Patent ID: 7486664
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A telephone communications system for providing telephone services to a subscriber via the Internet comprising, in combination, a host services computer connected to the Internet, a subscriber computer accessible to said subscriber connected to the Internet at a location remote from said host services computer, call processing apparatus connected to said host services computer, said host services computer including data storage means for storing preference values which are accessed by said call processing apparatus to customize the manner in which incoming telephone calls directed to said subscriber are handled on behalf of said subscriber, a plurality of telephone lines connecting said call processing apparatus to the public switched telephone network, a particular one of said telephone lines being employed to establish a telephone connection directed to a particular telephone number assigned to said subscriber via the public switched telephone network, and a gateway connected between at least said particular one of said telephone lines and the Internet for transforming voice signals transmitted to said subscriber from said public switched telephone network into digitized and packetized voice signals for transmission via the Internet using the Internet Protocol and for transforming digitized and packetized voice signals received from said subscriber via the Internet using the Internet Protocol into voice signals for transmission via the public switched telephone network, said call processing apparatus including means for receiving an incoming telephone call directed to said particular telephone number via said particular one of said telephone lines and connecting said incoming call to said subscriber via said particular one of said telephone lines, said gateway and the Internet to said subscriber computer.