Patent ID: 8208442

Claim:
A method for providing session control from a multimedia subsystem for a user element in a circuit-switched subsystem comprising: establishing, for a session, a session control signaling path between a user element in a circuit-switched subsystem and a remote user agent in a multimedia subsystem and representing the user element to the multimedia subsystem, such that the multimedia subsystem provides overall session control for the session, wherein the session control signaling path is established through an adaptation function of the circuit-switched subsystem, the adaptation function being implemented by a processor; establishing a bearer control signaling path for the session, at least a portion of which is different from the session control signaling path, from the remote user agent into the circuit-switched subsystem through a media gateway control function and a mobile switching center, the bearer control signaling path supporting a circuit-switched portion of a bearer path for the session between the mobile switching center and a media gateway associated with the media gateway control function; and establishing a remote signaling session path from the remote user agent toward a remote terminal through the multimedia subsystem, wherein the adaptation function receives from the user element access signaling using a circuit-switched protocol and comprising mobility signaling, session control signaling, and bearer control signaling, and wherein the adaptation function routes the mobility signaling to the mobile switching center, routes the session control signaling to the remote user agent via the session control signaling path, and routes the bearer control signaling to the mobile switching center via the bearer control signaling path, wherein the session control signaling path does not extend through the media gateway control function and wherein the adaption function is positioned between the user element and the mobile switching center supporting the user element in the circuit-switched subsystem.