Internet telephony system for enabling internet telephone access from traditional telephone interface

A telephony system for automatically selecting and establishing a communications connection to a receiver device, the telephony system comprising:

• a telephone device for entering an address of the receiver device for initiating a communications connection to the receiver device, and for creating an address signal;
• an internet telephony device in communication with the telephone device for obtaining the address signal of the receiver device, and for transmitting the address signal for analysis of the address signal;
• an internet telephony selection device in communication with the internet telephony device for receiving the address signal of the receiver device and for automatically determining network access capabilities of the receiver device, wherein the internet telephony selection device is adapted to automatically select a communications network from an internet-based network, a hybrid telephone/internet network, and a telephone network, wherein the internet telephony selection device is further adapted to provide a command signal to the internet telephony device indicating the selected communications network;
• and
• a network access device for receiving a command signal
• from the internet telephony device and establishing a communications connection to the selected communications network.

A method for automatically replacing a first communications connection between a calling device and a receiver device employing a telephone network with a second communications connection employing an internet network, where the receiver device is capable of a employing the internet network for a communications connection, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining if the calling device is capable of receiving the second communications connection via the internet network;
• and
• if the calling device is capable of employing a communications connection via the internet network, establishing the second communications connection, by the method including the steps of:
• automatically disconnecting the telephone network communications connection between the calling device and the receiver device;
• automatically establishing the second communications connection employing the internet network between the receiver device and the incoming calling device;
• and
• wherein the first communications connection is disconnected and the second communications connection is established without apparently interrupting communications between a caller using the calling device and a receiver using the receiver device.