Patent · US Expired

Internet telephony directory server

US6310873A · kind A · utility

118Cited by
13References
55Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 9, 1997
Grant dateOct 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 9, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2215/82
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a system that provides telephonic communication over the Internet, and more particularly relates to an Internet telephony system that allows the user to select a service to handle the call, to choose a method of payment, and to call a party by ringing the party's standard telephone. When the user desires to place a call, the user receives rate quotes from candidate telephony servers and selects a telephony server, which connects the call to the receiving party's standard telephone. The selected telephony server handles payment for the call and provides the user with information regarding progress and cost of the call.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.