Telephone supporting bridging between a packet switched network and the public switched telephone network

摘要

A bridging telephone includes processing circuitry communicatively coupled to a user interface, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) interface, a packet data network interface. To service an incoming call, the processing circuitry obtains and executes bridging instructions that establish a pathway between the PSTN and packet data network interfaces. With such pathway, a call between a PSTN telephony device and an Internet telephony device can be established and maintained via the bridging telephone. Call conferences may also be set up via the bridging telephone, e.g., between pluralities of Internet telephony devices with or without the participation of a PSTN telephony device. Calls may be initiated by a PSTN telephony device to an Internet telephony device, or by an Internet telephony device to a PSTN telephony device.