Patent ID: 9014177
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a plurality of servers configured to communicate with and relay both IP addressed overhead and IP addressed payload data from a plurality of originating communication devices, the second server including a screener configured to, when the first server calls the second server as a result of a first initiated communication from the first originating communication device to a first remote destination, receive first IP addressed data, and the screener being configured to, when the second originating communication device sends a second initiated communication to a second remote destination, receive second IP addressed data from the second originating communication device, at least the first initiated communication being initiated by a respective human operator directly operating the first originating communication device using the user interface while the first originating communication device is operatively connected to the first server, wherein: the first initiated communication is for sending first payload data from the first originating communication device to the first remote destination specified via the targeted destination input, and the second initiated communication is for sending second payload data from the second originating communication device to the second remote destination specified via the targeted destination input, the second remote destination requiring traversal of another phone network, and the second server of the plurality of servers being configured and connected within a first network so that the first IP addressed data and the second IP addressed data are processed differently, depending on a next portion of a respective communication pathway for a call, whereby, for the first initiated communication corresponding to the first IP addressed data, the first payload data is converted, after a point in time at which the screener received the first IP addressed data, from IP addressed payload data to a signal compatible with the another phone network, and whereby, for the second initiated communication corresponding to the second IP addressed data, the second payload data is sent on a next portion of the respective communication pathway without converting the second payload data from IP addressed payload data to the signal compatible with the another phone network, the first server includes a server determination mechanism to determine whether an outbound fax number, specified via the targeted destination input, is served by a corresponding local server of the plurality of servers, and when the server determination mechanism fails to determine that the outbound fax number is served by a corresponding local server, the server determination mechanism is configured determine whether a delivery call costs less as an intra-lata delivery call or as an inter-lata delivery call, when the server determination mechanism determines that the delivery call costs less as the intra-lata call, the server determination mechanism is configured to contact a first target server to make the intra-lata delivery call to a destination fax and send a fax formatted message, and when the server determination mechanism determines that the delivery call costs less as the inter-lata delivery call, the server determination mechanism is configured to contact a second target server to make the inter-lata delivery call to the destination fax and send the fax formatted message.