公开(公告)号：US10432786B1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US16366744

申请日：2019-03-27

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Derek Ting ,  Michael Kovacevic ,  Jonathan Dennis Halk

IPC: H04M3/42 ,  H04L29/12 ,  G06F16/903

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US11641568B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-02

申请号：US17226842

申请日：2021-04-09

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Derek Ting

IPC: H04W4/24 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04W84/12

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20210168242A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-03

申请号：US17171725

申请日：2021-02-09

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Jonathan Dennis Halk ,  Derek Ting

IPC: H04M7/00 ,  H04L29/12 ,  H04W8/26

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US11006252B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-11

申请号：US16861852

申请日：2020-04-29

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Derek Ting

IPC: H04W4/24 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04W84/12

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US10887471B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-05

申请号：US16222085

申请日：2018-12-17

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Derek Ting ,  Tristan Huntington ,  Rich Wong

IPC: H04W4/21 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04M17/00 ,  H04M17/02 ,  G06Q30/02 ,  H04M15/02 ,  H04W84/12 ,  H04M7/00

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US10855847B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-01

申请号：US15445601

申请日：2017-02-28

Applicant: TextNow, Inc.

Inventor： Derek Ting ,  Jonathan Lerner

IPC: H04M7/00 ,  H04M15/00 ,  H04L29/06 ,  H04L29/12 ,  H04M17/02 ,  H04L29/08 ,  H04W4/14 ,  H04W84/12

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20200288020A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-10

申请号：US16808947

申请日：2020-03-04

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Jonathan Dennis Halk ,  Derek Ting

IPC: H04M7/00 ,  H04L29/12 ,  H04W8/26

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US10666795B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-26

申请号：US16549288

申请日：2019-08-23

Applicant: TEXTNOW, INC.

Inventor： Derek Ting ,  Michael Kovacevic ,  Jonathan Dennis Halk

IPC: H04M3/42 ,  H04L29/12 ,  G06F16/903

Abstract: 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.