Abstract: An apparatus includes a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)-enabled device having a unique identifier and including a receiver. The receiver is configured to receive data associated with a current geographic position of the VOIP-enabled device. The VOIP-enabled device is configured to transmit a signal including the unique identifier and the data associated with the position to a network each time a call is initiated. In other embodiments, a method includes determining a current position of a VOIP-enabled device associated with a unique identifier, and transmitting a signal including data associated with the current position to an IP gateway either before or after a call is initiated from the VOIP-enabled device.

Abstract: The specification describes systems, and operation thereof, allowing parents or other parties to monitor mobile device activities of a child. In addition, parent can dynamically control mobile device activities of the child. Software, or network adjuncts, can link a mobile device to a station set or mobile phone under the control of the parent. Calling traffic to and from the mobile device may be routed to a receiver at a location monitored by the parent. In some embodiments, software allows the parent to intervene in the communications of the child. The intervention may take a variety of forms, such as interrupting a call in progress, terminating call activity, interrupting or terminating Internet access. Where the mobile device is provided with pre-programmed restraining software, the intervention may be modifying the restraining software.

Abstract: The specification describes systems, and operation thereof, allowing parents or other parties to monitor mobile device activities of a child. In addition, parent can dynamically control mobile device activities of the child. Software, or network adjuncts, can link a mobile device to a station set or mobile phone under the control of the parent. Calling traffic to and from the mobile device may be routed to a receiver at a location monitored by the parent. In some embodiments, software allows the parent to intervene in the communications of the child. The intervention may take a variety of forms, such as interrupting a call in progress, terminating call activity, interrupting or terminating Internet access. Where the mobile device is provided with pre-programmed restraining software, the intervention may be modifying the restraining software.

Abstract: The specification describes systems, and operation of systems, that allows a parent or other responsible party to monitor the mobile device activities of a child. In addition, it optionally allows the parent to dynamically control the mobile device activities of the child. It relies on software, or a network adjunct, that links a mobile device to a station set or mobile phone under the control of the parent. Calling traffic to and from the mobile device may be routed to a receiver at a location monitored by the parent. In preferred embodiments, software is designed to allow the parent to intervene in the communications of the child. The intervention may take a variety of forms, such as interrupting a call in progress, terminating all call activity, interrupting or terminating Internet access. Where the mobile device is provided with pre-programmed restraining software, the intervention may be to modify the restraining software to add new restraints.

Abstract: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls received in a Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) network (12) maintained by a provider of HFC VoIP telephony services are advantageously translated into a Time-Division Multiplex (TDM) format by an Internet Protocol Device Terminal (IPDT) (26) in the HFC network. Once translated into a TDM format, the call passes to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (28) for call processing to afford the call features subscribed to by the called party, such as caller-ID and call waiting. Once processed, the PSTN routes the call to the destination. Likewise, a call destined for an HFC VoIP customer can be processed within the PSTN to afford the call features subscribed to by the HFC VoIP customer. In this way, the HFC VoIP telephony service can offer full-featured VoIP cable telephony without the need to perform call processing in its own network.

Abstract: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls received in a Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) network (12) maintained by a provider of HFC VoIP telephony services are advantageously translated into a Time-Division Multiplex (TDM) format by an Internet Protocol Device Terminal (IPDT) (26) in the HFC network. Once translated into a TDM format, the call passes to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (28) for call processing to afford the call features subscribed to by the called party, such as caller-ID and call waiting. Once processed, the PSTN routes the call to the destination. Likewise, a call destined for an HFC VoIP customer can be processed within the PSTN to afford the call features subscribed to by the HFC VoIP customer. In this way, the HFC VoIP telephony service can offer full-featured VoIP cable telephony without the need to perform call processing in its own network.

Abstract: A call from a calling party (12) is routed to at least one called party (14, 16, and 18) in accordance with the network preference of the calling party while taking into account the network capability of the called party. The calling party initiates an attempt to the called party over a preferred network (32) by first querying a database (40) containing records, each indicating the network capability of a corresponding called party. If the called party has the capability of receiving a call on the preferred network, the call is routed over that network. Otherwise, the call is routed over an alternate network (30) on which the called party has the capability of receiving a call.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that can automatically facilitate busy line validation (BLV) and emergency interrupt (EI) services with the aid of various sensors and systems that can automatically determine the status of a given phone-line, and further provide a menu of services to a calling party. A calling party that encounters a busy signal during an attempt to call a called party can validate the status of the called line without the intervention of a human operator. If the called line is currently used for a voice conversation, as opposed to a modem or facsimile call, then the calling party can optionally interrupt the ongoing conversation with the permission of the called party.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that can automatically facilitate busy line validation (BLV) and emergency interrupt (EI) services with the aid of various sensors and systems that can automatically determine the status of a given phone-line, and further provide a menu of services to a calling party. A calling party that encounters a busy signal during an attempt to call a called party can validate the status of the called line without the intervention of a human operator. If the called line is currently used for a voice conversation, as opposed to a modem or facsimile call, then the calling party can optionally interrupt the ongoing conversation with the permission of the called party.

Abstract: The parties (12, 14) to a telephone call can exchange multimedia information by sending each other a URL that identifies the party's information. Each party may communicate its URL to the other party in the form of a caller identification message for receipt by the other party on a caller identification device (18) connected to computer (20). Upon receipt of the URL, the computer will access the Internet to retrieve the multimedia information corresponding to the URL. Rather than communicate its URL in the form of a caller identification message, each party may communicate its URL to the other in a call set-up signaling message in connection with an Internet Protocol telephone call.

Abstract: A calling party may receive an audio logo or an audible announcement during a telecommunications call. Upon receipt of the call, a switch (30) within a network (10) accesses a service database (40) to determine if the call should receive an audio logo or audible announcements during call set-up. This determination is based on call attribute information such as the calling party number, the dialed number, the carrier identification code, trunk group characteristics, and/or “II” digits; and pre-provisioned data arrays, such as lists of originating numbers, destination numbers, carrier identification codes, trunk group characteristics, and/or II digits that should or should not receive an announcement or announcements. An announcement frame (50) in the switch (30) plays the announcement(s) to the calling party, while the switch simultaneously sets up the call to the called party (70).

Abstract: The parties (12, 14) to a telephone call can exchange multimedia information by sending each other a URL that identifies the party's information. Each party may communicate its URL to the other party in the form of a caller identification message for receipt by the other party on a caller identification device (18) connected to computer (20). Upon receipt of the URL, the computer will access the Internet to retrieve the multimedia information corresponding to the URL. Rather than communicate its URL in the form of a caller identification message, each party may communicate its URL to the other in a call set-up signaling message in connection with an Internet Protocol telephone call.

Abstract: A calling party (12) may enjoy IP network routing of a call to a called party (14) simply by dialing the called party's number. Upon receipt of the call, a network (22) accesses a service database (24) containing call routing instructions. Each record is identified by a particular attribute of a call that may include: (1) the originating number, (2), at least a portion of the destination number, (3) a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) associated with the network originating call, and/or (4) at least one characteristic of a trunkgroup on which the network received the call. If the network matches a data base record to a call attribute, the network routes the call in accordance with the instructions in the matching record, including routing the call over an IP network 16 when the record so specifies.