Communications approach and implementations therefor

1. An apparatus for use with a user interface circuit to receive input data from a user, which input data includes data representing digits input by the user, the apparatus comprising:

a timer circuit to provide a reference indicative of each time data representing one of the digits input by the user;

a communications facility interface circuit to establish a connection between a communications device and a destination device, each device including data communications circuitry, by:

generating a connection request including a first set of identifier signals based on the input data, the first set of 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; and

attempting to establish communications to the communication device by transmitting a new connection request to the communications facility, in response to a second set of identifier signals, the new connection request including the first set of identifier signals and the second set of identifier signals that are based on the additional input data, wherein the communications facility interface circuit is configured 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, elative to receipt of an immediately sequentially preceding 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; and

wherein the communications facility interface circuit is 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 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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , 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 identifier signals after transmitting an initial connection request including an incomplete set of the identifier signals.

3. An apparatus for use with a user-communications circuitry including a user interface circuit to receive input data signals in response to user actions, wherein the input data signals include data representing digits input by a user and include 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, the apparatus comprising:

a communications system, including a call-routing server, to access a dial map having acceptable numbers, and to generate a connection request based on the input data signals if the received input data signals correspond to any of the acceptable numbers;

a communications system interface circuit to send the first set of connection information to the communications system 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 system indicating that a connection may have been made with the communication device;

a circuit arrangement, including communications circuitry, to:

send the first set of manually input data signals; and

send the second set of connection information to the communications system 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 signals and the second set of manually input data signals as a telephone number for connection to another communication device; and

a timer circuit to provide a reference indicative of each time data representing one of the digits input by the user, wherein the communications system interface circuit is configured 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 cause or prompt transmission of a new connection request, including collected data representing the digits.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the communications system interface circuit is 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.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the communications system interface circuit is 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.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the status signal represents an incomplete number status.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , further including a video and/or audio interface for communication with the other communications device, wherein the communications system interface circuit is a broadband Internet interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the communications system interface circuit is configured with the communications system to provide a connection to a public switch telephone network.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 , further including a memory circuit configured with the user interface circuit to store 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.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the status signals are further indicative of an amount of identifier signals received.