Methods, apparatus and computer program products for routing phone calls to a PSTN or a packet switched network based on called number

• US 7,313,231 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reid, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/653,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 379/33, 379/37, 379/93.01, 379/93.07, 379/106.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.03, 379/221.14, 379/207.14, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

A phone call is selectively routed to a public switched telephone network or to a packet switched network based on a called number to which the phone call is directed. A phone call may be made as a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol call through, for example, the Internet except when a user dials an emergency number, in which case the call is made to the public switched telephone network.

Claims

1. A method of routing phone calls in a communication system, the method comprising:

within a phone network interface that is separate from a local access phone provider and from a local access Internet provider, selectively carrying out based on a called number to which a phone call is directed;

     1) routing an analog signal of the phone call received from a phone through an analog phone line for communication to the local access phone provider and across a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

or

     2) converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) phone call signal and routing the digital VoIP phone call signal to a broadband network modem device for communication to the local access Internet provider and across a packet switched network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital VoIP phone call signal comprises routing the digital VoIP phone call signal from the phone network interface to a cable modem device for communication to the local access Internet provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital VoIP phone call signal comprises routing the digital VoIP phone call signal from the phone network interface through a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem device for communication to the local access Internet provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein routing an analog signal of the phone call received from a phone through an analog phone line for communication to a local access phone provider is carried out when the called number corresponds to at least one predefined number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital VoIP phone call signal and routing the digital VoIP phone call signal to a broadband network modem device is carried out when the called number does not correspond to the at least one predefined number.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the predefined number is 911.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein routing an analog signal of the phone call received from a phone through an analog phone line for communication to a local access phone provider is carried out when the called number corresponds to an emergency number, and converting the analog phone call signal to a digital VoIP phone call signal and routing the digital VoIP phone call signal to a broadband network modem device is carried out when the called number does not correspond to an emergency number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

wherein routing an analog signal of the phone call received from a phone through an analog phone line for communication to a local access phone provider comprises establishing an analog connection between a phone and the PSTN; and

converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital VoIP phone call signal and routing the digital VoIP phone call signal to a broadband network modem device comprises establishing a digital connection between the phone and the packet switched network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selectively converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital signal based on the called number.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively providing the called number to the PSTN or the packet switched network based on the called number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the analog signal from the phone to a digital VoIP phone call signal and routing the digital VoIP phone call signal to a broadband network modem device further comprises routing the VoIP phone call to a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) provider.

12. A phone adapter comprising:

a phone interface that is configured to be communicatively connected to a phone via an analog phone line;

a PSTN interface that is configured to be communicatively connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) via an analog phone line, wherein the PSTN interface is separate from a local access phone provider;

an Internet interface that is configured to be communicatively connected to a broadband network interface device that can be communicatively connected to the Internet, wherein the Internet interface is separate from a local access Internet provider; and

a controller that is configured to selectively;

     1) route an analog phone call signal, which is received through the phone interface from a phone, through the PSTN interface and an analog phone line to the local access phone provider or

     2) convert the analog phone call signal to a digital Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) phone call signal and route the digital VoIP phone call signal through the Internet interface to the broadband network interface device to the local access Internet provider for communication across a packet switched network based on a called number to which the phone call is directed.

13. The phone adapter of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to route the VoIP phone call through a cable modem device to the local access Internet provider.

14. The phone adapter of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to route the VoIP phone call through a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem device to the local access Internet provider.

15. The phone adapter of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to route the phone call through the PSTN interface and the analog phone line to the local access phone provider for communication across the PSTN when the called number corresponds to at least one predefined number.

16. The phone adapter of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the called number corresponds to at least one predefined number, and further comprising a switch that is configured to selectively pass the analog phone call signal from the phone interface through the PSTN interface based on the determination by the controller.