Patent ID: 6928070

Claim:
A system for integrating the Internet with the PSTN by initiating an Internet connection when a calling device calls the telephone number of a called device on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), comprising: (a) a plurality of Integrated Devices, each having Internet connectivity and having telephone connectivity with an associated a telephone number, such that a connection for said Integrated Devices is established by telephonically dialing said telephone number via the PSTN; (b) said Integrated Devices further comprising digital messaging capability to the PSTN; (c) said calling and called devices being Integrated Devices; (d) the PSTN having a digital messaging capability for conveying messages containing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses; (e) means for the PSTN to assign a first IP address to a first one of said calling and called devices; and (f) means for the PSTN to provide said first IP address of said first one of said calling and called devices to a second one of said calling and called devices to be used as the destination address of Internet messages sent by said second one of said calling and called devices to said first one of said calling and called devices.