Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for communicating audio information over a computer network. A standard telephone connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) may be used to communicate with any other PSTN-connected telephone, where a computer network, such as the Internet, is the transmission facility instead of conventional telephone transmission facilities, such as the interexchange or intralata facilities. In addition to telephone-telephone communication, telephone-computer and computer-telephone communication is also possible. The originator of a conversation (calling party) dials the number of an access port for the computer network. The call is routed to a central office switching system which is connected to the PSTN and then to the access port which is a specialized computer system (ITS node). The caller transmits the number of the desired party (the called party) to the specialized computer system (ITS node) which interfaces between the telephone switching system and the computer network. The specialized computer system (ITS node) receives the number of the called party and establishes a two-way, fill duplex communications link via the computer network to a corresponding remote access port or specialized computer system (ITS node) in the vicinity of the called party. This specialized computer system (ITS node) at the receiving end is connected to the local PSTN in the region of the called party, and uses the local PSTN to connect the call to the called party. Once the call is answered at the called party, the calling and called party may communicate as if the call had been established using the conventional telephone system.

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First Claim