Patent ID: 7539155

Claim:
A method of operating voice traffic bearing packet switched network, comprising the steps of: receiving at a gateway of the packet-switched network a call originated from a voice terminal connected to the gateway, the call comprising a call initiation information and the call initiation information comprising a call destination identifier of the packet-switched network for a call destination; packetizing the call at the gateway, if the call is not packetized as received by the gateway; querying by the gateway over the packet-switched network to a gatekeeper of the packet-switched network, the gatekeeper controls communication of the call over the packet-switched network; responding by the gatekeeper to the gateway over the packet-switched network, in respect of the step of querying by the gateway, with a network address of the packet-switched network for a centralized feature platform of the packet-switched network, the centralized feature platform capable of performing a call service for the call; directing the call by the gateway, in response to the gatekeeper, over the packet-switched network, to the centralized feature platform having the network address of the packet-switched network for the centralized feature platform; determining by the centralized feature platform if the call service should be performed for the call by the centralized feature platform; (i) performing the call service by the centralized feature platform for the call, if the centralized feature platform determines that the call service applies for the call; (ii) skipping the step of performing the call service if the centralized feature platform determines that the call service does not apply for the call; requesting by the centralized feature platform a network routing information of the packet-switched network for the call from the gatekeeper, after the step of performing; responding by the gatekeeper with a network destination address of the packet-switched network for the call, whereby if the call is permissible, the network destination address corresponds to the call destination identifier; disassociating the call from the centralized feature platform after the step of responding; routing the call, disassociated from the centralized feature platform, over the packet-switched network by network protocols, to the network destination address for the call; and connected the call if the call is permitted, by the packet-switched network per network protocols of the packet-switched network via the network destination address for the call destination identifier, between the gateway and a target device corresponding to the call destination.