Technique for interconnecting circuit-switched and packet-switched domains

A device for interconnecting packet-switched (PS) and circuit-switched (CS) domains, the device comprising:

• a control component for receiving PS control information according to a PS control protocol from a user terminal, the PS control information including CS control information, according to a CS control protocol, encapsulated in the PS control information by a client component within the user terminal;
• a protocol converter for extracting, in response to receipt of the PS control information, the CS control information from the PS control information;
• and
• an interface for sending, according to the CS control protocol, the extracted CS control information to a serving network component that is located on an application layer and provides the CS services based on the determined CS control Information.

A method of controlling the provision of circuit-switched (CS) services to a user terminal having a packet-switched (PS) network access, the method comprising:

• receiving PS control information according to a PS control protocol from the user terminal, the PS control information including encapsulated CS control messages, wherein the CS control messages are base station system management application part (BSSMAP) messages or direct transfer application part (DTAP) messages;
• extracting, in response to receipt of the PS control information, CS control information from the PS control information;
• and
• sending, according to the CS control protocol, the extracted CS control Information to a network component located on an application layer for controlling, based on the determined CS control information, provision of CS services to the user terminal, wherein a device performs the receiving step the extracting step and the sending step.

A system for providing telecommunication services to a user terminal, the system comprising:

• a call session control function (CSCF) for receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) message containing packet-switched (PS) control information according to a PS control protocol from the user terminal, the PS control information including circuit-switched (CS) control information, according to a CS control protocol, encapsulated in the PS control information by a client component within the user terminal;
• an application server (AS);
• a mobile soft switching-application server (MSS-AS);
• the CSCF forwards the SIP message to at least one of the AS and the MSS-AS, wherein the CSCF forwards the SIP message to the MSS-AS, the MSS-AS comprises:
• a control component for receiving the SIP message;
• a protocol converter for extracting, in response to receipt of the SIP message, the CS control information from the PS control information;
• and
• an interface for sending, according to the CS control protocol, the extracted CS control information to a serving network component that is located on an application layer and provides CS services based on the determined CS control Information to the user terminal.

A system for providing telecommunication services to a user terminal, the system comprising:

• a call session control function (CSCF) for receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) message containing a packet-switched (PS) control information according to a PS control protocol from the user terminal, the PS control information including circuit- switched (CS) control information, according to a CS control protocol, encapsulated in the PS control information by a client component within the user terminal;
• an application server (AS);
• a mobile soft switching-application server (MSS-AS);
• the CSCF forwards the SIP message to the AS and then the AS forwards the SIP message to the MSS-AS, the MSS-AS comprises:
• a control component for receiving the SIP message;
• a protocol converter for extracting, in response to receipt of the SIP message, the CS control information from the PS control information;
• and
• an interface for sending, according to the CS control protocol, the extracted CS control information to a serving network component that is located on an application layer and provides CS services based on the determined CS control Information to the user terminal.