Auxiliary bridging device supporting multiple pathway telephony bridging

• US 20070183407A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Application Number:
  US11/448,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20070183407A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

An auxiliary bridging device operates within infrastructure that includes a packet data network (Internet) and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) telephony network and supports a coupled POTS telephony device. The auxiliary bridging device is operable to bridge calls between every two of the POTS telephony device, the PSTN network, and the packet data network (Internet). The auxiliary bridging device selectively bridges incoming calls to the POTS telephony device, to remote PSTN terminals, and to remote VoIP terminals based upon telephony bridging instructions. These telephony bridging instructions may be stored locally or remotely.

Claims

1. An auxiliary bridging device used in a telephony infrastructure, the telephony infrastructure having a (Plain Old Telephone Service) POTS telephony device, a circuit switched telephony network, and a packet switched telephony network, the auxiliary bridging device comprising:

POTS driver circuitry that generates and delivers POTS signaling to the POTS telephony device;

packet switched interface circuitry that supports a call pathway to the packet switched telephony network;

circuit switched interface circuitry that supports a call pathway to the circuit switched telephony network;

processing circuitry coupled to the POTS driver circuitry, the circuit switched interface circuitry, and the packet switched interface circuitry; and

the processing circuitry operable to bridge calls between every two of the POTS driver circuitry, the circuit switched interface circuitry, and the packet switched interface circuitry.

2. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein the POTS signaling is equivalent to POTS signaling provided by a Central Office of a PSTN telephone company over twisted pair wiring to a POTS telephone.

3. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein in the processing circuitry operable to bridge calls between every two of the POTS driver circuitry, the circuit switched interface circuitry, and the packet switched interface circuitry, the processing circuitry is operable to bridge calls:

between the POTS driver circuitry and the packet switched interface circuitry;

between the POTS driver circuitry and the circuit switched interface circuitry; and

between the circuit switched interface circuitry and the packet switched interface circuitry.

4. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein the packet switched interface circuitry comprises a personal computer bus interface.

5. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 4, further comprising a housing to fit within an expansion card opening of a personal computer supporting the personal computer bus interface, the housing containing at least a substantial portion of the POTS driver circuitry, the packet switched interface, the circuit switched interface, and the processing circuitry.

6. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

track a corresponding subscriber; and

store in memory at least one current IP address of a VoIP terminal corresponding to the subscriber.

7. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

track a corresponding subscriber; and

store in memory a current PSTN number corresponding to the subscriber.

8. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive a PSTN call request relating to an incoming call via the circuit switched interface circuitry;

create a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call request based upon the PSTN call request; and

send the VoIP call request via the packet switched interface circuitry.

9. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call request relating to an incoming call via the packet switched interface circuitry;

create a PSTN call request based upon the VoIP call request; and

send the PSTN call request via the circuit switched interface circuitry.

10. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

retrieve telephony bridging instructions from local memory; and

bridge an incoming call based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

11. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive telephony bridging instructions with an incoming call; and

bridge the incoming call based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

12. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

query a tracking server;

receive telephony bridging instructions from the tracking server that includes a destination network address of a terminal;

bridge an incoming call based upon the telephony bridging instructions.

13. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

attempt local termination of an incoming call via the POTS driver circuitry; and

when local termination of the incoming call is not successful, bridge the incoming call via one of the circuit switched interface circuitry and the packet switched interface circuitry.

14. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

determine a destination packet data network address for an incoming call; and

determine whether call bridging is enabled for the call based upon the destination packet data network address for the incoming call.

15. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

determine a called PSTN number for an incoming call; and

determine whether call bridging is enabled for the incoming call based upon the called PSTN number for the call.

16. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

determine a source packet data network address of an incoming call; and

determine whether call bridging is enabled for the incoming call based upon the source packet data network address of the incoming call.

17. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 1, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

determine a calling line identifier (CLID) number of an incoming call; and

determine whether call bridging is enabled for the incoming call based upon the CLID number of the call.

18. Auxiliary bridging circuitry used in telephony infrastructure, the telephony infrastructure having a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) telephony device and a packet switched telephony network, the auxiliary bridging circuitry comprising:

POTS driver circuitry, coupled to the POTS telephony device, that detects an absence of POTS signaling, and the POTS driver circuitry responds to the detected absence by generating and delivering substitute POTS signaling to the POTS telephony device;

packet switched interface circuitry that supports a first pathway to the packet switched telephony network;

processing circuitry coupled to the POTS driver circuitry and the packet switched interface circuitry; and

the processing circuitry operable to selectively bridge calls between the POTS driver circuitry and the packet switched interface circuitry.

19. The auxiliary bridging circuitry of claim 18, wherein the substitute POTS signaling is equivalent to POTS signaling provided by a Central Office of a PSTN telephone company over twisted pair wiring to a POTS telephone.

20. The auxiliary bridging circuitry of claim 18, wherein the packet switched interface circuitry comprises a personal computer bus interface.

21. The auxiliary bridging circuitry of claim 20, further comprising a housing to fit within an expansion card opening of a personal computer supporting the personal computer bus interface, the housing containing at least a substantial portion of the POTS driver circuitry, the packet switched interface circuitry, and the processing circuitry.

22. An auxiliary bridging device used in a telephony infrastructure, the telephony infrastructure supporting a (Plain Old Telephone Service) POTS telephony device and a personal computing device, the auxiliary bridging device comprising:

POTS driver circuitry that generates and delivers POTS signaling to the POTS telephony device;

interface circuitry coupled to the personal computing device;

processing circuitry coupled to the POTS driver circuitry and the interface circuitry; and

the processing circuitry operable to selectively bridge calls between the POTS driver circuitry and the personal computing device.

23. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 22, wherein the interface circuitry comprises a personal computer bus interface.

24. The auxiliary bridging device of claim 22, the processing circuitry operable to convert the calls between a POTS telephony format and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) format.

25. A telephony infrastructure supporting a packet switched telephony device, a first circuit switched telephony device, and a second circuit switched telephony device, the telephony infrastructure comprising:

a circuit switched telephony network coupled to the first circuit switched telephony device;

a packet switched telephony network coupled to the packet switched telephony device;

auxiliary bridging circuitry that generates and delivers (Plain Old Telephone Service) POTS signaling to the second circuit switched telephony device; and

the auxiliary bridging circuitry operable to selectively bridge calls between the second circuit switched telephony device and each one of the packet switched telephony device and the first circuit switched telephony device.

26. The telephony infrastructure of claim 25, wherein the auxiliary bridging circuitry is further operable to bridge calls between the first circuit switched telephony device and the packet switched telephony device.

27. The telephony infrastructure of claim 25, wherein the auxiliary bridging circuitry is further operable:

track a corresponding subscriber; and

store in memory at least one current IP address of a VoIP terminal corresponding to the subscriber.

28. The telephony infrastructure of claim 25, wherein the auxiliary bridging circuitry is further operable:

track a corresponding subscriber; and

store in memory a current PSTN number corresponding to the subscriber.

29. The telephony infrastructure of claim 25, wherein the auxiliary bridging circuitry is further operable:

receive a PSTN call request relating to an incoming call via the circuit switched telephony network;

create a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call request based upon the PSTN call request; and

send the VoIP call request via the packet switched telephony network.

30. The telephony infrastructure of claim 25, wherein the auxiliary bridging circuitry is further operable:

receive a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call request relating to an incoming call via the packet switched telephony network;

create a PSTN call request based upon the VoIP call request; and

send the PSTN call request via the circuit switched telephony network.

31. A method comprising:

delivering (Plain Old Telephone Service) POTS signaling, by an auxiliary bridging device, to a coupled POTS telephony device;

supporting, by the auxiliary bridging device, a call pathway to the coupled POTS telephony device;

supporting, by the auxiliary bridging device, a call pathway to a packet switched telephony network;

supporting, by the auxiliary bridging device, a call pathway to a circuit switched telephony network; and

bridging, by the auxiliary bridging device, calls between every two of the POTS telephony device, the circuit switched telephony network, and the packet switched telephony network.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the POTS signaling is equivalent to POTS signaling provided by a Central Office of a PSTN telephone company over twisted pair wiring to a POTS telephone.

33. The method of claim 31, the every two of the POTS telephony device, the circuit switched telephony network, and the packet switched telephony network comprises:

the POTS telephony device and the circuit switched telephony network;

the POTS telephony device and the packet switched telephony network; and

the circuit switched telephony network and the packet switched telephony network.

34. A method for operating an auxiliary bridging device having a (Plain Old Telephone Service) POTS telephone interface, a packet switched interface, and a circuit switched interface, the method comprising:

detecting the presence or absence of POTS signaling at the circuit switched interface;

when POTS signaling is not present at the circuit switched interface, the auxiliary bridging device producing and delivering POTS signaling to a coupled POTS telephony device;

when POTS signaling is present at the circuit switched interface, the auxiliary bridging device coupling the circuit switched interface to the POTS telephone interface;

supporting a first call pathway between the POTS telephone interface and the packet switched interface;

supporting a second call pathway between the POTS telephone interface and the packet switched interface;

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising supporting a third call pathway between the circuit switched interface and the packet switched interface.