Patent ID: RE44011

Claim:
Switching apparatus for selectively routing a telephone call between a first end terminal and a second end terminal by switching data packets of said telephone call originating from a respective end terminal to either a mobile phone packet switching network with wireless access or a line switching network, said networks being either WAN or LAN networks, the data packets to be switched by the apparatus containing information identifying the respective origin and destination end terminals of said telephone call, the apparatus comprising for this routing: a) a device that provides access by said switching apparatus to a mobile phone packet switching network providing wireless access through which data packets can be sent for delivery to a destination end terminal; b) a device that provides access by said switching apparatus for establishing a line-switched connection through a line switching network through which data can be sent for delivery to a destination end terminal; and c) a control device responsive to a control signal for changing-over, during the call set-up procedure for said telephone call, from a packet switching to a line switching transfer of data without interruption of the call set-up procedure for said telephone call.