Big news for WGAT and PVSP on the Patent
Here are the claims allowed:
1. A videophone system including a plurality of videophones, wherein at least one videophone is connected to a videophone interface unit comprising: an adapter connected to, and configured for affording communication with said videophone over a PTSN network; an adapter connected to, and configured for affording communication with said videophone over a broadband network, and processor means for selectably linking said videophone to said PSTN network adapter or to said broadband network adapter, wherein the videophone can selectably receive and make calls on the PSTN network as well as on the broadband network.
2. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone system includes at least one PSTN telephone which is connected to a PSTN network and to the videophone interface unit, and wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for both the PSTN telephone and the videophone alerting users when there is an incoming call on either the PSTN network or the broadband network.
3. The video system of claim 3 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for isolating said PSTN telephone from the PSTN network.
4. The videophone system of claim 3 further comprising means for using the same telephone number for said videophone and said PSTN telephone.
5. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein the videophone interface unit includes means for causing an incoming call on the broadband network to have a different alert on the videophone than an incoming call on the PSTN network, so as to allow the users to distinguish the network on which the incoming call is being made.
6. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing an audio and video call made on the videophone on the broadband network, and an audio only call made on the videophone on the PSTN network.
7. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing an audio and video call made on the videophone on the broadband network, and an audio only call made on the videophone on the broadband network as a VoIP call.
8. A method for providing a videophone system including at least one videophone, said method comprising: selectably connecting and configuring the videophone for communication with a PSTN network selectably connecting and configuring the videophone for communication with a broadband network determining which network to use for a party to be called based upon the capability of that party to receive calls on each of the available networks, and determining which network to use for receiving a call based upon the network used by the party placing the call.
