Patent ID: 8169951

Claim:
A method comprising: wirelessly receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN) from a wireless communication device (WCD) a radio access registration message seeking to register the WCD for wireless communication service in the RAN; in response to the radio access registration message from the WCD, sending a registration notification message from the RAN to a home location register (HLR) that serves the WCD, wherein the HLR includes or has access to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server function; responsive to the registration notification message, (i) the DHCP server function assigning a network address to the WCD, for use by the WCD to engage in communications on a packet-switched network and (ii) the HLR generating a registration notification response message containing the assigned network address and sending the registration notification response message from the HLR to the RAN; upon receipt of the registration notification message from the HLR, wirelessly transmitting to the WCD from the RAN, in response to the radio access registration message, a radio access registration response message, wherein the radio access registration response message acknowledges registration of the WCD for wireless communication service in the RAN and specifies the assigned network address for use by the WCD; and after transmitting the radio access registration response message, with the assigned network address, to the WCD: receiving into a call controller from the WCD a call origination request seeking to establish a call to a called party, and responsively sending to the WCD a network address of a remote endpoint serving the called party; and transporting call setup signaling that is being communicated between the assigned network address of the WCD and the network address of the remote endpoint, for setting up the call as a packet-based real-time media session between the WCD and the remote endpoint.