Patent ID: 8804925

Claim:
A gateway associated with a first network having one or more first end-user computer terminals and one or more corresponding telephone units, the gateway to enable communication with a second, packet-based network comprising one or more second end-user computer terminals installed with a communication client of the second network, the one or more telephone units for performing calls with one of the second end-user computer terminals over the second network the gateway comprising: a switching apparatus including a processing device and a gateway engine operable via the processing device and configured to: automatically detect in association with a call whether a user operates one of said first end-user computer terminals or uses one of said telephone units to select respectively between a first state in which the call is to be performed using one of said first end-user computer terminals and a second state in which the call is to be performed using one of said telephone units; and route the call based on the selection between the first state and the second state including: on condition of detecting user operation of one of said first end-user computer terminals, selecting the first state and routing both call set-up signalling and call media to the first end-user computer terminal; and on condition of detecting use of one of said telephone units, selecting the second state routing call set-up signalling to the first end-user terminal, and routing the call media to the one of said telephone units.