Method and apparatus for improved voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) transmission in a digital network

• US 20060227782A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Christopher W., Bullman, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Voice services are provided in a network node of a digital networking system. A service signal is provided to at least one user device. One or more voice packets are received from the at least one user device. The one or more voice packets are processed, and transmitted to one or more destinations determined in the packet processing.

Claims

1. In a network node of a digital networking system, a method of providing voice services, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a service signal to at least one user device;

receiving one or more voice packets from the user device;

processing the one or more voice packets; and

transmitting the one or more voice packets to one or more destinations determined in the processing step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a service signal to at least one user device comprises the steps of:

detecting a service request from the at least one user device;

forwarding the service request to a registration system of the at least one network node; and

providing service on the digital networking system to the at least one user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing service on the digital networking system comprises the steps of:

determining if the registration system recognizes the at least one user device; and

forwarding service grant notification from the registration system when the registration system recognizes the at least one user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining if the registration system recognizes the at least one user device comprises the steps of:

inspecting one or more service parameters (SPs) of the service request; and

recognizing at least one of a user and one or more user attributes from the one or more SPs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the one or more voice packets comprises the step of detecting at least one Internet protocol (IP) header of the one or more voice packets.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of transmitting the one or more voice packets, the voice packets are transmitted in accordance with destination information from the at least one IP header.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one IP header comprises one or more of a destination port address, a destination carrier tag, an owner identification, and global positioning system (GPS) location information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one IP header is stored on and sent by the at least one user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the one or more voice packets comprises the step of prioritizing the one or more voice packets in association with other broadband traffic handled by the at least one network node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, in the step of transmitting the one or more voice packets, the one or more voice packets are transmitted in an order determined by the prioritization.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of prioritizing the one or more voice packets results in a shortest delay for voice services compared to other broadband traffic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node comprises at least one of a digital subscriber line (DSL) aggregation mux, an Ethernet switch, a broadband loop carrier, and an optical networking unit.

13. An apparatus for providing voice services in a network node of a digital networking system, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for providing a service signal to at least one user device;

circuitry for receiving one or more voice packets from the user device;

circuitry for processing the one or more voice packets; and

circuitry for transmitting the one or more voice packets to one or more destinations determined by the processing circuitry.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry for providing a service signal to at least one user device comprises:

circuitry for detecting a service request from the at least one user device;

circuitry for forwarding the service request to a registration system of the at least one network node; and

circuitry for providing service on the digital networking system to the at least one user device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry for processing the one or more voice packets comprises circuitry for detecting at least one Internet protocol (IP) header of the one or more voice packets.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry for processing the one or more voice packets comprises circuitry for prioritizing the one or more voice packets in association with other broadband traffic handled by the at least one network node.

17. An integrated circuit device for use in a network node of a digital networking system, wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to provide a service signal to at least one user device, receive one or more voice packets from the at least one user device, process the one or more voice packets, and transmit the one or more voice packets through the digital networking system to one or more destinations determined in the processing operation.

18. The integrated circuit device of claim 17, wherein the integrated circuit device is further configured to detect a service request from the at least one user device, and provide service on the digital networking system to the at least one user device.

19. The integrated circuit device of claim 17, wherein the integrated circuit device is further configured to detect at least one Internet protocol (IP) header of the one or more voice packets.

20. The integrated circuit device of claim 17, wherein the integrated circuit device is further configured to prioritize the one or more voice packets in association with other broadband traffic handled by the network node.

21. The integrated circuit device of claim 20, wherein the prioritization of the one or more voice packets results in a shortest delay for voice services compared to other broadband traffic.

22. The integrated circuit device of claim 21, wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to inspect one or more service parameters (SPs) of a service request, and recognize at least one of a user and one or more user attributes from the one or more SPs.

23. A digital networking system comprising:

at least one user device configured to transmit one or more voice packets; and

at least one network node comprising an integrated circuit device configured to provide a service signal to at least one user device, receive one or more voice packets from the at least one user device, process the one or more voice packets, and transmit the one or more voice packets through the digital networking system to one or more destinations determined in the processing operation.