Patent ID: 7693131

Claim:
A communication system to provide Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) access to a residential communication hub, the communication system comprising: the residential communication hub coupled to a packet network over a packet connection configured to exchange telephony control signaling and telephony user communications in a PSTN format with an analog telephone, convert the telephony control signaling and the telephony user communications in the PSTN format to a packet format, exchange the telephony control signaling in the packet format with a service node over the packet connection, wherein the service node comprises a call manager and a voice mux, exchange the telephony user communications in the packet format with the service node over the packet connection, and exchange Internet communications with the service node over the packet connection; wherein the call manager is coupled to the packet network and configured to process the telephony control signaling to select a PSTN connection of the PSTN, transfer a control message indicating the selected PSTN connection, convert the telephony control signaling between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchange the telephony control signaling in the PSTN format with the PSTN over a signaling interface of the PSTN; and wherein the voice mux is coupled to the packet network and configured to receive the control message from the call manager, and in response, to exchange the telephony user communications in the packet format with the residential communication hub, convert the telephony user communications between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchange the telephony user communications in the PSTN format over the selected PSTN connection.