Importance

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Abstract

A method and a system for completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal in a switched telephone network (STN) are disclosed. The system includes a Virtual Switching Point (VSP) in a switched telephone network having a connection to a data network such as the Internet. Call requests are received by the VSP from the data network and processed by the VSP to establish a voice connection between a calling party which initiates the call requests and a called party number indicated in each call request message. The call request message may include a plurality of called party numbers and the VSP completes calls to each number in sequence without terminating the voice connection with the calling party, until an attempt to connect with each of the called numbers has been made or a call control option is exercised by the calling party. The call connections are established and controlled by the VSP using common channel signaling (CCS) messages. The call connections are controlled by the calling party using data messages passed to the VSP via the data network. The advantage is an efficient, reliable method of initiating calls from a data network to permit a multi-call session without disconnection or dialing between calls and fully functional computer telephony integration and control over calling connections using the inherent switching power resident in the STN.

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First Claim