Patent ID: 6963556

Claim:
A system for bridging a first communications network having a payload subnetwork and a signaling subnetwork with a second communications network that is packet-switched, comprising: a. a communications management object that coordinates the transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network; b. a payload object linked to the communications management object, wherein said payload object transfers payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network; c. a signaling object linked to the communications management object, wherein said signaling object transfers signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork; and d. a packet object linked to the communications management object, wherein said packet object transfers payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network.