System and method for communicating voice and data over a local packet network
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for communicating voice and data over a local packet network (LPN) to and from at least one customer site connected to the LPN via a local loop link, comprising:
- a remote digital terminal at the customer site, the remote digital terminal interfacing a plurality of telephone devices at the customer site to the local loop link to transmit and receive voice via the LPN, wherein the remote digital terminal comprises;
a modem for connection to the local loop link to modulate information for transmission over the LPN and to demodulate information received from the LPN;
a plurality of subscriber line interface circuits each suitable for connection to a telephone device;
a plurality of coder/decoders each for connection to a subscriber line interface circuit, each coder/decoder capable of converting analog telephone signals received from an associated subscriber line interface circuit to digital bit streams and converting a digital bit stream to analog telephone signals to be supplied to the associated subscriber line interface circuit;
a network interface device for connection to a local area network of data devices at the customer site to couple data packets from the local area network for transmission over the LPN and to couple data packets received from the LPN to the local area network;
a controller coupled to the modem, to the coder/decoders, to the network interface device and to the subscriber line interface circuits, the controller coupling data packets from the network interface device to the modem for transmission on the local loop link to the LPN and coupling demodulated data packets received from the modem to the network interface device, and the controller managing the interface of voice-band packets between the LPN and the customer site by;
converting digital bit streams received from one or more coder/decoders to voice-band packets and coupling the voice-band packets to the modem for transmission on the local loop link to the LPN; and
converting demodulated voice-band packets received via the modem from the LPN to digital bit streams and coupling the digital bit streams to an appropriate one of the coder/decoders; and
a host digital terminal at a control site within or connected to the LPN that interfaces voice calls between the remote digital terminal and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of communicating voice and data via a local packet network (LPN) to and from a customer site. A remote digital terminal (RDT) is provided at a customer site to interface a plurality of telephone devices and/or data devices (computers or a local area network of computers) with the LPN via a local loop link, such as a Digital Subscriber Line or a wireless local loop. A host digital terminal (HDT) is provided at a control site within or connected to the LPN that coordinates the communication of voice calls between the RDT and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN and that coordinates the communication of data between the RDT and a data network within or without the LPN. Multiple telephone calls with the customer site can be supported by the remote digital terminal over a single local loop link connected to the LPN. In addition, the HDT can support communication with multiple RDTs.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for communicating voice and data over a local packet network (LPN) to and from at least one customer site connected to the LPN via a local loop link, comprising:
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a remote digital terminal at the customer site, the remote digital terminal interfacing a plurality of telephone devices at the customer site to the local loop link to transmit and receive voice via the LPN, wherein the remote digital terminal comprises; a modem for connection to the local loop link to modulate information for transmission over the LPN and to demodulate information received from the LPN; a plurality of subscriber line interface circuits each suitable for connection to a telephone device; a plurality of coder/decoders each for connection to a subscriber line interface circuit, each coder/decoder capable of converting analog telephone signals received from an associated subscriber line interface circuit to digital bit streams and converting a digital bit stream to analog telephone signals to be supplied to the associated subscriber line interface circuit; a network interface device for connection to a local area network of data devices at the customer site to couple data packets from the local area network for transmission over the LPN and to couple data packets received from the LPN to the local area network; a controller coupled to the modem, to the coder/decoders, to the network interface device and to the subscriber line interface circuits, the controller coupling data packets from the network interface device to the modem for transmission on the local loop link to the LPN and coupling demodulated data packets received from the modem to the network interface device, and the controller managing the interface of voice-band packets between the LPN and the customer site by; converting digital bit streams received from one or more coder/decoders to voice-band packets and coupling the voice-band packets to the modem for transmission on the local loop link to the LPN; and converting demodulated voice-band packets received via the modem from the LPN to digital bit streams and coupling the digital bit streams to an appropriate one of the coder/decoders; and a host digital terminal at a control site within or connected to the LPN that interfaces voice calls between the remote digital terminal and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for communicating voice and data to and from at least one customer site over a local packet network (LPN) supporting a packet-based transport protocol, each customer site comprising a plurality of telephone devices and at least one data device, the method comprising steps of:
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at a customer site; converting analog telephone signals received from the plurality of telephone devices to voice-band packets and modulating the voice-band packets for transmission over the LPN via a local loop link between the customer site and the LPN; demodulating modulated voice-band packets received from the LPN on the local loop link; converting the demodulated voice-band packets to analog telephone signals for connection to appropriate ones of the plurality of telephone devices; modulating data packets received from the at least one data device at the customer site for transmission over the LPN via the local loop link; and demodulating modulated data packets received from the LPN on the local loop link and coupling the data packets to the at least one data device at the customer site; at a control site within or connected to the LPN; receiving voice-band packets from the customer site via the LPN; converting voice-band packets received from the customer site to time-division multiplexed signals and coupling the time-division multiplexed signals to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch; and converting time-division multiplexed signals received from the PSTN switch destined for the customer site to voice-band packets and coupling the voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the customer site. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for communicating voice and data between a local packet network (LPN) and equipment in a central switching facility comprising a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch connected to the PSTN, the apparatus comprising:
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an LPN interface device connected to the LPN to interface voice-band packets to and from the LPN; a PSTN interface device connected to the PSTN switch to interface signals to and from the PSTN switch; a data switch interface device connected to a data switch at the central switching facility; a packet conversion processor coupled to the LPN interface device, to the data switch interface device and to the PSTN interface device, the packet conversion processor converting voice-band packets between a format suitable for transit via the LPN and a time-division multiplexed signal format suitable for coupling to the PSTN switch, and the packet conversion processor converting data packets between a format suitable for transit via the LPN and a format suitable for coupling to the data switch; and a controller coupled to the LPN interface device, to the packet conversion processor, to the data switch interface device and to the PSTN interface device, the controller managing the interface of voice-band packets between the LPN and the PSTN switch, the controller controlling the communication of data packets received from the remote digital terminal by the LPN interface device to the data switch interface device and communication of data packets received from the data switch by the data switch interface device destined for the customer site to the LPN interface device for transmission via the LPN, wherein the controller continuously monitors the amount of bandwidth of a local loop link used by a customer site for voice traffic to determine remaining bandwidth availability on the local loop link for data traffic, and limits data traffic destined for the customer site from the LPN such that a predetermined portion of the total bandwidth available to the customer site on the local loop link remains available for voice traffic.
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24. An apparatus for communicating voice between a local packet network (LPN) and equipment in a central switching facility comprising a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch connected to the PSTN, the apparatus comprising:
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an LPN interface device connected to the LPN to interface voice-band packets to and from the LPN; a PSTN interface device connected to the PSTN switch to interface signals to and from the PSTN switch; a packet conversion processor coupled to the LPN interface device and to the PSTN interface device, the packet conversion processor converting voice-band packets between a format suitable for transit via the LPN and a time-division multiplexed signal format suitable for coupling to the PSTN switch; and a controller coupled to the LPN interface device, to the packet conversion processor and to the PSTN interface device, the controller managing the interface of voice-band packets between the LPN and the PSTN switch, wherein the controller continuously monitors the amount of bandwidth of a local loop link used by a customer site for voice traffic to determine remaining bandwidth availability on the local loop link for data traffic, and generates a message that is sent via a data switch in the central switching facility to the LPN indicating the amount of bandwidth available on the local loop link for data traffic destined for the customer site.
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25. In a system for communicating voice and data to and from a customer site over a local packet network (LPN), the customer site being connected to the LPN via a local loop link, at a control site within or connected to the LPN, a method comprising steps of:
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receiving voice-band packets at a control site from the customer site via the LPN; converting the voice-band packets received from the LPN to time-division multiplexed signals; coupling the time-division multiplex signals in assigned time-slots to a PSTN switch; converting time-division multiplexed signals received from the PSTN switch destined for the customer site to voice-band packets and coupling the voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the customer site; coupling data packets received at the control site from the customer site via the LPN to a data network within or without the LPN; coupling data packets received from the data network destined for the customer site to the LPN for transmission to the customer site; continuously monitoring the amount of bandwidth on the local loop link used by the customer site for voice traffic to determine remaining bandwidth availability on the local loop link for data traffic; and limiting data traffic destined for the customer site from the LPN such that a predetermined portion of the total bandwidth available to the customer site on the local loop link remains available for voice traffic.
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26. In a system for communicating voice and data to and from a customer site over a local packet network (LPN), the customer site being connected to the LPN via a local loop link, at a control site within or connected to the LPN, a method comprising steps of:
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receiving voice-band packets at a control site from the customer site via the LPN; converting the voice-band packets received from the LPN to time-division multiplexed signals; coupling the time-division multiplex signals in assigned time-slots to a PSTN switch; converting time-division multiplexed signals received from the PSTN switch destined for the customer site to voice-band packets and coupling the voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the customer site; continuously monitoring the amount of bandwidth on the local loop link used by the customer site for voice traffic to determine remaining bandwidth availability on the local loop link for data traffic; and sending a message to the LPN indicating the amount of bandwidth available for data traffic destined for the customer site.
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Specification