Patent ID: 7920553

Claim:
A device for communicatively coupling a packet network to at least one communication network having a different information format, the device comprising: a packet interface for communicating information via the packet network; at least one network interface, each of the at least one network interface for communicating information via an associated one of the at least one communication network in an associated format, wherein the at least one network interface provides the functionality of a conventional telephone switching network interface; at least one converter for selectively converting information received by the packet interface for transmission via one of the at least one network interface in the associated format, and for selectively converting for transmission via the packet interface information received from the one of the at least one network interface in the associated format, wherein the at least one converter converts first digitized voice information into a first analog voice signal, and a second analog voice signal into second digitized voice information, and wherein the at least one converter buffers the first digitized voice information for a period of time to minimize gaps in the first analog voice signal; and a controller for receiving, from either of the packet network and the at least one network interface, signaling information that initiates a call connection between the packet network and one of the at least one communication network, the controller adapting the operation of the converter and establishing the call connection between the packet network and the one of the at least one communication network, based upon the received signaling information and a cross-reference between an address on the at least one communication network and an associated address on the packet network.