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Abstract

An apparatus (105), system (100) and method is provided for a unified circuit switched and packet-based communications system architecture having network interworking functionality. The apparatus (105) includes a circuit switched network interface (130), with the circuit switched network interface coupleable to a network switch (135) for communication of a circuit switched network protocol signal with a circuit switched network (160); a packet-based network interface (140), the packet-based network interface coupleable to a router (115) for communication of a packet-based network protocol signal with a packet-based network (150); a transceiver (120) coupleable to the communications channel (103) for the transmission and reception of a first protocol signal; and a communications controller (145), the communications controller coupled to the circuit switched network interface, to the packet-based network interface and to the transceiver, the communications controller responsive, through a set of program instructions and an interworking function, to interconvert the first protocol signal with the circuit switched network protocol signal and to interconvert the first protocol signal with the packet-based network protocol signal.

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First Claim