Patent ID: 7254643

Claim:
A method of processing multi-media service requests received at a multi-media services provider computer system including a processor coupled to a media gateway controller and to a media server, the method comprising: receiving a first message in a first format at the media gateway controller from a first one of a plurality of communication devices; processing the first message at the media gateway controller and at the processor for generating an instruction message that is communicated to the media server; responding to the instruction message at the media server by communicating at least one predetermined announcement to the first one of the plurality of communication devices; receiving predetermined account-information in the first format from the first one of the plurality of communication devices at the media server in response to the at least one predetermined announcement; processing the predetermined account-information in the first format at the media server to generate a validation message in a second format including the predetermined account-information; and receiving the validation message in the second format including the predetermined account-information at the processor over a direct communication coupling, wherein receiving the validation message in the second format at the processor over the direct communication coupling increases the multi-media services provider computer system efficiency by increasing the rate at which user requests for multi-media features can be processed.