Set top box supporting bridging between a packet switched network and the public switched telephone network

A set top box comprising:

• a tuner operable to receive and decode a signal containing media content;
• a user interface;
• a packet data network interface that supports Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony;
• and
• processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the tuner, to the user interface, and to the packet data network interface, the processing circuitry operable to:
• determine that a call is incoming to the set top box via the packet data network interface from a calling VoIP terminal;
• obtain telephony bridging instructions for the call, the telephony bridging instructions including a network address of an alternate destination terminal;
• and
• selectively bridge the incoming call between the calling VoIP terminal and the alternate destination terminal based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

A method for bridging a call between the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) network and a packet data network by a set top box having both a PSTN interface and a packet data network interface, the method comprising:

• determining that a PSTN call is incoming to the set top box via the PSTN interface;
• obtaining telephony bridging instructions for the call;
• and
• selectively enabling the PSTN interface and the packet data network interface to bridge the call between the PSTN interface and the packet data network interface based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

A method for bridging a call between the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) network and a packet data network by a set top box having both a PSTN interface and a packet data network interface, the method comprising:

• determining that a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call is incoming to the set top box via the packet data network interface;
• obtaining telephony bridging instructions for the call;
• and
• selectively enabling the PSTN interface and the packet data network interface to bridge the call between the packet data network interface and the PSTN interface based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

A method for bridging a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice call by a set top box, having a packet data network interface, the method comprising:

• determining that a call is incoming to the set top box via the packet data network interface from a calling VoIP terminal;
• obtaining telephony bridging instructions for the call, the telephony bridging instructions including a network address of an alternate destination terminal;
• and
• selectively enabling the packet data network interface to bridge the call between the calling VoIP terminal and the alternate destination terminal based upon the telephony bridging instructions.