METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A PHONE CALL CONNECTION OVER AN INTERNET CONNECTION

The present invention includes a method or Internet phone for automatically dialing up a phone call connection across an Internet connection. Initially the caller manually dials a recipient's telephone number, and once the telephone call connection is made, the caller party's Internet phone automatically starts a dialing routine which notifies the recipient party's Internet phone that a phone card connection over an Interned connection is desired. The dialing may be a differential ringing sequence, a differential timing sequence or a single ringing interval. Upon the dialing routine being detected by the recipient party's Internet phone, the parties end the telephone connection and proceed to make separate connections to the Internet, including a connection to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). The caller party and recipient part Internet phones submit information related to their respective Internet protocol address and telephone numbers. The caller party additionally submits information related to the recipient Internet phone's telephone number. Then the Internet connection for the intended phone call is automatically completed. Alternatively, the differential dialing routine can be performed by a knocking server on the Internet, and a directory server on the Internet can match callers and recipients by their respective telephone numbers. Additionally, the knocking server permits caller equipment to be without dialing capabilities as these are now at the knocking server.