Method to process a call request

1. A method of establishing a communication session in a packet-based network, the method comprising, in a communication session controller:

receiving a communication session request from an originating device, the communication session request comprising a destination address;

establishing a communication session with the originating device, the communication session including a communication session identifier;

based on the destination address, setting up a first media path between the originating device and a first destination device, the first media path not including the communication session controller;

taking down the first media path between the originating device and the first destination device while maintaining the communication session with the originating device; and

after taking down the first media path, setting up a second media path in the communication session using the communication session identifier, the second media path extending between the originating device and a second destination device, the second media path not including the communication session controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

setting up the first media path comprises sending a communication session request from the communication session controller to the first destination device; and

setting up the second media path comprises sending a communication session request from the communication session controller to the second destination device without sending a communication session end message to the originating device.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising sending a communication session request response from the communication session controller to the originating device in response to receiving the communication session request from the originating device, the communication session request response indicating an attempt to establish a communication session.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising sending a communication session request from the communication session controller to the first destination device in response to receiving the communication session request from the originating device to initiate setting up of the first media path.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

receiving messaging from the first destination device at the communication session controller; and

taking down the first media path between the originating device and the first destination device while maintaining the communication session with the originating device in response to the received messaging.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising sending a communication session request from the communication session controller to the second destination device in response to the received messaging to initiate setting up of the second media path.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first destination device is a network server, the method comprising sending the messaging from the network server to the communication session controller to initiate taking down of the first media path.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving at the communication session controller from the second destination device messaging requesting ending of the communication session; and

in response to the messaging received from the second destination device, sending messaging from the communication session controller to the originating device to signal ending of the communication session.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the communication session with the originating device comprises executing at least one Extensible Markup Language (XML) script.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication session request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Invite message.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communication session controller responds to receipt of the SIP Invite message by sending a SIP Invite message to the first destination device to initiate setting up of the first media path.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the communication session controller initiates setting up of the second media path by sending a SIP Invite message to the second destination device without first sending a SIP Bye message to the originating device.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising sending a SIP Trying message from the communication session controller to the originating device in response to receiving the communication session request to indicate an attempt to establish a communication session.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

receiving a SIP Bye message at the communication session controller from the first destination device; and

taking down the first media path between the originating device and the first destination device while maintaining the communication session with the originating device in response to the received SIP Bye message.

15. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

receiving at the communication session controller from the second destination device a SIP Bye message; and

in response to the SIP Bye message received from the second destination device, sending a SIP Bye message from the communication session controller to the originating device to signal ending of the communication session.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication session request from the originating device is received by the communication session controller via a proxy.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising sending the communication session request from the proxy to the communication session controller.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first destination device is a network server.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the network server comprises at least one of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) server and an announcement system server.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication session is an interactive session in which participants exchange data.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the data exchanged by the participants comprises at least one of voice data, video data, and text data.