Telephony terminal
Methods and apparatus implementing a telephony terminal for connecting a telephone to a data network. In one implementation, a telephony system includes: a phone connection for connecting to a telephone; a network connection for connecting to a network; and a controller connected to said phone connection and to said network connection; wherein said controller provides a phone service for processing information for said phone connection, said controller provides a network service for processing information for said network connection, and said controller provides a network voice service for converting information to and from a network voice format.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a network port configured to connect to a data network;
a controller configured to, in response to receipt of header data from a phone port of the apparatus, initiate a service specified by the header data from a group of services supported by the apparatus, wherein the group of services comprises at least
a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone data received via the phone port,
a network voice service configured to convert information to or from a network voice format of the data network and exchange the information with the network port, and
an electronic mail service; and
a user interface configured to display at least a portion of the information.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the analog telephone data comprises voice information, and the group of services further comprises a voice over internet protocol service configured to convert the voice information to digital data and store the digital data in an internet protocol packet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the public switched telephone network service is configured to process the analog telephone data for transmission via a network device of a public switched telephone network.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the group of services further comprises a browser service configured to transfer application information associated with a browser application between a system connected to the apparatus and the network port.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the group of services further comprises a broadband service configured to process data for exchange with a broadband network interface device.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network port is configured to connect to a base station device that provides access to the data network.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a wireless handset device.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the network voice service in response to receipt of voice information containing the header data and a determination that the header data identifies the network voice service.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network port is configured to connect to a wireless wide area network that provides access to a plain old telephone service telephone network and to the data network.
10. A method, comprising:
establishing, by a device comprising a processor, communication with a network interface that provides access to a data network;
in response to receiving, via a phone port of the device, information comprising a header that identifies a service of a set of services supported by the apparatus, initiating, by the device, the service, wherein the set of services comprise at least
a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone data received via the phone port,
a network voice service configured to convert the information to or from a network voice format of the data network and exchange the information with the network interface, and
an electronic mail service; and
displaying, by the device, at least a portion of the information via a display component.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the set of services further comprises a voice over internet protocol service, and the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the header identifies the voice over internet protocol service:
converting, by the device, voice information contained in the analog telephone data to digital data, and
storing, by the device, the digital data in an internet protocol packet.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in response to determining that the header identifies the public switched telephone network service, processing, by the device, the analog telephone data for transmission via a network device of a public switched telephone network.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the set of services further comprises a browser service, and the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the header identifies the browser service, transferring, by the device, application information associated with a browser application between a system connected to the device and the network interface.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the set of services further comprises a broadband service, and the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the header identifies the broadband service, processing, by the device, data for exchange with a broadband network interface device.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising establishing, by the device, communication with a base station device that provides access to the data network.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising establishing, by the device, communication with a wireless wide area network that provides access to a plain old telephone service telephone network and to the data network.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a mobile device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:
exchanging data with a network interface that provides access to a data network;
receiving, via a phone port of the mobile device, data that comprises header information, wherein the header information specifies a service of multiple services supported by the mobile device, and the multiple services comprise at least
a network voice service,
a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone information from the phone port, and
an electronic mail service;
in response to determining that the header information identifies the network voice service, converting the data to or from a network voice format supported by the data network in accordance with the network voice service;
exchanging the data with the network interface; and
displaying at least a portion of the data on a display of the mobile device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the multiple services further comprise a voice over internet protocol service, and the operations further comprise:
in response to determining that the header information specifies the voice over internet protocol service:
converting voice information contained in the analog telephone data to digital data, and
generating an internet protocol packet containing the digital data.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the header information specifies the public switched telephone network service, preparing the analog telephone data for transmission via a network device of a public switched telephone network.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing communication with a wireless wide area network that provides access to a plain old telephone service telephone network and to the data network.