Patents Assigned to TEXTNOW, INC.
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Patent number: 11778104Abstract: An example method of suggesting contacts in a communications routing system includes: routing, via a routing engine, communications events between a communications device and a plurality of further communications devices coupled to the communications routing system as VoIP calls using respective VoIP telephone numbers; storing, for a user account associated with the communications device, a contact database representing VoIP telephone numbers stored in a contact tracking application of the communications device; storing, in the contact database for the user account, a log of communications events including a record for each new telephone number; and when the record for a new telephone number satisfies a threshold condition, providing a prompt, at the communications device, to add the new telephone number to the contact tracking application.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Jonathan Dennis Halk, Derek Ting
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Patent number: 11641568Abstract: An example communications system for providing communication services between communications devices may employ multiple usage rates for metered communication services. A method for adjusting usage amounts to account for multiple usage rates may include determining a usage adjustment factor for a communications event; determining a metered usage amount for the communications event; and determining an adjusted usage amount based on the usage adjustment factor and the metered usage amount for the communications amount. Thus, a billing system in the communications system may determine an invoice amount based on the adjusted usage amount and a predetermined bill rate.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2021Date of Patent: May 2, 2023Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventor: Derek Ting
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Patent number: 11558511Abstract: A mobile communications system includes switching between communication paths based on the quality of service. A VoIP service is coupled to a mobile network and a wireless local-area network (WLAN) via a wide-area IP network. A plurality of mobile communications devices are associated with VoIP telephone numbers. A public switched telephone network (PSTN) is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices and coupled to the VoIP service. A quality of service server is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices via the wide-area IP network for determining the quality of data channels to a mobile communications device via the mobile network and to the mobile communications device via the WLAN. A voice call is carried over one of the mobile network, the WLAN, and the PSTN depending on the quality of the data channels.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2021Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Alexandru Gabriel Roman, Armando Mauricio Murga
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Patent number: 11399099Abstract: A database stores unique associations between account identifiers and mobile-network telephone numbers assigned by a mobile network to mobile communications devices. The account identifiers are also associated with voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone numbers. Voice calls between the mobile communications devices are made as voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls using respective VoIP telephone numbers. Tracking of the VoIP calls is performed through the mobile network using respective mobile-network telephone numbers, so that a prepaid balance can be enforced.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2020Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Jonathan Lerner
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Patent number: 11190636Abstract: An example method of assigning a telephone number to a user account in a communications system is provided. The method includes obtaining a mnemonic seed and obtaining a subset of telephone numbers filtered from a global telephone number pool based on the mnemonic seed. The alphanumeric representation of each telephone number in the subset is within a threshold Hamming distance of the mnemonic seed. The method further includes receiving an indication of a selected telephone number from the subset and assigning the selected telephone number to the user account.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2020Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Michael Kovacevic, Jonathan Dennis Halk
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Patent number: 11144851Abstract: An example communications routing system includes a prediction engine to, for each user account, generate a predicted cost of communications events using a gamma-gamma cost model, generate a predicted revenue of presented advertisements using a gamma-gamma revenue model, generate a margin based on the predicted cost and the predicted revenue, and, when the margin for a given user account is below a margin threshold, restrict a status associated with the given user account.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: U Kong Wong, Chen Chen
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Patent number: 11006252Abstract: An example communications system for providing communication services between communications devices may employ multiple usage rates for metered communication services. A method for adjusting usage amounts to account for multiple usage rates may include determining a usage adjustment factor for a communications event; determining a metered usage amount for the communications event; and determining an adjusted usage amount based on the usage adjustment factor and the metered usage amount for the communications amount. Thus, a billing system in the communications system may determine an invoice amount based on the adjusted usage amount and a predetermined bill rate.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2020Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventor: Derek Ting
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Patent number: 10992815Abstract: A mobile communications system includes switching between communication paths based on the quality of service. A VoIP service is coupled to a mobile network and a wireless local-area network (WLAN) via a wide-area IP network. A plurality of mobile communications devices are associated with VoIP telephone numbers. A public switched telephone network (PSTN) is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices and coupled to the VoIP service. A quality of service server is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices via the wide-area IP network for determining the quality of data channels to a mobile communications device via the mobile network and to the mobile communications device via the WLAN. A voice call is carried over one of the mobile network, the WLAN, and the PSTN depending on the quality of the data channels.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2020Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Alexandru Gabriel Roman, Armando Mauricio Murga
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Patent number: 10951773Abstract: An example method of suggesting contacts in a communications routing system includes: routing, via a routing engine, communications events between a communications device and a plurality of further communications devices coupled to the communications routing system as VoIP calls using respective VoIP telephone numbers; storing, for a user account associated with the communications device, a contact database representing VoIP telephone numbers stored in a contact tracking application of the communications device; storing, in the contact database for the user account, a log of communications events including a record for each new telephone number; and when the record for a new telephone number satisfies a threshold condition, providing a prompt, at the communications device, to add the new telephone number to the contact tracking application.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2020Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Jonathan Dennis Halk, Derek Ting
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Patent number: 10887471Abstract: A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Tristan Huntington, Rich Wong
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Patent number: 10855847Abstract: A database stores unique associations between account identifiers and mobile-network telephone numbers assigned by a mobile network to mobile communications devices. The account identifiers are also associated with voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone numbers. Voice calls between the mobile communications devices are made as voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls using respective VoIP telephone numbers. Tracking of the VoIP calls is performed through the mobile network using respective mobile-network telephone numbers, so that a prepaid balance can be enforced.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Jonathan Lerner
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Patent number: 10750028Abstract: A mobile communications system includes switching between communication paths based on the quality of service. A VoIP service is coupled to a mobile network and a wireless local-area network (WLAN) via a wide-area IP network. A plurality of mobile communications devices are associated with VoIP telephone numbers. A public switched telephone network (PSTN) is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices and coupled to the VoIP service. A quality of service server is coupled to the plurality of mobile communications devices via the wide-area IP network for determining the quality of data channels to a mobile communications device via the mobile network and to the mobile communications device via the WLAN. A voice call is carried over one of the mobile network, the WLAN, and the PSTN depending on the quality of the data channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Alexandru Gabriel Roman, Armando Mauricio Murga
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Patent number: 10681510Abstract: An example communications system for providing communication services between communications devices may employ multiple usage rates for metered communication services. A method for adjusting usage amounts to account for multiple usage rates may include determining a usage adjustment factor for a communications event; determining a metered usage amount for the communications event; and determining an adjusted usage amount based on the usage adjustment factor and the metered usage amount for the communications amount. Thus, a billing system in the communications system may determine an invoice amount based on the adjusted usage amount and a predetermined bill rate.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2019Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventor: Derek Ting
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Patent number: 10666795Abstract: An example method of assigning a telephone number to a user account in a communications system is provided. The method includes obtaining a mnemonic seed and obtaining a subset of telephone numbers filtered from a global telephone number pool based on the mnemonic seed. The alphanumeric representation of each telephone number in the subset is within a threshold Hamming distance of the mnemonic seed. The method further includes receiving an indication of a selected telephone number from the subset and assigning the selected telephone number to the user account.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2019Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Michael Kovacevic, Jonathan Dennis Halk
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Patent number: 10432786Abstract: An example method of assigning a telephone number to a user account in a communications system is provided. The method includes obtaining a mnemonic seed and obtaining a subset of telephone numbers filtered from a global telephone number pool based on the mnemonic seed. The alphanumeric representation of each telephone number in the subset is within a threshold Hamming distance of the mnemonic seed. The method further includes receiving an indication of a selected telephone number from the subset and assigning the selected telephone number to the user account.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2019Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Michael Kovacevic, Jonathan Dennis Halk
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Patent number: 10178243Abstract: A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Tristan Huntington, Rich Wong
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Patent number: 9674375Abstract: A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Tristan Huntington, Rich Wong
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Patent number: 9621735Abstract: A database stores unique associations between account identifiers and mobile-network telephone numbers assigned by a mobile network to mobile communications devices. The account identifiers are also associated with voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone numbers. Voice calls between the mobile communications devices are made as voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls using respective VoIP telephone numbers. Tracking of the VoIP calls is performed through the mobile network using respective mobile-network telephone numbers, so that a prepaid balance can be enforced.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2014Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: TEXTNOW, INC.Inventors: Derek Ting, Jonathan Lerner