Method and apparatus for correlating a unique identifier, such as a PSTN telephone number, to an internet address to enable communications over the internet

Abstract

A directory service, containing unique identifiers (e.g., telephone numbers) and related Internet address(es), accessible through the Internet. An Internet-enabled communication system, such as IP-PBX or voice mail system, accepts a telephone number as a destination address. It then contacts the directory service and requests the Internet address related to that telephone number. The communication system uses the Internet address to set up a delivery path via the Internet to the destination. Thus, all time-dependent charges normally associated with message delivery by the telephone network can be avoided.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a directory service (DS), accessible via the Internet, containing unique identifiers and associated Internet addresses.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unique identifiers are telephone numbers.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the DS is accessible to multiple communication systems including two or more of IP-PBX, IP-CO, IP-Centrex, IP-telephone, IP-wireless phone, IP-voicemail, IP-fax, unified messaging, and remote printing systems.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Internet address is for at least one of a telephone, voice mailbox, fax machine, printer, and unified messaging mailbox.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a first Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) PBX system for a first end user and a second IP-enabled PBX system for a second end user.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a first Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) voicemail system for a first end user and a second IP-enabled voicemail system for a second end user.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes an Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) remote printing system for a first end user and at least one of an IP-enabled fax machine and IP-enabled printer for a second user.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a first Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) unified messaging system for a first end user and at least one of an IP enabled e-mail system of an IP-enabled unified messaging system for a second end user.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a first Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) Centrex system for a first end user and a second IP-enabled Centrex system for a second end user.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a first Internet Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) CO system for a first end user and a second IP-enabled CO system for a second end user.  
     
     
         11 - 21 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         22 . A method comprising: 
 registering a telephone number and associated Internet address with a directory service (DS), the DS being accessible via the Internet; and    accessing the DS via the Internet with a request for resolution of the telephone number to an associated Internet address, wherein the DS resolves the associated Internet address.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein more than one Internet address is associated with a single telephone number and the request for resolution includes identifying the type of application requesting Internet address information.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the method is provided to multiple users, allowing users to register with the DS at no cost, but requiring users that access the DS with requests for resolution to pay a fee.  
     
     
         25 - 56 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         57  A method enabling communications between end users, the end users having access to Internet-enabled communications systems, at least one destination end user having a non-Internet related unique identifier associated with multiple Internet addresses for different Internet-enabled communications systems and the method including the steps of: 
 providing a directory service (DS), residing on a data network, containing the unique identifiers and associated Internet addresses; and  
 one of the end users causing a communications application to send to the DS a request for resolution containing the one unique identifier for the destination end user;  
 the DS resolving the one unique identifier to one of the multiple Internet addresses based on information contained within the request to determine which one Internet address is associated with a given communications system; and  
 wherein end users are charged for registering with the DS.