Distributed architecture for a telecommunications software swich

• US 20020196780A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Dinh, Le Van, Laxman, Amruth, Bloch, Jack, Knapik, Scott, Sicuro, Karina, Phung, Van P. T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A software-based telecommunications switch architecture with distributed supervision, network communications, and signal processing provides an expandable call volume handling capacity without having to add additional supervisory processing capability. The call signals are processed by a plurality of media control platforms which communicate with a supervisory network services processor and communicate with the network through a packet manager. The switch can be expanded by adding more media control platforms without the need to provide a new or additional network services processor or packet manager.

Claims

1. A software-based switching system for controlling the routing of calls through a telecommunications network, comprising:

a network services processor;

a packet manager;

at least one media control platform; and

a local area network interconnecting the network services processor, the packet manager, and the media control platform;

where

the media control platform is responsive to signaling from a calling party, and

provides an indication of a call setup request to the network services platform;

requests routing information from the network services platform; and

provides the connection information to the packet manager; and

the packet manager provides the connection information to the network.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, where the network services processor comprises a network and switch configuration database and the network services processor provides information from the database to the media control platform in response to the request for routing information.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1, where the network services processor comprises a call state database and the network services processor updates the database in response to messages from the media control platform.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1, where each media control platform is realized in at least a pair of media control platforms sharing the load, where each media control platform has the capability of handling the load of both media control platforms and each media control platform in a pair maintains a database of the call states for both of the media control platforms in the pair.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising additional media control platforms as necessary to expand the call handling capability of the system.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1, where the system utilizes an internal protocol and the packet manager translates the communications to and from the network to the internal protocol.