Dialing approach and implementations therefor

1. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface circuit configured and arranged to receive input data from a user;

a communications facility interface circuit configured and arranged to establish a connection between a communications device and a destination device, by:

generating a connection request including a first set of telephony identifier signals based on the input data, the first set of telephony identifier signals including a destination address for the connection request:

transmitting the connection request to a communications facility;

receiving, from the communications facility, status signals that indicate whether a connection has been established to the communications device identified by the destination address;

responsive to receipt of the status signals, operating with the user interface circuit to obtain additional input data from the user, the status signals indicative of a comparison of the input data and known destination addresses;

generating a new connection request, using a recorded second set of telephony identifier signals from a memory circuit, the new connection request including the first set of telephony identifier signals and the second set of telephony identifier signals that are based on the additional input data; and

attempt to establish communications to the communication device by transmitting the new connection request to the communications facility; and

the memory circuit configured and arranged with the user interface circuit to record a first set of connection information that includes the input data, and a second set of connection information that includes both the additional input data and the input data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged to store a data table including known destination addresses.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged to compare the input data and the additional input data to the known destination addresses and establish communications to the communications device responsive to the input data or the additional input data matching one of the known destination addresses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the input data includes data representing digits input by the user,

further including a timer circuit configured and arranged to provide a reference indicative of each time data representing one of the digits is input by the user,

wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged with the timer circuit to collect the data representing the digits input by the user beginning with a first input and including sequentially-entered ones of the inputs that are received within a predetermined time relative to receipt of an immediately sequentially previous one of the inputs and independent of a number of the digits that are input by the user, and to transmit the connection request, including collected data representing the digits.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged to:

obtain the additional input data and generate the new connection request in response to the timing of the receipt of the additional input data not exceeding a predefined delay relative to the receipt of the input data used to generate the first set of telephony identifier signals; and

wherein the timer circuit is configured and arranged to transmit the new connection request responsive to a predetermined delay being exceeded as indicated via a continuously running clock implemented by the timer circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged with the timer circuit and the user interface circuit to

after transmitting the connection request, collect additional user input data from the user representing additional digits, and

generate and transmit the new connection request in response to the status signals indicating that the connection has not been established and thereby facilitating rapid transmission of the connection request while providing for slow user entry of the input data, by permitting the user to input additional digits for completing a set of the telephony identifier signals after transmitting an initial connection request including an incomplete set of the telephony identifier signals.

7. A method comprising, at a communication device that communicates voice data using an internet protocol:

transmitting a first set of connection information that has a destination address for a first connection request, the destination address represented by a first set of telephony identifier signals received via user input, to a communications facility;

comparing the first set of connection information to a data table of known destination addresses;

in response to receiving from the communications facility, status signals corresponding to the first set of connection information and indicative of the comparison of the first set of connection information and the known destination addresses, determining whether to establish communications between the communication device and a second voice communication device; and

in response to receipt of the status signals and to receiving a second set of telephony identifier signals, transmitting a second set of connection information that has a second destination address for a second connection request that is represented by the second set of telephony identifier signals and the first set of telephony identifier signals, to the communications facility.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the status signals include an indication of incomplete connection information due to insufficient digits in a destination address.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transmitting of the first set of connection information is responsive to an expiration of a first timer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the second set of connection information includes transmitting the second set of connection information in response to receiving the second set of telephony identifier signals prior to the expiration of a second timer and after the expiration of a second expiration of the first timer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

transmitting the second set of connection information includes transmitting the second set of connection information in response to a second expiration of the first timer;

the first timer begins timing in response to receipt of one of the said telephony identifier signals and is reset upon a subsequent receipt of one of the said telephony identifier signals; and

the second timer begins timing in response to receipt of the status signals.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein

transmitting the second set of connection information includes transmitting the second set of connection information in response to a second expiration of the first timer;

the first timer begins after receipt of one of the said telephony identifier signals and is reset upon a subsequent receipt of one of the said telephony identifier signals;

the second timer begins after receipt of the status signals; and

the second timer's expiration time exceeds the first timer's expiration time.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface circuit configured and arranged to receive manually input data signals;

a memory configured and arranged with the user interface circuit to record the manually input data signals including a first set of connection information corresponding to a first set of manually input data signals, and a second set of connection information that corresponds to both a second set of manually input data signals and the first set of manually input data signals;

a communications facility interface circuit configured and arranged to send the first set of connection information to a communications facility in a format that includes the first set of manually input data signals as a telephone number for connection to a communication device and to receive status signals from the communications facility indicating whether or not a connection has been made with the communication device; and

a circuit arrangement configured and arranged to:

send the first set of manually input data signals; and

send the second set of connection information to the communications facility based on a status signal and the second set of manually input data signals in a format that includes both the first set of manually input data and the second set of manually input data as a telephone number for connection to another communication device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged to establish a connection with the communication device based on a comparison of the first set of manually input data signals and the second set of manually input data signals to known destination addresses.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured and arranged to establish a connection with the communication device responsive to the first set of manually input data signals or the second set of manually input data signals matching one of a plurality of known destination addresses.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the status signal represents an incomplete number status.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , further including a video and an audio interface for communication with the other communications device, wherein the communications facility interface circuit is a broadband Internet interface, the video interface includes a camera and a video display, and the audio interface includes a microphone and a speaker.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communications facility interface is configured to interface with a communications facility that provides a connection to public switch telephone networks.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein

the memory is further configured with the user interface circuit for storing subsequent sets of manually input data signals, and a subsequent set of connection information that is based on each of the first set of manually input data signals, the second set of manually input data signals and the subsequent sets of manually input data signals; and wherein

the circuit arrangement is used to determine whether to send the subsequent set of connection information to the communications facility based on the status signals and subsequent sets of manually input data signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the status signals are further indicative of an amount of telephony identifier signals received.