Vonage Wins Four New Patents by US PTO

Vonage Holdings Corp. VG, a leading provider of communication services connecting people through cloud-connected devices worldwide, today announced that it has been granted four new patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These patents relate to call rating and routing, conference calling, mobile wireless and calling card technologies.  On January 29, Vonage was granted U.S. Pat. No. 8,364,700, "Method and Apparatus for Rapid Data Access and Distribution Using Structured Identifiers."  The '700 patent provides a novel algorithm for quickly and efficiently processing certain types of data structures.  It has broad relevance to applications involving large databases, including telephone call rating and routing. On February 12, Vonage was granted U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,106, "Method and Apparatus for Group Calling in an IP-Based Communication System."  The '106 patent provides a convenient alternative to traditional conference calling, allowing individuals to establish and control the call through various interfaces, such as web browsers and apps for smartphones and tablets.  With this technology, individuals can participate in conference calls without a bridge number or authorization codes. "This is an elegant and practical solution for eliminating many of the inconveniences inherent in setting up conference calls today, improving the customer experience and creating new efficiencies for individuals and businesses," said Chief Legal Officer Kurt M. Rogers. Today, Vonage was granted two patents.  U.S. Pat. No. 8,379,571, "Method and Apparatus for Provisioning Dual Mode Wireless Client Devices in a Telecommunications System," relates to configuring a mobile device for use over a VoIP network.  U.S. Pat. No. 8,379,813, "Apparatus and Method of Authorizing a Calling Card Telephone Card," describes a calling card with enhanced security features. The issuance of these new patents in the first two months of 2013 builds upon the seven patents granted to Vonage in 2012, the company's most productive year ever in developing its growing patent portfolio.  Vonage now has 22 U.S. patents and nearly 140 U.S. patent applications pending, along with many foreign patents and pending applications in jurisdictions worldwide.