Patent ID: 6333931
Filing Date: 2001-12-25
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
A telecommunications apparatus that interconnects a circuit-switched telephone network and a packet-switched data network to enable communication among the networks and that provides dial outsourcing, comprising:a signaling access server coupled to a signaling trunk of the telephone network to interchange call signaling messages therewith, and coupled through a control network to one or more network access servers each coupled to a voice of the telephone network to communicate voice-band information thereon, and coupled to receive instructions from the signaling access server through the contol network, and coupled to the data network to communicate data thereon; anda computer-readable medium coupled to the signaling access server and carrying one or more first sequences of software instructions executed by and controlling the signaling access server which, when executed by the signaling access server, cause the signaling access server to perforn dial outsourcing by carrying out the steps of:receiving provisioning information from the network access servers that associates each of the network access servers with one of a plurality of Internet Service Providers;receiving a subscription profile of a caller who is originating a call, wherein the subscription profile identifies one of the Intemet Service Providers to which the caller subscribes;based on the subscription profile, selecting one of the network access servers for carrying the call into the data network; andestablishing the call originating in the telephone network and containing voiceband information and terminating in the data network via the selected one of the network access servers, based on call signaling information received from the signaling trunk by the signaling access server.