Claims
- 1. A communication network comprising:
a processing system configured to process one of a Signaling System #7 (SS7) signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for a call to select packet routing information for the call and to transfer a control message indicating packet routing information; and a communication system configured to receive a user communication for the call and the control message, and in response, convert the user communication into a packet format including the packet routing information selected by the processing system and transfer the user communication in the packet format to a packet system that routes the user communication based on the packet routing information selected by the processing system.
- 2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information comprises an address.
- 3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information indicates a virtual connection.
- 4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information comprises a network code representing a network element to egress the call from the packet system.
- 5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:
the processing system is configured to process another one of an SS7 signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for the call to transfer another control message indicating call termination; and the communication system is configured to receive the other control message and responsively terminate the call.
- 6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to access a Service Control Point (SCP) based on the signaling message to select the packet routing information.
- 7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to generate and transfer billing information for the call.
- 8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is configured to receive the user communication for the call in a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) format.
- 9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is configured to receive the user communication for the call in a DS0 format.
- 10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is external to the communication system.
- 11. A method of operating a communication network, the method comprising:
in a processing system, processing one of a Signaling System #7 (SS7) signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for a call to select packet routing information for the call and transferring a control message indicating packet routing information; and in a communication system, receiving a user communication for the call and the control message, and in response, converting the user communication into a packet format including the packet routing information selected by the processing system and transferring the user communication in the packet format to a packet system that routes the user communication based on the packet routing information selected by the processing system.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information comprises an address.
- 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information indicates a virtual connection.
- 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information comprises a network code representing a network element to egress the call from the packet system.
- 15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
in the processing system, processing another one of an SS7 signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for the call and responsively transferring another control message indicating call termination; and in the communication system, receiving the other control message and responsively terminating the call.
- 16. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the processing system, accessing a Service Control Point (SCP) based on the signaling message to select the packet routing information.
- 17. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the processing system, generating and transferring billing information for the call.
- 18. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user communication for the call comprises receiving the user communication in a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) format.
- 19. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user communication for the call comprises receiving the user communication in a DS0 format.
- 20. The method of claim 11 wherein the processing system is external to the communication system.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/082,040, filed on May 20, 1998, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,780, filed on Dec. 7, 1995, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/238,605, filed on May 5, 1994 and now abandoned. U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,780 is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
Continuations (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09082040 |
May 1998 |
US |
Child |
10633798 |
Aug 2003 |
US |
Parent |
08568551 |
Dec 1995 |
US |
Child |
09082040 |
May 1998 |
US |
Parent |
08238605 |
May 1994 |
US |
Child |
08568551 |
Dec 1995 |
US |