Conferencing PSTN gateway methods and apparatus to facilitate heterogeneous wireless network handovers for mobile communication devices

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium;
• computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium;
• and
• the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a network processing component for performing a method for establishing via a gateway a voice call between a mobile device which operates in a wireless network and a destination device, wherein a first connection leg of the voice call is to be established between the mobile device and a conference room of the gateway, the computer instructions being further executable for:
• receiving from the mobile device a request message for establishing the voice call which is directed to a selected telephone number of the destination device;
• in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call:
• sending to the gateway a request message for establishing a second connection leg between the network processing component and the destination device;
• and
• sending to the gateway a re-routing message for re-routing the second connection lea from the network processing component to the conference room, for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device via the gateway, the voice call including the first and the second connection legs.

A method for use in a mobile device for initially establishing a voice call between the mobile device operating in a wireless network and a destination device via a conferencing gateway which is configured to combine media streams of connection legs of the voice call, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a user interface of the mobile device, a request for establishing the voice call with the destination device, the request including a direct inward dialing number of the destination device;
• in response to receiving the request for establishing the voice call:
• sending, to the conferencing gateway, a message which includes the direct inward dialing number of the destination device;
• placing a call to a direct inward dialing number of a telephone network interface of the conferencing gateway, the call being connected to the destination device identified by the direct inward dialing number from the message for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device.