A communication method comprising:</claim-text> receiving information associated with a user communication into a processing system; processing the information in the processing system to select an identifier; generating a message containing the ifier; transmitting the message from the processing system; receiving the message into an interworking unit; receiving the user communication into the interworking unit from a DS0 connection; in the interworking unit, converting the user communication into an asynchronous communication with the identifier in a header in response to the message; and transferring the asynchronous communication from the interworking unit. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system is external to telecommunication switches.

A method of operating a processing system to control a packet communication system for a user communication, the method comprising:</claim-text> receiving a signaling message for the user communication from a narrowband communication system into the ssing system; processing the signaling message to select a network code that identifies a network element to provide egress from the packet communication system for the user communication; generating a control message indicating the network code; transferring the control message from the processing system to the packet communication system receiving the user communication in the packet communication system and using the network code to route the user communication through the packet communication system to the network element; and transferring the user communication from the network element to provide egress from the packet communication system. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system is external to any communication switches.

A communication method for a call comprising:</claim-text> receiving set-up signaling associated with the call into a processing system; processing the set-up signaling in the processing system to select a DS<HIL><BOLD>0</BOLD></HIL> connection; ing the DS0 connection; transmitting the message from the processing system; receiving the message and an asynchronous communication associated with the call into an interworking unit; in the interworking unit, converting the asynchronous communication into a user communication; and transferring the user communication from the interworking unit to the DS0 connection in response to the message. view more

The method of claim <HIL><BOLD>1</BOLD></HIL> wherein transferring the user communication comprises converting the user communication from an electrical signal to an optical signal.

The method of claim <HIL><BOLD>1</BOLD></HIL> wherein the processing system is external to telecommunication switches.

A method of transferring a telecommunication signal, the method comprising:</claim-text> transferring a first signal component including user information from a narrowband communication signal; and transferring a second signal component including an ifier for routing the user information, wherein the identifier is selected by processing a signaling message, wherein an interworking device receives the narrowband communication signal and a control signal indicating the narrowband communication signal and the identifier, and in response to the control signal, converts the narrowband communication signal into a packet format having the first signal component including the user information and the second signal component including the identifier to form the telecommunication signal. view more

The method of claim 19 wherein the narrowband communication signal comprises a DS0 communication signal.

The method of claim 19 wherein transferring the telecommunication signal comprises transferring the telecommunication signal over an optical medium.

A communications system for handling a call having a first message and communications, the communication system comprising:</claim-text> a processing system external to narrowband switches and configured to receive and process the first message to t one of the narrowband switches and to generate and transmit a second message based on the selected narrowband switch; and an asynchronous communication system configured to receive the second message and the communications and transfer the communications to the selected narrowband switch in response to the second message. view more

A system for processing telecommunications is signaling that comprises:</claim-text> a first telecommunications device coupled to a first connection and a second connection and configured to receive in-band telecommunications signaling, to convert n-band telecommunications signaling to an out-of-band telecommunications signaling message and to transmit the out-of-band telecommunications signaling message, to receive a first control message, and to couple the first connection to the second connection in response to the first control message; and a processor that is external to the first telecommunications device and a second telecommunications device and configured to receive the out-of-band telecommunications signaling message from the first telecommunications device and to process the out-of-band telecommunications signaling message to select the second connection, to generate the first control message and a second control message that indicate the second connection, and to transmit the first control message to the first telecommunications device and to transmit the second control message to a second telecommunications device. view more

The system of claim <HIL><BOLD>38</BOLD></HIL> wherein the second connection is a broadband connection.

The system of claim <HIL><BOLD>38</BOLD></HIL> wherein the second connection is a packet connection.