Patent ID: 8400966

Claim:
A method for establishing a free or relatively inexpensive communications session while interfacing with personalized settings and contact lists similar to those of a known mobile phone, comprising the steps of: a) generating a virtual phone on a screen of a personal computer by: i. accessing a set-up module residing on the computer; ii. selecting, from a list of virtual phones stored in a remote virtual phone generation database, a virtual phone with which a user is desirous to interface; iii. downloading generic mobile phone data (GMPD) associated with said selected virtual phone; iv. entering user specific mobile phone data (USMPD); and v. suitably interfacing said entered USMPD with said downloaded GMPD by means of said set-up module whereby to generate said virtual phone, wherein said virtual phone has a shape, key arrangement and functionality substantially similar to those of a known mobile phone; b) virtually selecting a desired number and sequence of keys of said virtual phone or entering commands by means of an input device of said computer to said virtual phone that are needed to define a type and recipient of a session to be established; and c) establishing said session by means of a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application residing on said computer.