Patent ID: 6944151

Claim:
A telephone to packet adapter for routing an outgoing call issued by a telephone set in a user's home, said adapter comprising: a telephone line interface configured to be connected to a user's home telephone line; a telephone interface configured to be connected to the telephone set; a packet network interface configured to be connected to a packet network; a controller circuit interconnecting said telephone line interface, said telephone interface and said packet network interface, wherein said controller circuit includes a telephone number database of telephone numbers that may be reached via the packet network said controller circuit being so configured as to route said outgoing call to one of said telephone line and said packet network interfaces depending on at least one preestablished routing rule; wherein said at least one preestablished routing rule is such that a) said outgoing call is routed to said telephone line interface when a dialled telephone number is a local call and b) said outgoing call is routed to said packet network interface when the dialled telephone number is not a local call.