Internet telephony unit and software for enabling internet telephone access from traditional telephone interface
First Claim
1. A telephony system for automatically selecting and establishing a communications connection to a receiver device, the telephony system comprising:
- a telephone device for entering an address of the receiver device for initiating a communications connection to the receiver device, and for creating an address signal;
an internet telephony device in communication with the telephone device for obtaining the address signal of the receiver device, and for transmitting the address signal for analysis of the address signal;
an internet telephony selection device in communication with the internet telephony device for receiving the address signal of the receiver device and for automatically determining network access capabilities of the receiver device, wherein the internet telephony selection device is adapted to automatically evaluate a cost of establishing a communications connection for each communications network the receiver device is capable of accessing, automatically select the lowest cost communications network of the evaluation from an internet-based network, a hybrid telephone/internet network, and a telephone network, and override said automatically selecting a communications network if command sequences are entered on said telephone device along with said address of the receiver device, wherein the internet telephony selection device is further adapted to provide a command signal to the internet telephony device indicating the selected communications network; and
a network access device for receiving a command signal from the internet telephony device and establishing a communications connection to the selected communications network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Automatic selection and establishment of a communications connection between a telephone device to a receiver device, including entering an address of a receiver device into the telephone device for initiating the communications connection to the receiver device, and automatically selecting a communications network for establishing the communications connection to the receiver device, and selecting the communications network from an internet-based network, a hybrid telephone/internet network, and a telephone network. Automatically determine network access capabilities of the receiver device based on the address of the receiver device, and automatically evaluate the cost of establishing a communications connection for each of the communications networks which the receiver device is capable of accessing. The communications network with the lowest cost is selected.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A telephony system for automatically selecting and establishing a communications connection to a receiver device, the telephony system comprising:
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a telephone device for entering an address of the receiver device for initiating a communications connection to the receiver device, and for creating an address signal; an internet telephony device in communication with the telephone device for obtaining the address signal of the receiver device, and for transmitting the address signal for analysis of the address signal; an internet telephony selection device in communication with the internet telephony device for receiving the address signal of the receiver device and for automatically determining network access capabilities of the receiver device, wherein the internet telephony selection device is adapted to automatically evaluate a cost of establishing a communications connection for each communications network the receiver device is capable of accessing, automatically select the lowest cost communications network of the evaluation from an internet-based network, a hybrid telephone/internet network, and a telephone network, and override said automatically selecting a communications network if command sequences are entered on said telephone device along with said address of the receiver device, wherein the internet telephony selection device is further adapted to provide a command signal to the internet telephony device indicating the selected communications network; and a network access device for receiving a command signal from the internet telephony device and establishing a communications connection to the selected communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for automatically replacing a first communications connection between a calling device and a receiver device employing a telephone network with a second communications connection employing an internet network, where the receiver device is capable of employing the internet network for a communications connection, the method comprising:
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determining if the calling device is capable of receiving the second communications connection via the internet network; automatically evaluating, with an internet telephony selection device, a cost of establishing a communications connection for each communications network the receiver device is capable of accessing, automatically selecting the lowest cost communications network of the evaluation from an internet based network, a hybrid telephone/internet network, and a telephone network; establishing, when the calling device is capable of employing a communications connection via the internet network and said internet network has a lower cost than said telephone network, the second communications connection, by automatically disconnecting the telephone network communications connection between the calling device and the receiver device, and automatically establishing the second communications connection employing the internet network between the receiver device and the incoming calling device, wherein the first communications connection is disconnected and the second communications connection is established without apparently interrupting communications between a caller using the calling device and a receiver using the receiver device; and disabling the functioning of said second communications connection at the wish of a call recipient at said receiver device while maintaining communication between the calling device and the receiver device and overriding said automatically selecting a communications network if command sequences are entered on said telephone device along with said address of the receiver device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification