The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 30, 2001
Clark E. Johnson, Jr., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Richard J. Solomon, Monson, MA (US);
Tice F. DeYoung, Fairfax, VA (US);
David J. Farber, Landenberg, PA (US);
Caritas Technologies, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A digital communication network such as the Internet is used to establish and control the telephone connections between two conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal information. Each of the two conferees has a computer connected to the digital network, and each has an independent telephone instrument connected to the public switched telephone network. One of the conferees utilizes his computer containing appropriate software to initiate the call to the other conferee. The initiating conferee sends digital control information to a switch interface controlling a telephone switch as a gateway to the telephone network using SS7 control signals which implements the telephone connection between the conferees. The switch also provides telephone status information transmitted back over the digital network, and the status information is displayed on the computer monitors of the conferees.