Patent ID: 9031058
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
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, a first originating communication device of the plurality of originating communication devices including: a second originating communication device of the plurality of originating communication devices being operatively connected to a second server of the plurality of servers, 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, the second initiated communication is for sending second payload data from the second originating communication device to the second remote destination, the second remote destination requiring traversal of another phone network, 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 from IP addressed payload data to a signal for 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 for the another phone network since the second payload data was received by the second server as IP addressed data, 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 determines that the outbound fax number is not 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, and based on the determination regarding the cost of the delivery call, the server determination mechanism is configured to contact either a first target server to dial a destination fax device via the intra-lata delivery call and send a fax formatted message, or a second target server to dial the destination fax device via the inter-lata delivery call and send the fax formatted message.