Patent ID: 8165113

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for communicating between a plurality of network elements to form a multi-media communication path between a first communication device and a second communication device of a plurality of communication devices, comprising: receiving a session initiation protocol message to form a multi-media communication path between the first communication device in communication with a first private branch exchange and the second communication device in communication with a second private branch exchange, wherein the session initiation protocol message comprises: a header region; and a plurality of header fields located on the header region, wherein the plurality of header fields includes predetermined address information associated with at least one network element of the plurality of network elements, wherein the header fields are in a session initiation protocol-digits format, where the session initiation protocol-digits format comprises a plurality of header parameters that resembles American national standards institute signaling standard, wherein the plurality of header fields includes to: header field having a collected address header parameter and a carrier identifier code header parameter in the to: header field, wherein the carrier identifier code is for selecting a carrier for a session; processing the session initiation protocol message; and transmitting a second message to form the multi-media communication path between the first communication device and the second communication device.