Internet telephony network and methods for using the same

A process for notifying a user of an IP network of an IP address from a plurality of IP addresses corresponding to a plurality of terminals to facilitate telephony calls to at least one of said terminals from said user over an IP network, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining said IP addresses for said terminals;
• creating a plurality of files containing said IP addresses and corresponding to a plurality of users utilizing said terminals, said files being created on a server connected to said IP network;
• publishing said files on said server;
• updating periodically said files to reflect a service status for one or more of said terminals;
• and
• allowing said user to access at least part of one of said files.

A process of enabling the origination of a telephone call over a packet network between a first subscriber terminal and a second subscriber terminal connected to said packet network, comprising the steps of:

• sending a signal to a gateway connected to said packet network when said first subscriber terminal enters telephone number data corresponding to said second subscriber terminal;
• identifying an IP address corresponding to said telephone number data stored within said gateway based on said signal;
• creating mapping data for connecting said first subscriber terminal to said second subscriber terminal over said packet network utilizing said IP address;
• storing said mapping data in a memory of said gateway;
• utilizing said mapping data to establish a connection over said packet network between said first subscriber terminal and said second subscriber terminal;
• and
• removing said mapping data from said memory when said connection is terminated.

A telephony network for enabling the origination and termination of telephone calls between a first terminal having a first unique terminal identifier and a first unique address and connected to a packet network, and a second terminal having a telephone number and connected to a telephony network, comprising:

• a gateway connected to said packet network and said telephony network, said gateway being operative to be accessed over said packet network by said first terminal, and said gateway having a connection to said telephony network that enables said gateway to be accessed by said second terminal over said telephony network;
• and
• a mapping server connected to said packet network, said mapping server being operative to be accessed over said packet network by said first terminal and said gateway, said mapping server being operative to receive said first unique terminal identifier and said first unique address from said first subscriber terminal, said mapping server being operative to provide said first unique address to said gateway in response to a request containing said first unique terminal identifier from said gateway, said mapping server being operative to query said first subscriber terminal to determine a call status for said first subscriber terminal;
• said gateway being operative to enable voice communication between said first subscriber terminal and said second terminal after said gateway receives said first unique address in response to said request, said second terminal establishes a connection from said second terminal to said gateway over said telephony network, and said gateway establishes a connection from said gateway to said first subscriber terminal over said packet network;
• said gateway being operative to enable voice communication between said second terminal and said first subscriber terminal after said gateway receives said telephone number from said first subscriber terminal, said first subscriber terminal establishes a connection to said gateway over said packet network, and said gateway establishes a connection from said gateway to said non-subscriber terminal over said telephony network using said telephone number.