Voice over internet protocol telephone system and method

Claim 2

In an Internet Protocol telephone using a telephone to place and receive voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based and public switches telephone network (PSTN)-based telephone calls, a method which occurs during a PSTN-based telephone call, the method comprising: detecting an off-hook condition from the telephone; receiving a sequence of signals generated by the telephone; buffering at least a first signal generated by the telephone; attempting to detect a predetermined signal that signifies a VoIP-based call; and intercepting subsequent signals in the sequence, absent the at least first signal that was buffered, and placing the VoIP-based call via an internet when the predetermined signal is detected.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 further comprising: detecting a presence of an incoming telephone call; and signaling a user of the telephone during the VoIP-based call of the presence of the incoming telephone call.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2 wherein the user of the telephone is signaled via an audible tone.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3 wherein the audible tone is of a first ringing cadence when the incoming telephone call is a VoIP-based call and the audible tone is of a second ringing cadence when the incoming telephone call is a PSTN-based call.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 2 wherein the incoming telephone call is a VoIP-based call.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 2 wherein the incoming telephone call is a PSTN-based call.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1 further comprising ringing the telephone via the internet when an electronic mail message arrives at a mailbox.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1 further comprising utilizing a PSTN to send a telephony-based page to a wireless pager on receipt of an electronic mail message.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 8 further comprising: translating the electronic mail message into a voice message; and transmitting the voice message over the PSTN to be communicated on the telephone.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 1 further comprising: receiving a facsimile from a PSTN; and redistributing the facsimile as an electronic mail message via the internet.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 10 further comprising forwarding the facsimile to another facsimile number.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 1 further comprising: receiving an electronic mail message; and converting the electronic mail message into a facsimile.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 12 further comprising forwarding the facsimile to another facsimile number.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 1 further comprising, when the predetermined signal is not detected that signifies a VoIP-based call: determining that a telephone call is being made; transmitting the sequence of signals generated by the telephone to a PSTN; detecting a presence of an incoming VoIP-based call having Internet Protocol address information; and signaling a user of the telephone during the telephone call of the presence of the incoming VoIP-based call.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 14 wherein the user is signaled via an audible tone.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 14 further comprising: translating the Internet Protocol address information into a format compatible for caller identification to create VoIP caller identification information; and presenting to the user of the telephone the VoIP caller identification information.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 16 wherein the step of presenting to the user of the telephone occurs at the time of signaling the user of the telephone during the telephone call of the presence of the incoming VoIP-based call.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 1 wherein the telephone is cordless.

Claim 20

In an Internet Protocol telephone system using a digital wireless handset to place and receive internet-based telephone calls using a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as well as public switched telephone network (PSTN)-based calls via a common compression decompression engine, a method for dynamically routing a voice stream call over either the PSTN or an internet comprising steps of: entering an active mode; receiving a sequence of signals from a user, wherein the sequence of signals comprises a network selection and voice stream routing information and wherein the sequence of signals are received without a prompting of the user to make the network selection; and interacting with a network premises gateway to initiate the call, wherein the network premises gateway connects to a PSTN when initiating PSTN-based calls and connects to an internet when initiating VoIP-based calls.

Claim 21

In an Internet Protocol telephone system using a digital wireless handset to place and receive internet-based telephone calls using a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as well as public switched telephone network (PSTN)-based calls via a common compression decompression engine, a method for dynamically routing a voice stream call over either the PSTN or an internet comprising steps of: entering an active mode; receiving a sequence of signals from a user, wherein the sequence of signals comprises a network selection and voice stream routing information and wherein the sequence of signals are received without a prompting of the user to make the network selection; and interacting with a network premises gateway to initiate the call, wherein the network premises gateway connects to a PSTN when initiating PSTN-based calls and connects to an internet when initiating VoIP-based calls.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 19 , further comprising steps of: converting analog signals to digital signals at the digital wireless handset to be transmitted to a network premises gateway when placing an outgoing call; translating digital signals to a format compatible for a network used in completing the outgoing call at the network premises gateway, wherein the network is the PSTN for PSTN-based calls and the internet for VoIP based calls; and converting digital signals transmitted form the network premises gateway to analog signals at the digital wireless handset when receiving an incoming call.

Claim 23

The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of: transmitting the digital signals to the network premises gateway using low-bit addressing and encoding.

Claim 24

In an Internet Protocol telephone system using a telephone to place and receive voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls and public switched telephone network (PSTN)-based telephone calls, a system for dynamically routing a telephone call over either the PSTN or an internet comprising: a telephony subsystem having: a state detector for detecting an off-hook condition with the telephone; a detector for receiving a sequence of signals generated by the telephone, wherein the sequence of signals comprises a type-of-call selection and telephone call routing information and wherein the sequence of signals are received without a prompting of the user to make a type-of-call selection; a system controller and memory, coupled to the telephony subsystem, having: a memory system for buffering at least a first signal generated by the telephone; a comparator for attempting to detect a predetermined signal in the sequence of signals comprising a type-of-call selection that signifies a VoIP-based call; and a microprocessor and associated software for intercepting subsequent signals in the sequence, absent the at least first signal that was buffered, and placing the VoIP-based call via an internet when the predetermined signal in detected.

Claim 25

In an Internet Protocol telephone system using a telephone to place and receive voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls and public switched telephone network (PSTN)-based telephone calls, a system for dynamically routing a telephone call over either the PSTN or an internet comprising: a telephony subsystem having: a state detector for detecting an off-hook condition with the telephone; a detector for receiving a sequence of signals generated by the telephone, wherein the sequence of signals comprises a type-of-call selection and telephone call routing information and wherein the sequence of signals are received without a prompting of the user to make a type-of-call selection; a system controller and memory, coupled to the telephony subsystem, having: a memory system for buffering at least a first signal generated by the telephone; a comparator for attempting to detect a predetermined signal in the sequence of signals comprising a type-of-call selection that signifies a VoIP-based call; and a microprocessor and associated software for intercepting subsequent signals in the sequence, absent the at least first signal that was buffered, and placing the VoIP-based call via an internet when the predetermined signal in detected.