Transparent communication of control information through a switching network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one physical signaling channel and a plurality of physical transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels, said apparatus comprising:
- means for assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link;
means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on one of said assigned transport channels in accordance with said standard protocol;
means for identifying said assigned transport channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and
means for using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for establishing a flexible rate interface (FRI) link on a standard ISDN link. The FRI link has its own signaling channel that is distinct from the signaling channel of the standard ISDN link, and the signaling channel of the FRI link is transparent to intervening switching systems. There are no geographical restrictions on a FRI link. The signaling channel of a FRI link may be established by designating a B channel of a standard link, by using a logical link of a D channel of a standard ISDN link, or by using standard ISDN user information transport facilities to communicate the signaling channel. FRI transport channels are B channels of a standard ISDN link or subchannels of a B channel.
36 Citations
46 Claims
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1. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one physical signaling channel and a plurality of physical transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on one of said assigned transport channels in accordance with said standard protocol; means for identifying said assigned transport channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one physical signaling channel and a plurality of physical transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link and for dividing one of said assigned transport channels into a plurality of subchannels; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on one of said subchannels in accordance with said standard protocol; means for identifying said assigned transport channels, remaining ones of said subchannels, and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one physical signaling channel and a plurality of physical transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels and said signaling channel of said physical link comprises a plurality of logical links with one of said logical links designated to carry said signaling information for said physical link, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on another one of said logical links of said signaling channel of said physical link in accordance with said standard protocol; means for identifying said assigned transport channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one physical signaling channel and a plurality of physical transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels and said standard protocol allows for the communication of user information in said signaling channel of said physical link in addition to said signaling information, and said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing said virtual signaling channel using said communication of user information. means for identifying said assigned transport channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on an ISDN link interconnecting two communications units, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning physical B channels from said ISDN link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on one of said assigned B channels in accordance with the ISDN protocol; means for identifying said assigned B channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said ISDN link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on an ISDN link interconnecting two communication units, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning B channels from said ISDN link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel on one of the logical links of the D channel in accordance with the ISDN protocol; means for identifying said assigned B channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said ISDN link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. An apparatus for establishing a virtual link on an ISDN link interconnecting two telecommunication units, said apparatus comprising:
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means for assigning physical B channels from said ISDN link for use by said virtual link; means for establishing a virtual signaling channel as user information communicated by signaling information transmitted via a physical signaling channel of said ISDN link in accordance with the ISDN protocol; means for identifying said assigned B channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and means for using said virtual link distinct from said ISDN link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. An method for establishing a virtual link on a physical link interconnecting two communication units and said physical link having at least one signaling channel and a plurality of transport channels for communication of information and said physical link communicates signaling information on said signaling channel using a standard protocol to control calls on said transport channels, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning transport channels from said physical link for use by said virtual link; establishing a virtual signaling channel in accordance with said standard protocol; identifying said assigned transport channels and said virtual signaling channel as said virtual link; and using said virtual link distinct from said physical link for the communications of calls. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification