(By Balaseshan) Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a provider of communications services, said it has received three new patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office apart from the four patents granted earlier this year.
On November 6, Vonage was issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,306,202, "Method and System for Customized Caller Identification." The patented invention allows a user of a telephony system to set up customized caller ID and call routing instructions for different contacts. These different instructions may be set up for both inbound and outbound calls.
On November 6, Vonage was issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,305,933, "Method and Apparatus for Detecting Devices on a Local Area Network." The patented invention allows a host computer to communicate with any VoIP device on the network, facilitating discovery and installation of the device regardless of the device's location, for example, behind a router.
Finally, Vonage was issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,320,543, "System for Effecting a Telephone Call Over a Computer Network Without Alphanumeric Keypad Operation."
The patented invention provides a method for enabling users of a VoIP telephony system to place calls using a web browser or other Internet-capable software instead of an alphanumeric keypad on a conventional phone.
"These new patents relate to diverse areas of our business, covering device recognition, customized routing, and 'click to call' functionality, highlighting the breadth of our innovative efforts. The issuance of these patents caps Vonage's most productive year to date in growing our patent portfolio," said Chief Legal Officer Kurt Rogers.
Vonage now has 18 U.S. patents with more than 110 U.S. patent applications pending, along with numerous foreign patents and pending applications in many jurisdictions worldwide.
VG closed Monday's regular session up 2.68% at $2.30. The stock has been trading between $1.63 and $3.16 for the past 52 weeks.