Patent ID: 7170980

Claim:
A phone, comprising: a wired phone unit which operates in a first communication mode; an Internet phone unit which operates in a second communication mode; a processor which establishes a voice signal path between the wired phone unit and the Internet phone unit and establishes a connection for an external connection request between an external calling party and an external called party via the voice signal path in a third communication mode when an external origination call for the external connection request is received from the external calling party; a first switching unit which switches between the Internet phone unit and the wired phone unit under control of the processor, wherein the first switching unit includes: a first switch connected to the wired phone unit in the first communication mode; a first relay for disconnecting the first switch in the second communication mode; and a second relay which connects the wired phone unit and the Internet phone unit under control the processor in order to establish a connection with an external called party when the external origination call is received from the external calling party; and a second switching unit which switches the voice signal path between the wired phone unit and the Internet phone unit under control of the processor, the second switching unit including a second switch for connecting the wired phone unit with a handset or speaker/microphone in the first communication mode; a third switch for connecting the Internet phone with a handset or speaker/microphone via a first channel in the second communication mode; and a fourth switch for connecting the wired phone unit with the Internet phone unit via a second channel in the third communication model, wherein the first channel and the second channel are paths for transporting voice signals to the Internet phone unit.