Patent ID: 8553678

Claim:
A voice over IP (VoIP) communications system, comprising: a plurality of telephony adapters each comprising: a VoIP module for terminating and signaling a VoIP call; a client communications module configured to: transmit first digital audio signals to a user interface device over a same local area network (LAN); receive second digital audio signals from the user interface device; and provide the user interface device with an availability status for receiving the second digital audio signals over the same LAN, wherein the user interface device is configured to search the same LAN for an available one of the plurality of telephony adapters based on the availability status and to transmit the second digital audio signals to the available telephony adapter, and wherein the user interface device lacks VoIP signaling and termination functionality; and a voice packet module configured to: receive the second digital audio signals from the client communications module and encapsulate the second digital audio signals into first data packets to be transmitted by the VoIP module; and convert second data packets from the VoIP module into the first digital audio signals and transmit the first digital audio signals to the client communications module, wherein the client communications module is configured to direct telephone calls from the VoIP module directed to any of a plurality of user interface devices and, in response to receiving a telephone call from the VoIP module for a first user interface device of the plurality of user interface devices, to locate the first user interface device on the same LAN.