Method for initiating internet telephone service from a web page

Abstract

A direct telephone dialing scheme for initiating internet telephone service from a web page is provided. The scheme allows a caller, using an internet telephone service, to place telephone call to a telephone number appearing on any web page directly from that web page. In one embodiment, a caller navigates to a desired web page on the internet and the caller dials a telephone number on that web page directly to initiate a two-way audio communication with the destination telephone number using an internet telephone service. The direct telephone dialing scheme of the present invention improves the accessibility and ease of use of internet telephone services. Furthermore, the direct telephone dialing scheme can be used with video, data, and fax communications which are supported by the VoIP data communication standard.

1 . A system for providing telephone service over a network, comprising:
 a browser that enables a display of at least one page on the network;   a gateway coupled to the network and another network, wherein the network enables communication of voice data and the other network enables communication of at least one voice signal, and wherein the gateway provides a conversion between voice data and at least one voice signal to enable telephone service between at least one caller communicating on the network and at least one node on the other network; and   an application that is configured and arranged to perform actions, including:
 determining if a string based representation of a telephone number is included in the at least one page based on a comparison to at least one format; 
 enabling a modified display of a determined telephone number by the browser; and 
 in response to a selection of the modified display of the telephone number, enabling telephone service to be provided over the gateway between a caller and a node associated with determined the telephone number. 
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a firewall on the network that provides secure access by the browser to the at least one page on the network. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gateway is an Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) gateway. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of the network includes the Internet and the other network is a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the format enables the comparison to at least one of a domestic telephone area code, international country code, international city code, or an international telephone area code. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modified display for the telephone number includes at least one of a highlighted telephone number, an underlined telephone number, or a bolded telephone number. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured and arranged to perform further actions, including:
 if the string based representation of the telephone number is further determined to include a hyperlink, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway in response to the selection of the modified display of the telephone number.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the application is arranged as at least one of a dynamic linked library or a java script. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the node is at least one of a telephone, or an audio communication device. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured and arranged to perform further actions, including:
 until the caller is logged into the telephone service, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one page is a web page, and wherein the web page is provided to the browser from a web site on the network. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for providing telephone service over a network, comprising:
 a browser that enables a display of at least one page on the network;   a memory that comprises stored data;   a processor that is configured and arranged to enable actions based at least in part on executing at least a portion of the stored data, including:
 determining if a string based representation of a telephone number is included in the at least one page based on a comparison to at least one format; 
 enabling a modified display of a determined telephone number in the at least one page; and 
 in response to a selection of the modified display of the telephone number, enabling telephone service to be provided over a gateway between a caller communicating on the network and a node on another network that is associated with the telephone number, wherein the network enables communication of voice data and the other network enables communication of at least one voice signal, and wherein the gateway provides a conversion between voice data and at least one voice signal to enable telephone service between the caller and the node. 
   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the format enables the comparison to at least one of a domestic telephone area code, international country code, international city code, or an international telephone area code. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the modified display for the telephone number includes at least one of a highlighted telephone number, an underlined telephone number, or a bolded telephone number. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured and arranged to enable further actions, including:
 if the string based representation of the telephone number is further determined to include a hyperlink, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway in response to the selection of the modified display of the telephone number.   
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the data is arranged as at least one of a dynamic linked library or a java script. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the node is at least one of a telephone, or an audio communication device that is associated with the telephone number. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured and arranged to enable further actions, including:
 until the caller is logged into the telephone service, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway.   
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one page is a web page, and wherein the web page is provided to the browser from a web site on the network. 
   
   
       20 . A method for providing telephone service over a network, comprising:
 receiving a page on the network;   determining if a telephone number is included in the received page based at least in part on a comparison between content in the page to at least one string based format;   enabling a modified display of a determined telephone number in the received page; and   in response to a selection of the modified display of the telephone number, enabling telephone service to be provided over a gateway between a caller communicating over the network and a node on another network that is associated with the telephone number, wherein the network enables communication of voice data and the other network enables communication of at least one voice signal, and wherein the gateway provides a conversion between voice data and at least one voice signal to enable telephone service between the caller and the node.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the string based format enables the comparison to at least one of a domestic telephone area code, international country code, international city code, or an international telephone area code. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the modified display for the telephone number includes at least one of a highlighted telephone number, an underlined telephone number, or a bolded telephone number. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 if the string based representation of the telephone number is further determined to include a hyperlink, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway in response to the selection of the modified display of the telephone number.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the node is at least one of a telephone, or an audio communication device that is associated with the telephone number. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 until the caller is logged into the telephone service, preventing the providing of the telephone service over the gateway.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one page is a web page, and wherein the web page is received from a web site on the network.