Patent ID: 7480723

Claim:
A method of resolving a session initiation protocol (SIP) destination identifier comprising: receiving an initial call-session request that includes an originating SIP request-uniform resource identifier (URI) indicating an originator of the initial call-session request, an ambiguous request URI indicating a party to which the initial call-session request is directed, the ambiguous request-URI being insufficient to fully define a desired request-URI, and a SIP header which indicates that a search for possible matches of request-URIs to the ambiguous request-URI is requested; determining possible matches of request-URIs to the ambiguous request-URI; sending an initial response, the initial response including at least a portion of information indicative of the possible matches of request-URIs, wherein the portion of information indicative of the possible matches of request-URIs is a list of contact Internet protocol (IP) addresses corresponding to the possible matches of request-URIs; and receiving a follow-on request that includes a selection of a given possible match to the ambiguous request-URI, wherein the follow-on request is recognized as a request for sending an additional portion of information indicative of the possible matches of request-URIs.