Patent ID: 8417287

Claim:
A virtual gateway for communicating voice and call control data between an IP-based telephone switch connected via a communication link and a dual-mode subscriber device connected via a wireless local area network (WLAN) link, comprising: a computing device, including a wireless local area network interface capable of establishing a WLAN link with the dual-mode subscriber device, a network interface capable of establishing a communication link with the IP-based telephone switch, and a processor configured to: relay voice and call control data between the dual-mode subscriber device and the IP-based telephone switch; and create a message in the first call control signaling format initiating a call from the IP-based telephone switch to the dual-mode subscriber device via a wireless communication system, wherein: the call control data transmitted over the communication link are in first call control signaling format and the call control data transmitted over the WLAN link are in second call control signaling format different than the first call control signaling format; and the message initiating the call is a registration message sent to the IP-based telephone switch.