Patent Document ID: 6134235
Application ID: 08946965

Base Claim:
1. A system for bridging a first communications network having a payload subnetwork and a signaling subnetwork with a second communications network that is packet-switched, comprising: a. a communications management object that coordinates the transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network, wherein the communications management object coordinates the transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network by initiating at least one of the tasks of communications session setup, communications session tear down, bridging of two communications requests or routing of a communications to a communications access point in one of the first communications network or the second communications network. b. a payload object linked to the communications management object, wherein said payload object transfers payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network; c. a signaling object linked to the communications management object, wherein said signaling object transfers signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork; and d. a packet object linked to the communications management object, wherein said packet object transfers payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network.

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Claim 15:
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications management object coordinates a transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network by causing the system to perform at least one of the tasks of: a. initiating a communications contact in response to a user clicking a hypertext link; b. sending a message to a user requesting a return communications contact; c. scheduling a time to initiate a communications contact between two users; d. initiating a sequence of communications contacts until the party to be contacted is reached; and e. directing a communications contact addressed to a user to a mailbox.