A network telephone device, an external connection card, and a communication method therefor are provided. The network telephone device includes a controller, a network connection port, a network transmission module and a relay. The relay is coupled between the controller and at least two of a plurality of pins of the network connection port. While an external network cable connected to the network connection port is not capable of supplying power over Ethernet (POE) or a power supply mode of the POE is a first mode of the POE, the relay connects a transmit node and a receive node of the controller to the at least two of the pins respectively. The controller and an external device connected to the external network cable transmit signals compatible with a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) interface to transmit data or instructions with each other through the at least two of the pins of the network connection port.

The present invention provides a telecom control function in a communication terminal. The telecom control function is configured to receive call indicia when a call tag in a software entity, such as an application or electronic document, is selected by a user of the communication terminal. The call indicia provides information associated with a remote party with which a call is being requested by the user. The telecom control function may use the call indicia along with user indicia obtained from the user and indirectly establish a call with the remote party using a telephony terminal other than the communication terminal. If the communication terminal includes a telecommunication client capable of supporting a call, the telecom control function may instruct the telecommunication client to directly initiate the call with the remote party using the call indicia.

An example method of operating a network may include determining whether a flow is to be added to the network based on: a flow type of the flow, a link condition of the flow, and for each possible combination of flow type and link condition out of multiple flow types and multiple link conditions, the number of flows currently carried on the network that correspond to the respective combination.

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display, at least one communication circuit, and at least one processor configured to control the display and the at least one communication circuit. The at least one processor is configured to obtain a communication state using the at least one communication circuit during a packet based voice call, and to stop transmitting data associated with at least one of a plurality of background applications which operate in a background of an operating system (OS) of the electronic device when the communication state meets a specified first condition.

Techniques for transducer control based on position of an apparatus are described. In at least one implementation, the apparatus comprises a peripheral device that can be connected to a user terminal. The apparatus includes a first portion moveably coupled to a second portion such that the first portion and the second portion are positionable at different positions relative to each other. According to one or more implementations, the apparatus includes a transducer (e.g., a speaker, a microphone, and so forth) that can be selectively controlled based on different relative positions of the first portion and the second portion of the apparatus. In at least some implementations, the apparatus can include multiple transducers that can be controlled differently based on different relative positions of the first portion and the second portion of the apparatus.

A method may include obtaining information from multiple local devices. The information may indicate a configuration of each of the multiple of local devices with respect to a capability to: receive and broadcast remote audio and display transcriptions of the remote audio. The method may also include establishing a communication session with a remote device and after establishing the communication session with the remote device, obtaining the remote audio from the remote device. The method may further include directing the remote audio to a first local device of the multiple local devices based on the first local device being configured to receive and broadcast remote audio. The method may also include directing transcript data that includes a transcription of the remote audio to a second local device of the multiple local devices based on the second local device being configured to display transcriptions of the remote device audio.

Apparatus and methods concerning simulation of call quality are disclosed. In an example embodiment, computing server is communicatively coupled to a server. The computing server includes a communication circuit configured to receive a first set of data including audio of a call routed by the server. The computing server also includes a processing circuit configured to characterize a post-transmission quality state of the first set of data. The processing circuit is also configured to generate a second set of data including audio that is different from the audio of the call and data including characteristics indicative of the post-transmission quality state of a first set of data. The processing circuitry may configured to use the second set of data to provide security, protect the confidentiality and privacy, and/or monitor changes of behavior/quality for different audio CODECs, encryption, bit-rate, etc.

A multi-port VoIP telecommunications system that allows the user to gain access to telephone connectivity through the Internet by connecting directly to the Internet or by connecting to the Internet through the existing Internet connection of a computer or cell phone device. The present system includes an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi receiver to facilitate the transmission and receipt of Internet protocol signals wirelessly, a USB plug connectable to the ATA, connectivity to a home monitoring network and connectivity to Bluetooth devices.

Methods and apparatus implementing a telephony terminal for connecting a telephone to a data network. In one implementation, a telephony system includes: a phone connection for connecting to a telephone; a network connection for connecting to a network; and a controller connected to said phone connection and to said network connection; wherein said controller provides a phone service for processing information for said phone connection, said controller provides a network service for processing information for said network connection, and said controller provides a network voice service for converting information to and from a network voice format.

A method includes receiving a request to initiate an emergency call, directing, the mobile device to initiate the emergency call using a cellular network, receiving a network not available indication that the emergency call cannot be completed using the cellular network, selecting location information of the mobile device and requesting the emergency call be initiated by a VoIP client on the mobile device using the location information obtained from the selecting step.