Patent ID: 6515985
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
Gateway apparatus for coupling a cellular switching center to a packet-switched network, comprising:a control unit, adapted to receive upstream signaling messages from the cellular switching center destined for a cellular signaling transfer point and to packetize the upstream signaling-messages for transmission over the packet-switched network; and a media gateway unit, adapted to receive from the cellular switching center upstream media data and to packetize the media data for transmission over the packet-switched network wherein the control unit is configured to emulate circuit-switched signaling communications between the cellular switching center and other elements of a cellular network wherein the control unit is configured to emulate circuit-switched signaling, communications between the cellular switching center and other elements of a cellular network, and wherein the cellular switching center comprises a mobile switching center (MSC), and wherein the control unit is configured to emulate the signaling communications between the MSC and the signaling transfer point in the cellular network, and wherein the control unit is adapted to select for packetizing certain of the signaling messages that are to be transmitted over the packet-switched network, while other signaling messages are transmitted by the control unit over a circuit-switched link.