Apparatus and methods for per-session switching for multiple wireline and wireless data types

• US 20060062225A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Santera Systems LLC
• Inventors: Li, San-qi
• Granted Patent: US 7,830,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/396
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/206 Real Time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching

Abstract

An apparatus including a sub-element processing (SEP) module configured to perform sub-element and/or per-session processing for each of a plurality of data elements included in data being switched between ones of a plurality of transmission links. The data can include wireless packet data, wireless non-packet data, wireline packet data, wireline non-packet data, and combinations thereof. The sub-element and/or per-session processing includes at least one of extracting and bundling at least one of voice data, encoding data and signaling data corresponding to one of a plurality of channels or sessions bundled within individual ones of the plurality of data elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a sub-element processing (SEP) module configured to perform sub-element processing for each of a plurality of data elements included in data being switched between ones of a plurality of transmission links;

wherein the data includes wireless packet data, wireless non-packet data, wireline packet data and wireline non-packet data; and

wherein the sub-element processing includes at least one of extracting and bundling at least one of voice data, encoding data and signaling data corresponding to one of a plurality of channels bundled within individual ones of the plurality of data elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sub-element processing includes per-session processing where ones of the plurality of data elements each include multi-session data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data elements includes at least one of:

a plurality of ATM cells; and

a plurality of IP packets.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data elements includes a plurality of ATM cells each including at least one of:

a plurality of Iu-UP/AAL2 packets; and

a plurality of Nb-UP/AAL2 packets.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the SEP module is integral to an integrated switching means configured to interface with each of the plurality of transmission links.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the integrated switching means includes a packet data switching matrix integrated with a non-packet data switching matrix.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the integrated switching means includes at least one digital signal processor (DSP) configured to:

perform data element conversion on a per-session basis to convert the wireless packet data, the wireless non-packet data, the wireline packet data and the wireline non-packet data into common data having a common protocol; and

cooperate with a common data switching matrix and the SEP module to;

switch the wireless and wireline packet data from a packet data switching matrix to a non-packet data switching matrix on a per-session basis; and

switch the wireless and wireline non-packet data from the non-packet data switching matrix to the packet data switching matrix on a per-session basis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the common protocol is at least partially based on a layer 2 transport protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the layer 2 transport protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

high-level data link control (HDLC) protocol; and

ethernet protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one DSP is further configured to perform data element services.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a media gateway.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

integrated means for switching;

ones of a plurality of received universal-mobile-telecommunications-service (UMTS) communications to ones of a plurality of public switched telephone network (PSTN) destinations;

ones of a plurality of received code-division-multiple-access-2000 (CDMA2000) communications to ones of the plurality of PSTN destinations;

ones of a plurality of received PSTN communications to ones of a plurality of UMTS destinations; and

ones of the plurality of received PSTN communications to ones of a plurality of CDMA2000 destinations.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the plurality of PSTN destinations are included in a plurality of time-division multiplexing (TDM) destinations;

the plurality of TDM destinations includes a plurality of second generation wireless technology (2G) destinations;

the plurality of received PSTN communications are included in a plurality of received TDM communications; and

the plurality of received TDM communications includes a plurality of received 2G communications.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the integrated switching means is further configured to switch;

ones of the plurality of received UMTS communications to ones of the plurality of UMTS destinations;

ones of the plurality of received UMTS communications to ones of the plurality of CDMA2000 destinations;

ones of the plurality of received CDMA2000 communications to ones of the plurality of UMTS destinations; and

ones of the plurality of received CDMA2000 communications to ones of the plurality of CDMA2000 destinations.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is a media gateway.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the integrated switching means includes a sub-element processing (SEP) module having a plurality of ports and configured to convert, by sub-element processing:

each of ones of the plurality of received UMTS communications into a UMTS-to-PSTN communication;

each of ones of the plurality of received CMDA2000 communications into a CMDA2000-to-PSTN communication;

each of ones of the plurality of received PSTN communications into a PSTN-to-UMTS communication; and

each of ones of the plurality of received PSTN communications into a PSTN-to-CDMA-2000 communication.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the integrated switching means further includes a first switching matrix and a second switching matrix, wherein:

the first switching matrix is configured to switch each of the plurality of received PSTN communications onto one of the plurality of SEP module ports;

the first switching matrix is further configured to switch each of the plurality of UMTS-to-PSTN communications and each of the plurality of CDMA2000-to-PSTN communications from one of the plurality of SEP module ports to a first network interface associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of PSTN destinations;

the second switching matrix is configured to switch each of the plurality of received UMTS communications and each of the plurality of received CDMA2000 communications onto one of the plurality of SEP module ports; and

the second switching matrix is further configured to switch each of the plurality of PSTN-to-UMTS communications and each of the plurality of PSTN-to-CDMA2000 communications from one of the plurality of SEP module ports to a second network interface associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of UMTS destinations and the plurality of CDMA2000 destinations.

16. The apparatus of clam 12 further comprising at least one network interface by which ones of the plurality of received UMTS communications are received from at least one wireless network component that is not integral to the apparatus.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving first and second PCM streams each corresponding to first and second PSTN-to-non-PSTN communications, respectively;

switching the first and second PCM streams to a sub-element processing (SEP) module via a TDM switching matrix;

extracting first voice data from the first PCM stream and second voice data from the second PCM stream;

building at least one data element that includes the first and second voice data in combination with encoding and signaling data associated with a non-PSTN destination of at least one of the first and second PSTN-to-non-PSTN communications; and

switching the at least one data element via a non-PSTN switching matrix.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the SEP module and the PSTN and non-PSTN switching matrices are integral to an integrated switching means and the SEP module is configured to perform the data element building.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein building the at least one data element includes:

building a first data element that includes the first voice data in combination with first encoding and signaling data associated with a first non-PSTN destination of the first PSTN-to-non-PSTN communication; and

building a second data element that includes the second voice data in combination with second encoding and signaling data associated with a second non-PSTN destination of the second PSTN-to-non-PSTN communication.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein building the at least one data element includes building a multi-channel data element including the first and second voice data.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing module configured to process each of a plurality of multimedia data elements on a per-session basis to switch the plurality of multimedia data elements between ones of a plurality of transmission links on a per-session basis.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the plurality of multimedia data elements includes wireless packet data, wireless non-packet data, wireline packet data and wireline non-packet data, each including data corresponding to a plurality of multimedia sessions.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the per-session processing includes at least one of extracting and bundling at least one of voice data, encoding data and signaling data corresponding to one of a plurality of sessions bundled within individual ones of the plurality of multimedia data elements.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the per-session processing includes at least one of extracting and bundling at least one of voice data, encoding data and signaling data corresponding to one of a plurality of channels bundled within individual ones of the plurality of multimedia data elements.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the plurality of multimedia data elements includes at least one of:

a plurality of ATM cells; and

a plurality of IP packets.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the plurality of multimedia data elements includes a plurality of ATM cells each including at least one of:

a plurality of Iu-UP/AAL2 packets; and

a plurality of Nb-UP/AAL2 packets.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the processing module is integral to an integrated switching means configured to interface with each of the plurality of transmission links.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the integrated switching means includes a packet data switching matrix integrated with a non-packet data switching matrix.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the integrated switching means includes at least one digital signal processor (DSP) configured to:

perform data element conversion on a per-session basis to convert the wireless packet data, the wireless non-packet data, the wireline packet data and the wireline non-packet data into common data having a common protocol; and

cooperate with a common data switching matrix and the processing module to;

switch the wireless and wireline packet data from a packet data switching matrix to a non-packet data switching matrix on a per-session basis; and

switch the wireless and wireline non-packet data from the non-packet data switching matrix to the packet data switching matrix on a per-session basis.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the common protocol is at least partially based on a layer 2 transport protocol.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the layer 2 transport protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

high-level data link control (HDLC) protocol; and

ethernet protocol.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the at least one DSP is further configured to perform data element services.

35. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the apparatus is a media gateway.

36. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving unlicensed mobile access (UMA) communications; and

means for switching the UMA communications to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a non-PSTN network.

37. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) communications; and

means for switching the Wi-Fi communications to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a non-PSTN network.

38. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving wireless local area network (WLAN) communications; and

means for switching the WLAN communications to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a non-PSTN network.

39. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communications; and

means for switching the WiMAX communications to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a non-PSTN network.