System and method for integrated service access

• US 20080049781A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks

Abstract

A method of operating a service provider system comprising receiving first traffic, determining a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types, selecting the first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type, and transmitting the first traffic on a first communication link to a communication system.

Claims

1. A service provider system comprising:

an interface configured to receive first traffic and transmit the first traffic on a first communication link to a communication system; and

a processing system configured to determine a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types and select the first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type.

2. The service provider system of claim 1 wherein the interface is further configured to receive second traffic and wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a second traffic type from the plurality of traffic types and select a second communication link from the plurality of communication links based on the second traffic type and wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the second traffic on the second communication link.

3. The service provider system of claim 2 wherein the first communication link comprises a wireless communication link and wherein the second communication link comprises a wireline communication link.

4. The service provider system of claim 3 wherein the first traffic type comprises best effort traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises real-time traffic.

5. The service provider system of claim 3 wherein the first traffic type comprises public traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises secure traffic.

6. A method of operating a service provider system, the method comprising:

receiving first traffic;

determining a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types;

selecting the first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type; and

transmitting the first traffic on a first communication link to a communication system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving second traffic, determining a second traffic type from the plurality of traffic types, selecting a second communication link from the plurality of communication links based on the second traffic type, and transmitting the second traffic on the second communication link.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first communication link comprises a wireless communication link and wherein the second communication link comprises a wireline communication link.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first traffic type comprises best effort traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises real-time traffic.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first traffic type comprises public traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises secure traffic.

17. The method of claim 6 further comprising in the communication system receiving second traffic, determining a second traffic type from the plurality of traffic types, selecting a second communication link from the plurality of communication links based on the second traffic type, and transmitting the second traffic on the second communication link.

18. The method of claim 7 wherein the first communication link comprises a wireless communication link and wherein the second communication link comprises a wireline communication link.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein the first traffic type comprises best effort traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises real-time traffic.

20. The method of claim 8 wherein the first traffic type comprises public traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises secure traffic.

11. A communication network comprising:

a communication system configured receive first traffic, determine a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types, select a first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type, and transmit the first traffic on the first communication link; and

a service provider system coupled to the communication system by the plurality of communication links and configured to receive the first traffic on the first communication link and transmit the first traffic to a destination.

12. The communication network of claim 11 wherein the communication system is further configured to receive second traffic, determine a second traffic type from the plurality of traffic types, select a second communication link from the plurality of communication links based on the second traffic type, and transmit the second traffic on the second communication link.

13. The communication network of claim 12 wherein the first communication link comprises a wireless communication link and wherein the second communication link comprises a wireline communication link.

14. The communication network of claim 13 wherein the first traffic type comprises best effort traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises real-time traffic.

15. The communication network of claim 13 wherein the first traffic type comprises public traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises secure traffic.

16. A method of operating a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving first traffic in a communication system;

determining a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types;

selecting a first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type;

transmitting the first traffic on the first communication link from the communication system;

receiving in a service provider system the first traffic on the first communication link; and

transmitting the first traffic to a destination.

21. A communication system comprising:

a user device configured to transmit first traffic; and

an access device coupled to the user device and configured to provide the user device with access to a service provider system, receive the first traffic from the user device, process the first traffic to determine a first traffic type of,the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types, select the first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type, and transmit the first traffic on a first communication link to the service provider system.

22. The communication system of claim 21 wherein the user device is further configured to transmit second traffic to the access device and wherein the access device is further configured to receive the second traffic, process the second traffic to determine a second traffic type from the plurality of traffic types, select a second communication link from the plurality of communication links based on the second traffic type, and transmit the second traffic on the second communication link.

23. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the first communication link comprises a wireless communication link and wherein the second communication link comprises a wireline communication link.

24. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the first traffic type comprises best effort traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises real-time traffic.

25. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the first traffic type comprises public traffic and wherein the second traffic type comprises secure traffic.

26. A method of configuring a communications session over a network, the method comprising:

designating a first communications link to communicate a first data packet from a first network device to a second network device, the first data packet being associated with the communications session;

designating a second communications link to communicate a second data packet from the second network device to the first network device, the second data packet being associated with the communications session.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein all data packets communicated from the first network device to the second network device during the communications session are designated to be communicated on the first communications link.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein all data packets communicated from the second network device to the second network device during the communications session are designated to be communicated on the second communications link.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the communications session is associated with authenticating a user of the first network device to allow the user to access data stored on the second network device.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the communications session is associated with authenticating a user of the first network device to allow the user to access data stored on the second network device, and wherein the first data packet is an identifier associated with the user and the second data packet is a confirmation of such identifier.