Patent ID: 8644296

Claim:
A method for establishing a media path, comprising: receiving, by a processor of a gateway system, a connection request message intended for a called endpoint in an internet protocol communication network from a time division multiplexing local switch located in a publicly switched telephone network, wherein the time division multiplexing local switch includes a packet processing interface for packetizing time division multiplexing traffic transmitted from the time division multiplexing local switch towards the internet protocol communication network and depacketizing internet protocol traffic transmitted from the gateway system towards the publicly switched telephone network; generating, by the processor, a connection setup message in response to the connection request message, wherein at least a portion of the connection request message is used to form the connection setup message; transmitting, by the processor, the connection setup message towards the internet protocol communication network comprising a call control element via an ingress border element wherein the connection setup message is received at the call control element, the connection setup message operable to establish the media path directly between the gateway system and an egress border element, wherein the call control element identifies the egress border element associated with the called endpoint from a plurality of egress border elements and signals the egress border element for establishing the media path, wherein the gateway system is located outside the internet protocol communication network associated with the egress border element, wherein the time division multiplexing local switch, the call control element, the ingress border element, the gateway system and the egress border element are different elements; and determining, by the processor, that an establishment of the media path between the egress border element and the gateway system is successful to have the egress border element signal the called endpoint in the Internet protocol communication network to provide an indication of an incoming call.