Voip providing call forwarding to external phone network

Abstract

System and method of forwarding a caller's request for a Voice over IP (VoIP) call to another phone network using the callee's phone number if the callee's VoIP account is offline. The call request is forwarded after the VoIP system determines that the callee VoIP account is currently offline. In this manner, a voice communication can still be established through the phone network despite the callee being unavailable for a VoIP call. The callee's phone number may be explicitly contained in the VoIP user ID or stored in the VoIP database and associated with the user ID. The forwarding process is transparent to the caller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method of providing voice communication service over a network, said method comprising:
 receiving a first call request submitted from a first endpoint device through a first user account for communicating with a second user in real-time, wherein said first call request identifies a second user account associated with said second user, wherein said first user account and said second user account are registered with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider, and wherein an identification of said second user account is identical with a telephone number;   determining if said second user account is currently online;   if said second user account is currently offline based on said determining, automatically submitting a second call request for communicating with said second user in real-time to a phone device associated with said telephone number, wherein said phone device is controlled by a telephone network external to said VoIP service provider; and   initiating a call session between said first endpoint device and said phone device.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising, if said second user account is currently online based on said determining, identifying a second endpoint device with said second user account logged in, initiating a VoIP call session between said first endpoint device and said second endpoint device. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said second call request is submitted to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and said phone device is a landline phone. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said second call request is submitted to a mobile communication network and said phone device is a mobile phone, and wherein said submitting said second call request is transparent to said first endpoint device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said first endpoint device corresponds to a computing device installed with a VoIP application program. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said first call request is submitted by inputting said phone through a graphical user interface of a VoIP application program installed in said first endpoint device. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving user instructions to configure said second user account with respect to forwarding a VoIP call request to the telephone number. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 communication circuits;   a processor; and   memory coupled to said processor and comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause the system to perform a method of facilitating voice communication over a network according to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), said method comprising:
 receiving a first call request submitted from a first endpoint device through a first user account for communicating with a second user in real-time, wherein said first call request identifies a second user account associated with said second user, wherein said first user account and said second user account are registered with a Voice over IP (VoIP) service provider, and wherein an identification of said second user account is identical with a telephone number; 
 determining if said second user account is currently online; 
 if said second user account is currently offline based on said determining, submitting a second call request for communicating with said second user in real-time to a phone device associated with said telephone number, wherein said phone device is controlled by a telephone network external to said VoIP service provider, and wherein said submitting said second call request is transparent to said first endpoint device; and 
 initiating a call session between said first endpoint device and said phone device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said method further comprises, if said second user account is currently online based on said determining, identifying a second endpoint device with said second user account logged in, initiating a VoIP call session between said first endpoint device and said second endpoint device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said second call request is submitted to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and said phone device is a landline phone. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said second call request is submitted to a mobile communication network and said phone device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said first endpoint device corresponds to a computing device installed with a VoIP application program. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said first call request is submitted by inputting said phone through a graphical user interface of a VoIP application program installed in said first endpoint device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said method further comprising receiving user instructions to configure said second user account with respect to forwarding a VoIP call request to the telephone number. 
     
     
         15 . A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server of a Voice over IP (VoIP) network comprising:
 communication circuits communicatively coupled to an external phone network;   a processor; and   memory coupled to said processor and comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause the SIP server to perform a method of facilitating voice communication, said method comprising:
 receiving a first call request submitted from a first endpoint device through a first user account for communicating with a second user in real-time, wherein said first call request identifies a second user account associated with said second user, wherein said first user account and said second user account are registered with said VoIP network, wherein said second user account is identical with a telephone number, wherein said telephone number is controlled by said external phone networkk; 
 searching for a second endpoint device with said second user account signed in; 
 upon failure to locate said second endpoint device during said searching, automatically sending a second call request to said external phone network for contacting a phone device of said telephone number, wherein said sending said second call request is transparent to said first endpoint device; and 
 initiating a call session between said first endpoint device and said phone device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The SIP server of  claim 15 , wherein said method further comprises, if determining said second user account being currently online, initiating a VoIP call session between said first endpoint device and said second endpoint device. 
     
     
         17 . The SIP server of  claim 16 , wherein said second call request is submitted to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and said phone device is a landline phone. 
     
     
         19 . The SIP server of  claim 16 , wherein said first call request is submitted by inputting said phone through a graphical user interface of a VoIP application program installed in said first endpoint device. 
     
     
         20 . The SIP server of  claim 15 , wherein said method further comprising receiving user instructions to configure said second user account with respect to forwarding a VoIP call request to the telephone number.