Patent ID: 6975713

Claim:
A method for providing multiple line functionality using alternative network telephony for a local telephone installation comprising a first local telephone equipment associated with a first local node, a second telephone equipment associated with a second local node, and local telephone wiring connected to said first and second local nodes, the local telephone installation being associated for purposes of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) with a single telephone line, the method comprising: receiving at a third local node from a calling party a request to establish a connection with the local telephone installation; determining whether the calling party desires to establish a connection to (1) a first telephone extension associated with the first local node or (2) a second telephone extension associated with the second local node; establishing a connection from the third local node to the desired extension over the local telephone wiring in a manner that does not affect the other extension; receiving outgoing audio data at the local node associated with the desired extension; shifting the outgoing audio data up in frequency by a frequency shift associated with the desired extension at the local node associated with the desired extension; providing the frequency shifted outgoing audio data to the local telephone wiring; receiving the frequency shifted outgoing audio data at the third local node; downshifting the frequency shifted outgoing audio data in frequency by the frequency shift associated with the desired extension; and sending the downshifted outgoing audio data to the calling party via the alternative network using alternative network telephony.