Patent ID: 7277421

Claim:
A method of servicing a telephone call directed to an Internet Protocol telephony device coupled to an Internet Protocol network, the telephone call being placed from a telephone device coupled to a public telephone network by dialing a first telephone number associated with the Internet Protocol telephony device, the method comprising the steps of: activating a local number portability trigger set at a first telephone switch included in said public telephone network, the local number portability trigger being responsive to calls received by said first telephone switch directed to said first telephone number; pausing call processing at said first telephone switch in response to activation of said local number portability trigger; accessing a local number portability database to obtain a number associated with a second telephone switch included in the public telephone network; activating a second trigger set at the second telephone switch, the second trigger being responsive to calls received by said second telephone switch directed to said first telephone number; accessing a database maintained in said Internet Protocol network in response to said second trigger to obtain there from information associated with the first telephone number; and controlling completion of said call by said second telephone switch as a function of the information obtained from said Internet Protocol network database.