Patent ID: 7974270

Claim:
A method for optimizing a communication channel between first and second media communications clients in a wireless network, the method comprising: communicatively coupling a licensed wireless first communication network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC) and a second communication network comprising a plurality of network controllers, wherein each of the plurality of network controllers comprises a media gateway; through the MSC and a media gateway of a network controller, establishing a call between the first media communications client and the second media communications client; at the MSC, determining that the first and second media communications clients are hosted by the network controller; sending, from the MSC to the network controller, a set of route optimize messages when the first and second media communications clients are determined to be hosted by the network controller, the set of route optimize messages comprising identities of the first and second media communications clients, the set of route optimize messages indicating that the network controller has to bypass the media gateway; sending, from the network controller, channel mode modify requests to both the first and second media communications clients to modify the communication channel between the first and second media communications clients to establish a direct media communications connection between the first and second media communications clients through the network controller, wherein the direct media communications connection bypasses the media gateway of the network controller; and receiving, at the MSC, a set of route optimize complete messages from the network controller after the direct media communications connection is established.