Patent ID: 6963557

Claim:
A system for routing a telephone call from a calling party instrument in an internet protocol network to a called party instrument in a second network, the system comprising: (a) a first internet protocol interface apparatus effecting a first communicative coupling between said calling party instrument and said internet protocol network; (b) a gateway which can effect a second communicative coupling between said internet protocol network and said second network; (c) a second internet protocol interface apparatus effecting routing said telephone call according to routing criteria to establish a third communicative coupling between said internet protocol network and said called party instrument; and (d) a call routing system apparatus coupled with said second internet protocol interface apparatus, said second internet protocol apparatus and said call routing system apparatus cooperating: (i) to associate said calling party instrument with a geographic location, (ii) to select for said called party instrument an instrument that is communicatively coupled with said second network and meets geographical or geospatial criteria relative to said geographic location, and (iii) to establish as said routing criteria, criteria to route said call via said internet protocol network, said gateway, and said second network.