Patent ID: 7167469

Claim:
A method of processing Voice band Data in a communication path in a telecommunication network, said communication path consisting of a plurality of Voice band Data relay gateways, each being capable of encoding and decoding Voice band Data, including a first Voice band Data relay gateway, a last Voice band Data relay gateway, and at least one voice band Data relay gateway between the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways, said method comprising: detecting the at least one Voice band Data relay gateway between the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways; disabling the encoding and decoding capability of the at least one Voice band Data relay gateway between the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways, whereby the at least one Voice band Data relay gateway between the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways does not encode and decode the Voice band Data; despite being capable of doing so if not disabled, wherein only the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways are enabled and perform encoding and decoding of the Voice band Data; and after detecting and disabling the encoding and decoding capability of the at least one Voice band Data relay gateway between the first and last Voice band Data relay gateways, transmitting the Voice band Data from the first to the last Voice band Data relay gateway.