sessions. Each subscriber has a unique telephone number Dns that can be dialed by anyone with access to the PSTN. When the Dns is dialed the call will be routed via the PSTN to the ILTD server. The ILTD server upon receiving the call attempt from the Dnc will analyze the dialed number (Dns) and determine if the subscriber's computer is able to receive the telephone call. If the subscriber's computer is actively engaged in an Internet Protocol session, with the ILTD client software running, the ILTD server will connect the call over the Internet to the ILTD client software. The ILTD client software will activate the subscriber's sound card and the microphone to play audio and receive input from the microphone to allow the subscriber and the calling party to have a full duplex telephone conversation (i.e. using voice-over-IP technology).

Determining whether a call forward busy service is enabled on a telephone line includes placing a first test call across a network to the telephone line. First signaling data is received through the network in response to the first test call. The first signaling data is evaluated to determine whether the first test call is inspiring a ringing condition. A second test call is placed across the network conditioned on whether the first signaling data indicates that the first test call is determined to be inspiring a ringing condition. The second test call is placed while the first test call remains inspiring ringing. Second signaling data is received through the network in response to the second test call. A call forward busy service is concluded to be enabled on the telephone line based on whether the second test call is determined to be inspiring a ringing condition.

External detection of optional telephone services on a telephone line

External detection of optional telephone services on an unknown telephone line

Monitoring user availability to perceive communications received across a network includes determining the existence of activity at a first communication device and accessing a presence rule record storing presence rule data relating the determined existence of activity at the first communication device to an availability of an intended recipient to perceive communications over a second communication device. The presence rule data is applied to the determined existence of activity to assess the availability of the intended recipient to perceive communications over the second communication device. Other entities are informed of the assessed availability of the intended recipient to perceive communications over the second communication device.

Communication device monitoring

A method to determine telephone services enabled on a telephone line that is registered to receive services from an online service provider includes determining whether a telephone line registered to receive services from an online service provider is occupied. One or more test calls are placed across a network to the telephone line conditioned upon whether the telephone line is determined to be occupied. Signalling data is received through the network in response to the test calls. One or more telephone services believed to be enabled on the telephone line are determined based on at least the signaling data.

External detection of optional telephone services

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing automatic redirection of an incoming voice telephone call from a caller to a subscriber proxy when an attempt by the caller to connect to a telephone link of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) is blocked due to the telephone link being occupied by a subscriber using the telephone link to establish communications between the subscriber's personal computer and a computer network. The subscriber proxy is connected to both the PSTN and the computer network, and produces audio interaction with the caller. The subscriber proxy also notifies the subscriber of the incoming call via the subscriber's computer. The subscriber's computer can optionally be used by the subscriber to control and interact with the incoming call by communicating with the computer proxy while the subscriber continues to occupy the telephone link.

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, Canada

William P McMullin