Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for call completion using information extracted from an active application on a computing machine is described. Call initiation may be accomplished using a 'warm-line' feature in which a default number is dialled after a predetermined time of an off-hook condition of a voice terminal, if no digits are dialled after the voice terminal is taken off-hook. The number dialled is a number used to connect the telephone set to computer-Controlled Telephony Integration hardware (CTI). On receipt of the call, the CTI hardware extracts Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information to determine the number of the calling party and verifies that the calling party is the subscriber to the service. If the calling party is the subscriber to the service, a query is sent to an IP address associated with the subscriber to retrieve information from an active application for completing a second leg of the call. The information may be a telephone number, or information which would permit the retrieval of a telephone number such as a name and address or an e-mail address. A directory service may be used to convert the information into a telephone number. Once a telephone number is obtained, the CTI hardware is used to complete the second leg of the call and the two calls are joined together. The advantage is a fast, convenient method of completing calls without dialling digits or manually converting one form of information into a diallable number.

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First Claim