Patent ID: 8213365

Claim:
A method in a communication network in which a session initiation protocol (SIP) is overlaid on a code division multiple access network for reducing a number of transcoders in a voice bearer path, the SIP for initiating a session between a calling party and a called party, the method comprising: transmitting a connection management (CM) Service Request message to initiate a call from a base station (BS) to a Serving mobile switching center (MSCe), the CM Service Request message containing BS connection information, a list of voice codecs and a list of BS transcoders; establishing a context between the MSCe and a media gateway (MGW); transmitting a message from the MSCe to the BS for the purpose of instructing the BS to establish a bearer resource connection between a terminal device of the calling party and the BS, sending the BS connection information as to which MGW connection point the BS is to send data packets to, instructing the BS as to whether or not to assign a transcoder in the voice bearer path in a BS-to-MS connection or in a BS-to-MGW connection, and if so, assigning the terminal device of the calling party to a voice codec selected from the list of voice codecs; sending a SIP call/session initiation message from the MSCe to a network entity supporting the called party, wherein the SIP call/session initiation message contains a list of preferred codecs for call/session setup; and upon receiving a SIP 180 Ringing message, the MSCe instructs the MGW to generate progress tones to the terminal device of the calling party.