Method and telecommunication system for initiating an enhanced communication connection

A telecommunications system for initiating a communication connection between a calling party and a called party, the called party having a communications terminal capable of participating in a circuit-switched connection and a packet-switched connection, said telecommunications system comprising:

• multiple interconnected networks,
• wherein said telecommunications system is adapted for:
• initiating a circuit-switched connection and a packet-switched connection via separate ones of said multiple interconnected networks;
• alerting a circuit-switched part of the communications terminal of said called party about the initiating of said circuit-switched connection using a first alert signal and alerting a packet-switched part of the communications terminal of said called party about the initiating of said packet-switched connection using a second alert signal;
• and
• receiving a circuit-switched response at one of said multiple interconnected networks and a packet-switched response at another of said multiple interconnected networks, both the circuit-switched and packet-switched responses being triggered by a single response received from the called party at the terminal at one of the circuit-switched part and the packet-switched part of the communications terminal in response to said first and second alert signals;
• and
• based on the single response, indicating to the other one of the circuit-switched part and the packet-switched part of the communications terminal whether the communications terminal accepts establishment of a corresponding one of the circuit-switched or packet-switched connections,
• wherein the circuit-switched and packet-switched responses indicate to the respective first and second ones of said multiple interconnected networks:
• whether the packet-switched part of the terminal accepts establishment of said packet-switched connection, and
• whether the circuit-switched part of the terminal accepts establishment of said circuit-switched connection.

A telecommunications device for use in a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system being configured for initiating a communication connection between a calling party and a called party associated with the telecommunications device, said telecommunications device comprising:

• a circuit-switched part adapted for receiving a first alert signal alerting the called party about initiation of a circuit-switched connection between the calling party and the called party;
• and
• a packet-switched part adapted for receiving a second alert signal alerting the called party about initiation of a packet-switched connection between the calling party and the called party,
• wherein said telecommunications device is adapted for:
• detecting a single response from said called party after the receipt of and in response to the first and second alert signals;
• generating a signal in one of said circuit-switched part or packet-switched part of the telecommunications device, triggered by said single response;
• transmitting said generated signal to the other of said circuit-switched part or packet-switched part, said generating signal indicating to the other of said circuit-switched part or packet-switched part whether said called party accepts establishment of a corresponding one of the circuit-switched or packet-switched connections;
• transmitting a circuit-switched response and a packet-switched response to the telecommunications system, both the circuit-switched and packet-switched responses being triggered by said single response,
• wherein the circuit-switched and packet-switched responses indicate to the telecommunications system:
• whether the packet-switched part of the terminal accepts establishment of said packet-switched connection, and
• whether the circuit-switched part of the terminal accepts establishment of said circuit-switched connection.