Diana C Lee

US Patent:

62121952, Apr 3, 2001

Filed:

Dec 1, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/203542

Inventors:

Michael Sean McCormack - Gloucester MA
Diana Fayngersh Lee - Concord MA
Paul Francis Dryer - Tewksbury MA
Steven Victor Weeks - North Andover MA

Assignee:

3Com Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H04L 1228

US Classification:

370419

Abstract:

A telecommunication apparatus and method for providing packets to at least one of a first and a second network are described. A telephone set connects the first network to the second network. In one embodiment, the telephone set includes two MAC devices. Each MAC device is in electrical communication with one of the two networks via a communication path. In another embodiment, a packet switching device provides the separate communication paths to the two networks. The telephone set forwards packets received from one network to the other network, generates packets from signals locally inputted into the telephone set and forwards such generated packets to at least one of the networks, and performs actions prescribed by packets received by and addressed to the telephone set. Packets addressed to the telephone set may or may not be forwarded.