Patent ID: 6842513

Claim:
A method for routing a call within a telecommunications network containing switches to direct the call dialed by an originating subscriber to a terminating subscriber, the method comprising: receiving the call at a first switch within the network, the first switch being of a first technology; launching a query from the first switch to a centralized network routing database having information representing a topology of the switches; in response to the query, the network routing database returning to the first switch an identity of at least one downstream switch to which the call is next to be routed along a downstream path that is also determined by the network routing database and that includes plural switches within the network, the downstream switch being of a second technology that is different from the first technology of the first switch; and initiating a link from the first switch to the downstream switch identified by the network routing database to enable the first switch to route the call to the downstream switch for ultimate delivery to the terminating subscriber via the downstream path determined by the network routing database.