Abstract: Communication apparatus (22) includes a packet network interface (62), for coupling to a packet switch (28) in a packet network (24), and a telephone network interface (63), for coupling to a node (54) in a circuit-switched telephone network (26). A convergence processor (66) is coupled between the packet network and telephone network interfaces and adapted to emulate a mobile switching center (MSC) and a visitor location register (VLR) in the circuit-switched telephone network so as to assign telephone numbers in the circuit-switched telephone network to user terminals (30, 32, 34, 38) in the packet network and to connect telephone calls, using the assigned telephone numbers, between telephones (42) in the circuit-switched network and the user terminals.

Abstract: The invention includes a router and adapter enabling to receive any type of vendor Intelligent Network protocol message, then to direct the message (according to predefined rules) and ultimately, to translate one type of message into a unified format in order to meet with the destination protocol requirements and the mediating method according to the present invention enable communication between different (SSP) telephone message switching protocols and different control point system (SCP) message protocols; the method is based on conversion processes that enable identification of message definitions and information and the creation of unified message records.

Abstract: A method for providing a virtual multi-line (VML) telephone service includes associating first and second telephone numbers with a telephone, such that the first telephone number is subject to a first billing scheme and the second number is subject to a second billing scheme. A control code is transmitted from the telephone to a network switch, indicating a choice of one of the first and second telephone numbers. Upon receiving a request to connect a call from the telephone to a destination number, the call is connected using one of the first and second telephone numbers while applying one of the first and second billing schemes to the call in accordance with the choice indicated by the control code.