Patent ID: 7327720
Filing Date: 2008-02-05
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. For use in a telephone central office system of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a central office system, comprising: (a) a switching system providing telephone service to client subscriber devices for placing and receiving telephone calls on the PSTN; (b) connection means associated with said switching system for receiving a connection from the PSTN to place and receive telephone calls; (c) a central office switching system interface device for providing Internet and telephony services to client devices capable of placing or receiving calls on the PSTN, said interface device providing an interface between said client devices of said interface device and said switching system; (d) a plurality of said interface devices integrated into an assembly of interface devices comprising an integrated interface device system, said integrated interface device system further comprising: (e) said central office system having means for enabling a calling device to establish an Internet communication with a called device by dialing its telephone number, wherein either of said calling and called devices are an Integrated Device and are a client of one of said interface devices or of said switching system; and (f) wherein said means for enabling a calling device to establish an Internet communication with a called device by dialing its telephone number is a messaging communications means, operating with said messaging communications circuit, said messaging communications means conveying call setup and call management messages to include Internet Protocol (IP) address information of a calling or called device and said messaging means interfacing to the PSTN SS7 messaging system which further conveys said call setup and call management messages to other switching systems on the PSTN.