SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR CONNECTING OR COUPLING ANALOG AUDIO TONE BASED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS OVER A PACKET DATA NETWORK

• US 20120106543A1
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nsgdatacom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nsgdatacom Incorporated
• Inventors: King, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

An automated telecommunications system includes a first system operable to receive PSTN compatible audio frequency signals, to decode and interpret said incoming signals according to the message format and a modem protocol being used, and transmit digital messages to a second system over a packet data network. Said second system receives and interprets digital messages incoming from the first system, encodes and regenerate outgoing audio frequency signals. The system may be bi-directional and operate over a packet based data network, such as for example an Internet protocol (IP) based network, a satellite based network, or an IP based cable or wireless network. The functionality of said first and second systems may be combined at a single location and operate with a VoIP network to allow modem signals to pass across the VoIP system.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting and receiving public switched telephone network (PSTN) compatible audio signals over a packet data network comprising:

a first system operative to;

receive incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals;

decode and interpret said incoming PSTN-compatible audio signals according to a message format and a modem protocol being used to obtain signal information;

process said signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule to generate an outgoing digital message;

transmit said outgoing digital message to a second system over the packet data network;

receive and interpret an incoming digital message from the second system; and

encode and regenerate outgoing audio frequency signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet data network comprises an Internet protocol (IP) based network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises a satellite based network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises a wireless based network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of a cable, a fiber or an other type of terrestrial based network.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second system coupled to said first system operative to

receive second incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals;

decode and interpret said second incoming PSTN-compatible audio signals according to a message format and a modem protocol being used to obtain second signal information;

process said second signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule to generate a second outgoing digital message;

transmit said second outgoing digital message to the first system over the packet data network;

receive and interpret a second incoming digital message from the first system; and

encode and regenerate second outgoing audio frequency signals.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first system and said second system are located at least one of:

at a single location, or at different locations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system provides an ability to interface directly or indirectly through a PSTN gateway to a VoIP packet system.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

compression, or decompression, of at least one of;

PSTN, or VoIP, compatible audio signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system uses at least one of predetermined information, learned information, or preconfigured information, to determine said preprogrammed rules to apply to forwarding of messages between said first and second systems.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control channel comprising at least one of:

an in-band control channel, or an out-of-band control channel, said control channel operable to remotely manage said first and second systems, and wherein said control channel is operable to provide communications to perform at least one of;

provide monitoring function;

provide a control function;

determine real time diagnostic information;

determine status information;

or determine ancillary information.

12. The system claim 1, wherein said first system is operative to process at least one of:

forward said signal information, delay said signal information, or discard said signal information.

13. A method for transmitting and receiving public switched telephone network (PSTN) compatible audio signals over a packet data network comprising:

receiving first incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals;

decoding and interpreting said first incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals according to a message format and a modem protocol being used obtaining first signal information;

processing said first signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule generating a first outgoing digital message;

transmitting said first outgoing digital message from a first system to a second system over a packet data network;

receiving and interpreting first incoming digital messages from a second system; and

encoding and regenerating first outgoing audio frequency signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the packet data network comprises an Internet protocol (IP) based network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the packet network comprises a satellite based network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the packet network comprises a wireless based network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of:

a cable, a fiber, or an other type of terrestrial based network.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving second incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals;

decoding and interpreting said second incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals according to a message format and a modem protocol being used obtaining second signal information;

processing said second signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule generating a second outgoing digital message;

transmitting said second outgoing digital message from the second system to the first system over the packet data network;

receiving and interpreting a second incoming digital message from the first system; and

encoding and regenerating a second outgoing audio frequency signal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said first system and said second system are at least one of:

at a single location, or at different locations.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the ability to interface to a VoIP packet system.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

compressing and decompressing at least one of;

PSTN-compatible, or VoIP-compatible, audio signals.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

using at least one of;

predetermined information, learned information, or preconfigured information, in determining said preprogrammed rules to apply to the forwarding of messages between said first and second systems.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising using a control channel comprising at least one of:

using an in-band control channel, or using an out-of-band control channel, said using said control channel comprising remotely managing said first and second systems, and

wherein said using said control channel comprises providing communications performing at least one of;

providing a monitoring function;

providing a control function;

determining real time diagnostic information;

determining real time diagnostic information;

determining status information;

or determining ancillary information.

24. A nontransitory machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, causes said computing platform to perform operations comprising a method for transmitting and receiving PSTN compatible audio signals over a packet data network, the method comprising:

receiving first incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals;

decoding and interpreting said first incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signals according to a message format and a modem protocol being used obtaining first signal information;

processing said first signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule generating a first outgoing digital message;

transmitting said first ongoing digital message from a first system to a second system over the packet data network;

receiving and interpreting first incoming digital messages from a second system; and

encoding and regenerating first outgoing audio frequency signals.

25. The nontransitory machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method comprises:

performing functions of said first system and said second system at least one of;

at a single location, or at different locations.

26. A system for transmitting and receiving public switched telephone network (PSTN) compatible audio signals over a packet data network comprising:

a first system operative to;

receive incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information from at least one data packet directly from the packet data network or indirectly through a PSTN gateway;

decode and interpret said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to a message format and a modem protocol being used;

process said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule; and

encode and generate at least one outgoing PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a second system, coupled to said first system, said second system operative to

receive at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal;

decode and interpret said at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio signal according to a message format and a modem protocol being used to obtain second signal information;

process said second signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule;

generate at least one data packet containing outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information; and

transmit said at least one data packet containing said outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information over the packet data network.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said first and said second systems are operable to at least one of:

share data;

communicate;

be part of the same or a different system;

or

run a different set of rules.

29. A method for transmitting and receiving public switched telephone network (PSTN) compatible audio signals over a packet data network comprising:

receiving incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information from at least one data packet at least one of directly from the data packet data network or indirectly through a PSTN gateway;

decoding and interpreting said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to a message format and a modem protocol being used;

processing said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule; and

encoding and generating at least one outgoing PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal;

decoding and interpreting said at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio signal according to a message format and a modem protocol being used to obtain second signal information;

processing said second signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule;

generating at least one data packet containing outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information; and

transmitting said at least one data packet containing said outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information over the packet data network.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

sharing data between modules;

communicating between said;

being part of the same or a different system;

or

wherein said processing comprises running a different set of rules.

32. A nontransitory machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, causes said computing platform to perform operations comprising a method for transmitting and receiving public switched telephone network (PSTN) compatible audio signals over a packet data network, the method comprising:

receiving incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information from at least one data packet directly from the data packet data network or indirectly through a PSTN gateway;

decoding and interpreting said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to a message format and a modem protocol being used;

processing said incoming PSTN audio frequency signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule; and

encoding and generating at least one outgoing PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal.

33. The nontransitory machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio frequency signal;

decoding and interpreting said at least one incoming PSTN-compatible audio signal according to a message format and a modem protocol being used to obtain second signal information;

processing said second signal information according to at least one preprogrammed rule;

generating at least one data packet containing outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information; and

transmitting said at least one data packet containing said outgoing PSTN audio frequency signal information over the packet data network.