Patent ID: 8023505

Claim:
Method for implementing a circuit emulation service through a packet-switched network, said packet-switched network cooperating with a first interface and a second interface suitable to connect a first user and a second user, respectively, to said packet-switched network, said method comprising: a) at said first interface, receiving a TDM flow from said first user; b) converting said TDM flow in packets formatted according to said circuit emulation service, wherein at least one of said packets comprises a header in turn comprising a redundant field; c) compressing said header into a compressed header by processing said redundant field, and forming a compressed packet comprising said compressed header; d) transmitting said compressed packet through said packet-switched network to said second interface; e) at said second interface, receiving said compressed packet; f) decompressing said compressed header into a decompressed header and forming a decompressed packet comprising said decompressed header; g) processing said decompressed packet thus recovering said TDM flow; and h) transmitting said TDM flow to said second user, wherein said redundant field has a size higher than a minimum size required to represent all the values that the content of said redundant field assumes: said step c) comprises replacing said redundant field with a compressed field and mapping said redundant field into said compressed field; and said step f) comprises generating a first decompressed field corresponding to said redundant field and demapping said compressed field into said first decompressed field.