Patent ID: 7394803
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method of sharing resources of a broadband telephony system, the method comprising: registering with a registrar database information from a plurality of user-provided gateways, each gateway coupled to a broadband data network and one of a plurality of regional telephone networks, and each of the plurality of regional telephone networks coupled to more than one gateway; storing in the registrar database correlation information associating each of a plurality of audio interfaces and each gateway with one of the plurality of regional telephone networks; exchanging with a plurality of other users, use of one user-provided gateway as a remote network-terminating gateway for access to the registrar database and use of other user-provided gateways as remote terminating gateways; and restricting use to the plurality of other users, of a user's gateway as a remote network-terminating gateway to a pre-determined maximum elapsed time differential between a duration of calls originated by the user's gateway and a duration of calls terminated by the user's gateway.