41 results about "Toll-Free Number" patented technology

An online voice messaging service that integrates all tools needed for an advertising sales representative to resell to their customers, in real time, a blind “ad box” including a temporary anonymous toll-free phone number with attached Internet Voice & Data Messaging (IVDM) service for collecting ad responses, such that the toll-free phone number can be incorporated into the text of the customer's advertisement as it is being booked. The software includes a portal or web interface that facilitates reselling of the service via a channel of resellers, such as media companies with sales representatives that have a service agreement with the service. The software also includes a separate portal for direct sales. Various value-added, user-options are provided including notifications of new messages, the ability to receive rental and / or credit applications, payments from customers, management of multiple ad boxes with one logon, and to retrieve messages as .wav files, emails as .txt files, and faxes as .pdf (or similar) files.

A menu routing service routes calls made to a customer's toll-free number according to customized routing instructions, including instructions for routing calls originating in a non-domestic country. An international gateway receives a call to the toll-free number and populates a portion of a calling party number field with data indicating that the call originated in a non-domestic country. A network switch receives the call from the gateway based on at least an identification of a carrier associated with the toll-free number. A customized routing service platform receives the call and the non-domestic call origination data from the network switch. The platform determines a destination number based on the non-domestic call origination data and routing instructions received from a web server, accessible by the customer via a packet switched data network. The platform forwards the destination number to the network switch for routing the call to the destination number.

A method for providing a consumer with the ability to access and collect personal health records associated with the consumer in a secure and private manner is provided. The method includes assigning a toll-free phone number individually associated with and dedicated to the consumer for private fax and voice communications from a health care provider, associating access information with the consumer for the consumer to use to access a secure web site, receiving a private fax communication comprising a personal health record associated with the consumer for which the consumer has requested and given permission to the health care provider to send to the toll-free number, converting the private fax communications into an image file format, storing the health record encoded in the image file format, and providing the consumer with secure access to the web site using the access information and providing on the web site an interface to the health records of the consumer for the consumer to access the health record.

The present invention relates to a method of delivering an audio and / or visual file over the air (wireless) from one or more servers to an electronic device, dependent or independent on an Internet connection, after inquiry and / or ordering said delivery from one or more of a dialed telephone number, dialing a toll-free number, and SMS and / or MMS message, comprising transmitting a compressed audio and / or visual file to said electronic device, and wherein said electronic device is effective to receive said compressed audio and / or visual file and playback said audio and / or visual content of said file on demand by the user.

Toll-free calls are initiated using an alphanumeric call initiator (NAME) that is communicated to the network using a short message service (SMS), electronic mail message, a Worldwide Web interface or a voice connection to a voce recognition database. The NAME is translated to retrieve a directory number used to connect a calling party with the toll-free service subscriber. The directory number may be a toll-free number used to invoke incumbent translation services in the PSTN.

Systems and methods are disclosed to enable a merchant to sell products through a merchant-specific toll-free number operated by a payment service provider. The toll-free number may operate using an interactive voice response system to accept product orders and to process payments without requiring a consumer to enter information on the payment source. A consumer who has a registered account with the payment service provider may call the merchant toll-free number to purchase products using product codes that are keyed to the products. The payment service provider may identify the consumer and the consumer's registered account from the phone number used by the consumer in making the call. The payment for the purchase may be made from the consumer's account to the merchant's account. Information on the purchase and on the consumer including a shipping address is transmitted to the merchant to enable the merchant to fulfill the order.

A menu routing service routes calls made to a customer's toll-free number according to customized routing instructions. A service provider establishes service parameters, which include the toll-free number and a restriction associated with at least one of the customer and the service provider. To customize call routing, a web server receives instructions from the customer to associate the toll-free number with a terminating number, such as a directory number or switch ID and trunk group numbers. When the restriction prohibits the association, the web server determines whether the service parameters further include an override indicator associated with the customer that overrides the restriction. The toll-free number is associated with the terminating number when service parameters include the override indicator. The override indicator may be an affiliate indicator, which enables the customer to terminate inter-LATA calls in a region in which the service provided is prohibited from providing long distance service.

A customized routing service platform for routing international communications includes a receiver that receives, from an international gateway via a network node, international communication origination data for an international communication to a customer's communication address. A database server receives customer routing instructions from the customer via a web server. The database server stores the received customer routing instructions. The database server also retrieves stored customer routing instructions, and determines a destination communication address based on the international communication origination data and the retrieved customer routing instructions. A forwarder forwards the destination communication address to the network node for routing the international communication to the destination communication address.

A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code service is billed for the call rather than a calling party.

In one aspect, there is a method of providing a language interpretation service. A request for language interpretation service can be received from a user at a computing device. The user speaks a first language. A user identifier that is associated to the user is generated. Additionally, the user identifier is transmitted to the computing device. The user identifier permits access to language interpretation service. The user identifier can be stored in a user database. A language access number can also be provided. The language access number can be a toll-free number. The language access number can be used to place a voice call to a language interpretation service provider for language interpretation assistance. A voice call from the user is received. The user places the voice call by dialing the language access number. Finally, language interpretation service is provided to the user if the user provides the user identifier. The language interpretation service interprets between the first language and a second language.

A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code service is billed for the call rather than a calling party.

A system for visualizing call routing data associated with a toll-free identifier, the system including a client interface adapted to transmit a command to at least one server upon which executes software code providing a toll-free telecommunications management platform the toll-free telecommunication platform being in communication with a database upon which is stored call routing data and a parsing tool associated with the client interface, wherein the parsing tool receives call routing data associated with a toll-free telecommunications number in response to a query of the database and wherein the parsing tool parses the call routing data to display the call routing data associated with the toll-free telecommunications number in tree format on the client interface.

Methods and apparatus for brokering services are disclosed. The methods and apparatus described herein provide services to guests of hotels. A services directory is placed in each hotel room. The services directory includes a toll-free telephone number and a plurality of extension numbers. Each extension number is associated with a service that may be of interest to a hotel guest. Each service may be provided by a different business.

A call silencing device filters unsolicited incoming calls to a user's telephone. The call silencer powers up form the telephone and requires no user data input or intervention. An incoming call is silenced if the call is a toll-free number or if the number is not in the buffer and not in the permitted call list or if the number is in the buffer but the caller called back after more than a predetermined amount of time. The incoming call is allowed if the number is in the permitted call list or if the number is in the buffer and the caller called back within a predetermined time. If the call duration is more than a predetermined time, the incoming phone number is stored in the permitted call list. The software program and the permitted call list can be stored in non-volatile memory to maintain data despite power loss.

A system and method of providing long distance service products to users. Post-paid debit calling cards are purchased on-line by a customer or user and the user is billed monthly, along with other service charges. The calling card account, however, is debited as it is used. Since the fee for the account is charged against an existing customer account, fraudulent purchases are reduced. In an embodiment, the purchaser is provided access to a restricted web page on the Internet using a user name and password, where the user name and password are associated with the customer's account. Once accessed, the user is able to purchase “post-paid debit calling cards.” Upon sending a request to purchase such a calling card, the user is provided a toll free number and PIN. Subsequently, the purchase is logged and the fee is added to the customer's monthly bill.

A menu routing service routes calls made to a customer's toll-free number according to customized routing instructions. A service provider establishes service parameters, which include the toll-free number and a restriction associated with at least one of the customer and the service provider. To customize call routing, a web server receives instructions from the customer to associate the toll-free number with a terminating number, such as a directory number or switch ID and trunk group numbers. When the restriction prohibits the association, the web server determines whether the service parameters further include an override indicator associated with the customer that overrides the restriction. The toll-free number is associated with the terminating number when service parameters include the override indicator. The override indicator may be an affiliate indicator, which enables the customer to terminate inter-LATA calls in a region in which the service provided is prohibited from providing long distance service.

The present invention defines a method and system for identifying and locating a lost person or lost personal property. The invention makes use of a subscription service wherein individuals desiring the locating service may pre-register the individual or property. At registration, the subscribing individual provides personal information relevant to the individual or property to be tracked which is stored in a data base. The subscribing individual is provided a photo identification card, unique to the individual, which includes a toll-free telephone number and unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) imprinted thereon. If the individual or property to be tracked becomes lost or misplaced, the lost individual or members of his family, or the subscribing individual who has lost his property, may call the toll-free number to report the individual or property as lost or misplaced. Through the PIN, an operator receiving the toll-free call may retrieve the individual's personal information or the information concerning the property. The personal information is used to assist law enforcement and emergency personnel in identifying, locating, tracking the individual or property.

A method for providing a consumer with the ability to access and collect personal health records associated with the consumer in a secure and private manner is provided. The method includes assigning a toll-free phone number individually associated with and dedicated to the consumer for private fax and voice communications from a health care provider, associating access information with the consumer for the consumer to use to access a secure web site, receiving a private fax communication comprising a personal health record associated with the consumer for which the consumer has requested and given permission to the health care provider to send to the toll-free number, converting the private fax communications into an image file format, storing the health record encoded in the image file format, and providing the consumer with secure access to the web site using the access information and providing on the web site an interface to the health records of the consumer for the consumer to access the health record.

Embodiments disclosed herein describe automatically creating by a meeting intermediary an online meeting using an online meeting tool responsive to determining attendees of a calendar event are at different locations. A meeting intermediary can identify an attendee using an attendee identifier within a calendar event of an electronic calendar application. The meeting intermediary can determine that the location of the first attendee is different from the location of the second attendee. When the meeting intermediary determines that an attendee is at a different location, the meeting intermediary can request an online meeting identifier and toll-free phone number based on the location from one or more online tools. The meeting intermediary can include or attach the online meeting identifier and phone number to the calendar event.

In an internet telephony system, toll-free service and the calls that are accepted and paid for can be specified by the IP telephony system user to be limited according to the calling party's identity, time of day, day of week or other criteria. Data that is used to screen or filter incoming calls is programmed into a call manager by the IP telephone system user's broadband residential gateway. Using such a system the user can carefully screen calls that are paid for and more closely control telecommunications service costs. More generally, the user has the ability to store predefined call handling criteria, which may be executed by the broadband residential gateway and / or the call manager.

Embodiments of the invention comprise a device, system, and method of receiving a phone call to a non-Inward WATS phone number, such as a typical non-toll free phone number, forwarding the phone call to a carrier capable of reading ANI information associated with the call, and providing ANI information to the called party. The providing of ANI information may be by way of forwarding to a toll-free number of a provider and populating caller ID data with ANI information before forwarding to the called party, or by way of forwarding the call to a provider with the ANI information, whereby the provider forwards the call and information gleaned from the ANI information to the called party.

A processor-implemented method of placing telephone calls includes inputting a toll-free number to initiate a phone call, determining whether the mobile device is within a North American Numbering Plan (NANP) service area, upon determining that the mobile device is within a NANP service area, initiating the phone call to the toll-free number, and upon determining that the mobile device is not within a NANP service area, replacing the Numbering Plan Area Code (NPA) of the toll-free number with a corresponding replace code to obtain a replace code toll-free number and initiating the phone call to the replace code toll-free number.

The present disclosure illustrates a communication establishing method. The method includes following steps. A communication service program is executed on the mobile device to transmit an identification code to a cloud server. A toll-free number is determined and a communication number corresponding to the identification code is inquired from a lookup table. A control command is transmitted from the cloud server to the mobile device. The mobile device is controlled by the control command to dial a call request containing the toll-free number to a dial-up device. The dial-up device transmits a search request to the cloud server and the cloud server then return the communication number respected to the toll-free number to the dial-up device. Finally, the dial-up device automatic transfers the call request to the communication terminal, so as to establish a communication connection between the mobile device and a communication terminal.

A system and methodology that allows customers to use cell phones, flat fee long distance calling plans or internet calling to obtain sales and service by calling toll free telephone numbers provided by stores or businesses interested in providing these services by telephone. Customers with these calling capabilities are more concerned with minutes used than the telephone number called. Since free long distance calling is usually included in the above plans, it is not advantages for companies to pay the cost of toll free phone calls for these customers. This invention will allow customers with the above calling plans to switch or choose between toll free phone numbers and local phone numbers. Each time a customer chooses or switches from a toll free number to a local number it will save money for the company or business being called.

Methods and systems for transmitting a promotional message associated with a promotion to a mobile device are disclosed. The method includes assigning a phone number to a promotion, receiving a call to the phone number assigned to the promotion from the mobile device, registering the call as a missed call at the mobile device, and transmitting the promotional message to the mobile device in response to receiving the call. In some embodiments, the phone number assigned to the promotion is a toll-free number. In some embodiments, the promotion is a coupon, rebate, an electronic refund, or a promotional offer.