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Packet8 Awarded Key Dating Click To Call Patent |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Thursday, 09 November 2006 |
8x8, Inc. the company behind the Packet8 VoIP and videophone
communications services has been awarded a nice shiny new U.S. Patent for the VoIP
related display of images on the Net.
According to a statement from the company, U.S. Patent No.
7,124,165, issued October 17, 2006, is titled "Arrangement and Method for
Displaying and Sharing Images."
One of the 27 allowed claims is claim #12 which reads:
12. A method for displaying and sharing digital images using
an internet access appliance with telephony and image capture capability,
comprising the steps of: posting at least one digital image via a server to a
web page where the at least one image is made available for viewing, the at
least one digital image being a digital image of an item captured by a sender;
selecting at least one individual for whom the at least one image is to be made
accessible for viewing; notifying the at least one individual of the at least
one image being posted to the web page; and while viewing at least one image,
using the internet access appliance to establish a telephony connection between
said at least one individual and a second individual, where the at least one
individual and the second individual concurrently review the at least one image
at the web page.
(huh?)
According to the press statement from 8x8, "the invention
enables an individual to click on a posted image and correspond with the sender
in the form of an IP phone call, fax or other electronic communication".
Well, look. I'm no patent attorney and probably not that
smart either, but this patent seems to cover both shopping and dating click-to-call scenario's.
It's a method for displaying and sharing
digital images where a digital image(s) is captured and posted to a web page and
made available for viewing. Then at least one individual is notified the image
is there and is allowed to view the image.
While viewing the image the individual can click on the
image and place an IP call to the sender and the two can communicate while concurrently viewing
the image at the web page.
The click to call functionality at least as described in the
press announcement is applied to an image of an item, whether this would also
cover a person or not, we don't know.
Whether used in a shopping context, collaborative work environment or
an online dating site, the highly intuitive inclination to click on an image to
access further functionality makes this a handy piece of Intellectual Property for 8x8 to have under its belt.
The patent is 8x8's 65th issued United States patent and the fifth
Internet telephony-related patent awarded to the company in 2006.
www.packet8.net
www.8x8.com
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