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.

The method of claim 1 wherein receiving and processing the information to select the identifier comprises receiving and processing an initial address message to select the identifier.

A method of transferring a user communication to a packet communication system, the method comprising:</claim-text> receiving the user communication into a device; receiving signaling formatted for a narrowband system into a processing system; in the ssing system, processing the signaling to select a network code that identifies a network element to provide egress for the user communication from the packet communication system; transferring an instruction indicating the network code from the processing system to the device; and transferring a packet including the network code and the user communication from the device to the packet communication system in response to the instruction. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the user communication comprises receiving the user communication from a DS<HIL><BOLD>0</BOLD></HIL> connection.

The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the user communication comprises receiving the user communication from a communication path and wherein the processing system is not on the communication path.

The method of claim 1 wherein processing the signaling comprises processing SS7 signaling.

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 processing the signaling message comprises processing a Signaling System #7 (SS7) message.

The method of claim 1 wherein the network code comprises a logical address of the network element.

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

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

The method of claim 24 wherein generating and transferring the signaling message comprises generating and transferring a Signaling System #7 (SS7)message.

The method of claim 24 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 processing the set-up signaling in the processing system to select the connection comprises processing the set-up signaling in the processing system to select a trunk group.

The method of claim <HIL><BOLD>1</BOLD></HIL> further comprising processing the set-up signaling in the processing system to generate an initial address message.

A method of operating an interworking unit to handle a plurality of calls, the method comprising:</claim-text> receiving messages into the interworking unit on a call-by-call basis where each one of the messages indicates one of a plurality of ronous connections and a corresponding one of a plurality of identifiers; receiving user communications for the calls from the synchronous connections indicated in the messages into the interworking unit; in response to the messages, converting the user communications from the synchronous connections into asynchronous communications including the corresponding identifiers; and transferring the asynchronous communications from the interworking unit for subsequent routing based on the identifiers. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the user communications from the synchronous connections comprises receiving the user communications from DS0 connections indicated in the messages.