Patent ID: 7586857

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a network controller operatively coupled to a resource controller via a SIP interface link, the network controller operatively coupled to a first SIP server via a SIP interface link and a SIP conference control interface link; the network controller operatively coupled to at least one further SIP server via a signaling interface link; the resource controller operatively coupled to network resources via a predetermined interface link; the network resources operatively coupled to a first media server via a media interface link; the first media server operatively coupled to the first end user via a first respective user equipment media interface link; and the network resources operatively coupled to at least one further media server via a further media interface link; wherein the network controller and the SIP servers exchange call control information, and wherein the network controller is operatively coupled to the media servers; wherein the network controller and the resource controller exchange resource control information, the resource controller operatively coupled to network resources; wherein the network controller employs a session description protocol within SIP to exchange resource control information with the resource controller using third party call control procedures; and wherein media of a conference call between respective users is communicated over a bearer path between the network controller and the media servers, and wherein the network resources provide media translations between respective users.