System and method for bypassing data from egress facilities

• US 20030198216A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Shawn M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An open architecture platform bypasses data from the facilities of a telecommunications carrier, e.g. an incumbent local exchange carrier, by distinguishing between voice and data traffic, and handling voice and data traffic separately. An SS7 gateway receives and transmits SS7 signaling messages with the platform. When signaling for a call arrives, the SS7 gateway informs a control server on the platform. The control server manages the platform resources, including the SS7 gateway, tandem network access servers (NASs) and modem NASs. A tandem NAS receives the call over bearer channels. The control server determines whether the incoming call is voice traffic or data traffic, by the dialed number, and instructs the tandem NAS how to handle the call. Voiced traffic is transmitted to a switch for transmission from the platform. Data traffic is terminated at a modem NAS, where it is converted into a form suitable for a data network, such as a private data network or an Internet services provider (ISP). The converted data is sent by routers to the data network. The data network need not convert the data, as the function has already been provided by the platform. In lieu of a conversion, the modems can create a tunnel (a virtual private network) between a remote server and the data network.

Claims

1. A system for bypassing the egress facilities of a telecommunications system, the system comprising:

(i) a gateway for communicating with a telecommunications carrier by receiving and transmitting signaling messages;

(ii) a network access server for terminating data calls and for termination and reorigination processing of said data calls; and

(iii) a control server for communicating with said gateway, for distinguishing between voice calls and said data calls received from said telecommunications carrier, and for sending said data calls to said network access server.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said signaling messages are SS7 signaling messages, and wherein said gateway is an SS7 gateway device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway communicates with a switch facility in said telecommunications carrier via said signaling messages.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said switch facility is one of:

a class ¾

access tandem switch; and

a class 5 end office switch.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is a first application program running on a host computer, said control server being a second application program running on said host computer or on a second host computer, and said first application program and said second application program intercommunicate.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said control server comprises a communications portion for communicating with said gateway.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said communications portion of said control server and said gateway communicate via one of:

X.25 protocol format;

transmission control program, internet protocol (TCP/IP) packet format; and

user datagram protocol, internet protocol (UDP/IP) packet format.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said control server comprises a communications portion for communicating with a communications portion of said network access server.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said data calls have a digitized data format, said digitized format contains one of:

a cell, a packet, and a frame.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network access server comprises a second device which can be used to time division multiplex switch said data calls to another network access server.

11. The system according to claim 19, wherein said second device comprises a tandem network access server bay.

12. The system according to claim 1, said control server comprises:

a database for distinguishing between said voice calls and said data calls; and

said database includes a table comprising called party number sand terminating points associated with said called party numbers.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said control server determines that if said called party number is associated with a data modem, then a call received is one of said data calls.

14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voice switch for switching said voice calls and for transmitting said voice calls from the system.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is an open architecture platform.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said open architecture platform is integrated into facilities of:

an incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC), an interexchange carrier (IXC), a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), and an enhanced services provider.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein any combination of said gateway, said control server and said network access server are collocated.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein any combination of said gateway, said control server and said network access server are located geographically apart from one another.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein any combination of said gateway, said control server, said network access server and said voice switch are collocated.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein any combination of said gateway, said control server, said network access server and said voice switch are located geographically apart from one another.

21. A system for bypassing the egress facilities of a telecommunications system, the system comprising:

(a) a voice switch transmitting voice calls to a called party; and

(b) an open architecture switch receiving data calls and said voice calls from a telecommunications carrier, said open architecture switch including

(i) a modem network access server terminating said data calls to a modem;

(ii) a tandem network access server receiving said data calls and said voice calls; and

(iii) a gateway including

a gateway signalling system managing signaling information for said open architecture switch, and

a control server capable of controlling said modem network access server and said tandem network access server,

wherein said control server is capable of distinguishing between said data calls and said voice calls, transmitting said voice calls to said voice switch, and transmitting said data calls to said modem network access server.

22. A system for bypassing the egress facilities of a telecommunications carrier, comprising:

means for receiving and distinguishing between data calls and voice calls; and

means for converting said data calls into a form used by a data network.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein:

said converting means comprises at least one network access server for terminating said incoming data calls to modems, wherein said modems convert said incoming data calls from a first format to a second format; and

said receiving and distinguishing means comprises a gateway for handling signaling information, and a control server for controlling said gateway and said at least one network access server.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein said converting means comprises:

a network access server for terminating said incoming data calls to modems, wherein said modems convert said incoming data calls from a first format to a second format.

25. The system according to claim 22, wherein said system further comprises:

a voice switch for switching said voice calls.

26. A method for bypassing data from egress facilities of a telecommunications carrier, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a call with an open architecture telecommunications system;

determining whether said call is a voice call or a data call; and

terminating said call onto a network access server for termination processing, if said call is a data call.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein said determining step is performed by a control server.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said control server is an application program running on a host computer.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein said determining step comprises:

using a telephone number of a called party to determine whether said call is a voice call or a data call.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said telephone number is a number used to access one of:

at least one network device of an Internet Services Provider (ISP);

at least one network device of a competitive local exchange (CLEC) carrier;

at least one network device of an incumbent local exchange (ILEC) carrier;

at least one network device of an enhanced services provider (ESP);

at least one Intelligent Peripheral (IP) network device; and

at least one customer premises equipment (CPE).

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said using step comprises:

looking up said telephone number in a database.

36. The method according to claim 26, wherein said terminating step comprises:

providing a protocol tunnel from a first network to a second network.

37. The method according to claim 36, comprising:

using a virtual private network protocol to extend said first network to said second network.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said virtual private network protocol comprises a point-to-point tunneling (PPTP) protocol.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein said first network is a virtual private network, and

wherein said second network is a data network.

40. The method according to claim 26, wherein said call is terminated onto at least one modem in said network access server.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said call and at least one other call terminated at said network access server are connected in a time division multiplexed switching connection to said at least one modem.

42. The method according to claim 26, wherein said terminating step comprises:

terminating said call to a voice switch, if said call is a voice call.

27. The method according to claim , wherein said step of establishing a call with said telecommunications system comprises:

receiving signaling information to set up a call coming into said open architecture telecommunications system;

informing a control server that a call has arrived on said open architecture telecommunications system; and

receiving said call at said open architecture telecommunications system.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said step of receiving signaling information comprises receiving signaling information at a gateway.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein signaling system 7 (SS7) signaling information is received at said gateway.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein said gateway is an application program running on a host computer.

43. A method for bypassing data from the facilities of a telecommunications carrier comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving signaling information for transmitting a call;

(b) converting said signaling information into a format used by an open architecture platform;

(c) receiving said call on said platform;

(d) determining whether said call is a voice call or a data call;

(e) controlling at least one network access server;

(f) terminating said call in said at least one network access server, if said call is a data call; and

(g) transmitting said call to a voice switch, if said call is a voice call.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein step (f) comprises one of:

(i) terminating said call to a modem; and

(ii) establishing a tunnel to a virtual private data network.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein step (ii) comprises:

uses a point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) to extend a virtual private network to a second network.

46. A bypass system receiving telecommunications traffic including voice traffic and data traffic from a telecommunications carrier and bypassing the data traffic around egress facilities of the telecommunications carrier, said bypass system comprising:

one or more network access servers receiving said telecommunications traffic and separately routing the voice traffic and data traffic;

one or more gateways exchanging messages with the telecommunications carrier and providing signaling information to one or more control servers;

said one or more control servers responsive to said signaling information and detecting whether data traffic or voice traffic is being received by a network access server associated with the signaling information, and sending routing control information to the network access server receiving the telecommunications traffic associated with the signaling information; and

said network access server associated with the signaling information transmitting voice traffic to a voice switch if the telecommunications traffic is voice traffic and converting the telecommunications traffic to a form suitable for a destination data network if the telecommunications traffic is data traffic.

47. The bypass system of claim 46 where there are plurality of network access servers shared by one or more control servers.

48. The bypass system of claim 47 where said network access servers are located at geographically diverse locations remote from said one or more control servers and are connected to said one or more control servers through communication links.

49. The bypass system of claim 47 where the transmitting and converting functions of said network access servers are distributed across a plurality of network access servers at locations remote from said one or more control servers connected to said network access servers through a communication network.

50. The bypass system of claim 46 where there are a plurality of control servers shared by a plurality of gateways.