POTS/broadband voice cross-connect system

• US 20040052242A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laturell, Donald R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

A communications apparatus supporting seamless integration of VoBB and POTS services can be used with or embodied in any communications appliance or voice/data gateway product that has connectivity to both services. The apparatus supports user-specified usage of one service over another on a call-by-call and/or call-category basis. For example, all long-distance outgoing calls (or those belonging to specific area codes or regions) may be specified to use the VoBB service and all local calls or just emergency “9-1-1” calls may be specified to use the POTS service. The apparatus also enables communication service features such as multiple-line (ML), three-way-calling (TWC), and conference calling (CC)) to be managed intelligently across the VoBB and POTS services.

Claims

1. Customer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

(a) a cross-connect configured to selectively connect a local communication device with a plain old telephone system (POTS) central office (CO) or a voice-over-broadband (VoBB) gateway or both; and

(b) a controller configured to monitor signals corresponding to one or more of the local communication device, the POTS CO, and the VoBB gateway, to control the cross-connect.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the types of signals and the controller'"'"'s responses to the types of signals are both configurable.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the local communication device is a POTS phone;

the CPE further comprises a POTS/CO emulator (PCOE) configured between the POTS phone and the VoBB gateway to support communications between the POTS phone and the VoBB gateway; and

the CPE is implemented as a single integrated circuit.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO or to the VoBB gateway or both based on signals from the local communication device.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the controller controls the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO when the signals from the local communication device correspond to a request for an emergency phone call.

6. The invention of claim 4, wherein the controller controls the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO for local calls and to the VoBB gateway for long-distance calls.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect has a loss-of-power default configuration in which the local communication device is connected to the POTS CO.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect has a default configuration to the POTS CO or the VoBB gateway corresponding to an on-hook status of the local communication device.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect supports simultaneous connection of the local communication device with both the POTS CO and the VoBB gateway.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect supports local conferencing of local communication devices.

11. The invention of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO or to the VoBB gateway or both based on signals from at least one of the POTS CO and the VoBB gateway.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein, when there is no call in progress and when an incoming call arrives from either the POTS CO or the VoBB gateway, the controller controls the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the incoming call.

13. The invention of claim 11, wherein the controller, upon detecting an incoming call from the CO while the local communication device is in a current call via the VoBB gateway, asserts a call-waiting (CW) tone to the local communication device.

16. The invention of claim 11, wherein the controller, upon detecting an incoming call from the VoBB gateway while the local communication device is in a current call via the CO, asserts a CW tone to the local communication device.

14. The invention of 13, wherein the controller further responds to a call-waiting connect command (CWCC) from the local communication device by (i) commanding the VoBB gateway to place the current call on hold and (ii) commanding the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the CO to answer the incoming call.

15. The invention of 13, wherein the controller further responds to a conference-call connect command (CCCC) from the local communication device by configuring the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to both the CO and the VoBB gateway to establish a conference call.

17. The invention of 16, wherein the controller further responds to a CWCC from the local communication device by (i) commanding the CO to place the current call on hold and (ii) commanding the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the VoBB gateway to answer the incoming call.

18. The invention of 16, wherein the controller further responds to a CCCC from the local communication device by configuring the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to both the CO and the VoBB gateway to establish a conference call.

19. A method for processing communication signals at a customer'"'"'s premises, comprising the step of:

(a) selectively connecting a local communication device with a plain old telephone system (POTS) central office (CO) or a voice-over-broadband (VoBB) gateway or both; and

(b) monitoring signals corresponding to one or more of the local communication device, the POTS CO, and the VoBB gateway, to control the selective connection of step (a).

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining whether to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO or to the VoBB gateway or both based on signals from the local communication device.

21. The invention of claim 20, wherein step (b) comprises the step of controlling the cross-connect to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO when the signals from the local communication device correspond to a request for an emergency phone call.

22. The invention of claim 19, further comprising the step of connecting the local communication device to the POTS CO upon loss of power.

23. The invention of claim 19, wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining whether to connect the local communication device to the POTS CO or to the VoBB gateway or both based on signals from at least one of the POTS CO and the VoBB gateway.

24. The invention of claim 23, wherein:

the local communication device is connected to the incoming call, when there is no call in progress and when an incoming call arrives from either the POTS CO or the VoBB gateway;

a call-waiting (CW) tone is asserted to the local communication device, upon detecting an incoming call from the CO while the local communication device is in a current call via the VoBB gateway; and

a CW tone is asserted to the local communication device, upon detecting an incoming call from the VoBB gateway while the local communication device is in a current call via the CO.