Multi-port multi-channel bi-directional communication device

A multi-port multi-channel bi-directional communication device for use with an information platform having audio I/O capability for selectively connecting the information platform to either the Internet or the PSTN system to perform either a VoIP phone function or a dial-up phone function;

• the multi-port multi-channel bi-directional communication device comprising:
• (a) a network connecting port for connection to the Internet;
• (b) a dial-up phone connecting port for connection to the PSTN system;
• (c) an audio interface for connection to the information platform;
• (d) a keypad including a VoIP phone key and a dial-up phone key;
• (e) a switching unit including a first I/O port, a second I/O port, and a third I/O port;
• wherein the first I/O port is connected to the network connecting port, the second I/O port is connected to the dial-up phone connecting port, and the third I/O port is connected to the audio interface;
• (f) an indication unit, which is used to indicate whether the multi-port multi-channel bi-directional communication device is currently operating in VoIP phone mode or in dial-up phone mode;
• (g) an IP gateway, which can be switchably connected by the switching unit to the audio interface, for providing an IP gateway function to the output signals from the audio interface;
• (h) an IP router, which is connected to the IP gateway, for providing an IP routing function to the output signals from the IP gateway;
• and which includes an IP-address configuration module for assigning IP addresses to the IP router for providing static-to-dynamic and dynamic-to-dynamic IP address phone linking capability;
• and
• (i) an incoming signal detection unit, which is connected to receive the incoming calls from the network connecting port and the incoming calls from the dial-up phone connecting port, for detecting whether each incoming call is an IP phone call or a dial-up phone call;
• if IP phone call, the incoming signal detection unit activates the indication unit to light up the VoIP phone indicator;
• whereas if a dial-up phone call, the incoming signal detection unit activates the indication unit to light up the dial-up phone indicator.