Patent ID: 7328271

Claim:
A method of communication between an IP phone and a network-implemented PBX comprising: generating a message to be exchanged between said IP phone and said PBX; encapsulating said message with a Protocol Header and an IP Message body, wherein the Protocol Header includes a Protocol Type indicator denoting whether the message is an IP message or an encapsulated non-IP message, a Device Number for denoting by means of MAC (Media Access Control) an address within said PBX to which said message is to be transmitted or from which said message is to be received, and Message Type for identifying the type of message contained in the IP Message Body; and, transmitting the encapsulated message between said network implemented PBX and said IP phone, the Protocol Type indicator enabling at least one task between said IP phone and said PBX selected from the group consisting of registering said IP phone with the PBX upon phone power up or reset, applying device tones to said IP phone controlling connection between said IP phone and another phone to establish full-duplex voice paths therebetween, and providing PBX based administrative and telephony functions to said IP phone.