Patent ID: 7269160

Claim:
An Internet telephony system for providing communications involving a user communicating through an Internet browser, comprising a server hosting a Web site providing a user interface to permit a user to select and purchase items of interest, said server executing an application program communicating with telephony hardware to implement telephony system control, said application program having an application programming interface, said application program interface functions comprising at least one call to an external program, wherein said server proactively transmits a message to the Internet browser based on an automated analysis of a status of a user's Internet shopping cart, representing items of interest having an unconcluded transaction status, requesting establishment of an interactive voice communication session, and wherein the user can allow initiation of the interactive voice communication session through the Internet browser, in accordance with a predefined set of user preferences defining a user's preferred communications mode, selected from the group consisting of voice over a data packet switched network and a public switched telephone network, and wherein the user's selected items of interest in the shopping cart are independent of the establishment of the interactive voice communication session.