Patent ID: 7978685

Claim:
A method for notifying an internet user that is already connected to a dial-up internet session over the internet user's telephone line of a telephone call, wherein the method comprises: facilitating by at least one telecommunication switch a first telephone call from the internet user over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to an internet service provider; connecting the first telephone call through the at least one telecommunication switch in a circuit-based network when the internet user makes the first telephone call over the PSTN to the internet service provider, wherein the circuit-based network is a synchronous network; linking the first telephone call from the at least one telecommunication switch through at least one remote access server in a packet-based network wherein the remote access server provides a conversion of data from the circuit-based network to the packet-based network; converting between the circuit-based and packet-based networks in the remote access server to establish an internet connection between the internet user's computer and the internet service provider wherein the remote access server receives signaling instructions to establish a telephone path over one or more internet protocol device control links; enabling the dial-up internet session over the first telephone call; receiving at the internet service provider an incoming telephone call directed to the telephone number of the internet user while the internet user is engaged in the dial-up internet session, the incoming telephone call being forwarded over the packet-based network to notify the internet user of the incoming telephone call at the internet user's computer; connecting the incoming telephone call to the internet user's computer using a packet-based communication protocol while the circuit-based telephone line is in use for the dial-up internet session; and sending a plurality of packets to the internet user's computer to cause a pop-up window to appear at the internet user's computer with identification information of the incoming telephone call and at least one button to select with a pointing device connected to the internet user's computer to select treatment of the incoming telephone call.