Secure LAN/internet telephony

A method of telephony communication via a public packet switched data network from a first telephone terminal connected to a public switched telecommunications network to a second telephone terminal connected to a local area network connected to a plurality of telephone terminals for interactive voice providing voice communication therebetween, said local area network being connected to an access gateway comprising the steps of:

• a) dialing from said first terminal a predetermined designation for said access gateway to attempt to establish a telephony link with said second telephone terminal;
• b) responsive to said dialing of said predetermined designation establishing a link from said public switched telecommunications network to a telephony to packet data server and from said data server to a first interface to said public packet switched data network;
• c) establishing a link from said first interface to said public packet data switched network through said network to a second interface to said public packet data switched network and from said second interface to said access gateway;
• d) pre-storing in data storage in said access gateway tables of access data and processing routines;
• e) receiving at said access gateway data provided by said first telephone terminal including an address identifying said second telephone terminal;
• f) comparing said data provided by said first telephone terminal with data in said access gateway tables using at least one of said processing routines;
• and
• g) upon identifying a match between at least certain of said data provided by said first telephone terminal with said pre-stored data, processing said attempt to establish a telephony link with said second telephone terminal by establishing a link from said access gateway through said local area network to one of said plurality of telephone terminals connected to said local area network, the identity of said one of said plurality of terminals depending upon the outcome of processing indicated by the correspondence of data provided by said first telephone station with data pre-stored in said storage and conditions established in said processing routines.

A hybrid telephony communication system comprising:

• a switched telecommunications network including interconnected switching systems serving telephone terminals and having a separate packet switched control network which includes a controller and signal transfer points and service switching points associated with said switching systems;
• a public packet switched data network having router interfaces;
• a packet network server connected between one or more of said switching systems and one or more of said router interfaces;
• a local area network providing communication between a plurality of telephone terminals associated therewith;
• an access gateway connected between said local area network and one or more of said router interfaces;
• and
• security storage associated with said access gateway and having stored therein data relating to at least certain of said plurality of telephone terminals associated with said local area network;
• said access gateway including a processor selectively running application routines associated with certain of said plurality of terminals and said data stored in said security storage, wherein;
• a caller using one of said telephone terminals served by said switching systems establishes telephonic communication with one of said plurality of terminals associated with said local area network by a link through said telecommunications network and said packet network server and said public packet switched data network and said access gateway and said local area network after inputting information corresponding to data in said security storage and satisfying criteria imposed by said processor running an application routine associated with the telephone terminal with which said caller using one of said telephone terminals served by said switching systems establishes telephonic communication.