Patent ID: 7113504

Claim:
In a virtual private network that provides voice and data communications, the virtual private network including a first private network and a second private network connected by a first communication network that supports voice communications and does not support at least one advanced voice communication feature that is supported by the first private network and the second private network, a method of providing the advanced voice communication feature for a call from the first private network to the second private network, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a connection between the first private network and the second private network through an auxiliary communication network that supports the advanced voice communication feature; determining that a signaling message from the first private network invokes the advanced voice communication feature; converting the signaling message in a first protocol to a second signaling message in a second protocol for handling messages that pass enough information to implement the advanced voice communication feature; transmitting the second signaling message between the first private network and the second private network through the auxiliary communication network; prior to establishing the connection between the first private network and the second private network through an auxiliary communication network, establishing a connection between the first private network and the second private network through the first communication network; and wherein the connection between the first private network and the second private network through an auxiliary communication network is established from the second private network in response to establishing the connection between the first private network and the second private network through the first communication network.