Public IP transport network

• US 6,084,892 A
• Filed: 03/12/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Benash, Ray, D'Andrea, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Ken
• Application Number:
  US08/816,229
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 370/463, 370/552, 379/219, 379/221
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2872 Termination of subscriber connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Equal access IP transport and Internet services are provided using a public switched telephone serving a plurality of defined geographic areas (LATAs). A switched multimegabit data service (SMDS) network and a frame relay network spans the geographic areas. A plurality of Internet service providers (ISPs) are connected to the SMDS network. A data hub node, connected to both the SMDS network and the frame relay network in each geographic area, includes a gateway router connected via a packet switch and at least one network access server to one of the central office switching systems. A central maintenance center monitors and maintains the wide area communications network through the SMDS and frame relay networks and data hub nodes. An ISP may setup conditions for redirection of all or a portion of a load to one or more network access servers in the hub for routing over the SMDS network in the event of overload.

Claims

1. A communications network for providing access to a wide area internetwork via a switched telephone network serving a plurality of geographic areas comprising:

a plurality of central office switching systems in said telephone network in said geographic areas connected to a plurality of premises terminals in premises served by said switching systems;

a common channel signaling network interconnecting said central office switching systems through at least one signal transfer point coupled to a controller for said common channel signaling network, said controller having data storage;

internetwork service providers each connected to said internetwork and coupled to at least selected ones of said plurality of premises terminals via dial-up links to said switching systems;

a data hub node in at least one of said geographic areas, said data hub node including a gateway router connected via at least one access server to one of said central office switching systems for providing switched connection between selected ones of said premises terminals and one of said internetwork service providers;

a first of said internetwork service providers being coupled to certain of said plurality of premises terminals via dial-up links using a first group of numbers;

said data storage in said controller having stored therein a second group of numbers for providing switched connection between said certain of said premises terminals and said first of said internetwork service providers via one of said access servers; and

trigger means actuatable under conditions specified by said first of said internetwork service providers wherein, when said trigger means is in an actuated condition, a call from one of said certain of said plurality of premises terminals to one of said numbers in said first group of numbers is redirected to one of said numbers in said second group of numbers to establish a link between said one of said plurality of premises terminals to said one of said access servers and said gateway router to said first of said internetwork service providers.

2. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein, when said trigger means is in an actuated condition, calls to each of said numbers in said first group of number are redirected to predetermined numbers in said second group of numbers.

3. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein, when said trigger means is in an actuated condition, a predetermined percentage of calls to each of said numbers in said first group of numbers is redirected to predetermined numbers in said second group of numbers.

4. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein the identity of the numbers in said first group may be concurrently established by said first of said internetwork service providers.

5. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein the identity of the numbers in said second group may be concurrently established by said first of said internetwork service providers.

6. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein the identity of the numbers in said first and second groups may be concurrently established by said first of said internetwork service providers.

7. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein the actuation of the trigger means upon the occurrence of said conditions substantially simultaneously creates a redirection status with respect to all numbers in said first group.

8. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein said conditions are time sensitive.

9. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein said conditions may be manually established and de-established by said first of said internetwork service providers.

10. A communications network according to claim 1 wherein said numbers in said first group correspond to a virtual number whereby the dialing of the virtual number by one of said premises terminals results in a call to at least one of the numbers in said first group.

11. A communications network for providing access to a wide area internetwork via a switched telephone network serving a plurality of geographic areas comprising:

a plurality of central office switching systems in said telephone network in said geographic areas connected to a plurality of premises terminals in premises served by said switching systems;

a common channel signaling network interconnecting said central office switching systems through at least one signal transfer point coupled to a controller for said common channel signaling network, said controller having data storage;

a switched multimegabit data service (SMDS) network spanning said geographic areas;

internetwork service providers each connected to said internetwork and coupled to at least selected ones of said plurality of premises terminals via dial-up links to said switching systems;

data hub nodes in said geographic areas, each said data hub node including a gateway router connected via at least one access server to one of said central office switching systems for providing switched connection between selected ones of said premises terminals and one of said internetwork service providers via said SMDS network;

a first of said internetwork service providers being coupled to certain of said plurality of premises terminals via dial-up links using a first group of numbers;

said data storage in said controller having stored therein a second group of numbers for providing switched connection between said certain of said premises terminals and said first of said internetwork service providers via one of said access servers; and

trigger means actuatable under conditions specified by said first of said internetwork service providers, wherein when said trigger means is in an actuated condition, a call from one of said certain of said plurality of premises terminals to one of said numbers in said first group of numbers is redirected to one of said numbers in said second group of numbers to establish a link between said one of said plurality of premises terminals to said one of said access servers and its associated gateway router and said SMDS network to said first of said internetwork service providers.

12. A communications network according to claim 11 including:

a frame relay network spanning said geographic areas;

a central maintenance center for monitoring and maintaining said communications network, said central maintenance center being connected to said SMDS network and to said frame relay network and through said SMDS and frame relay networks to said data hub nodes;

said central maintenance center monitoring and maintaining said communications network through said SMDS and frame relay networks and said data hub nodes.

13. A communications network according to claim 12 wherein said data hub nodes include an administrative router coupling said packet switch in said data hub node to said frame relay network and through said frame relay network to said central maintenance center.

14. In a communications network for providing access to a wide area internetwork via a switched telephone network serving a plurality of geographic areas and having a plurality of central office switching systems in said geographic areas connected to a plurality of premises terminals in premises served by said switching systems and a common channel signaling network interconnecting said central office switching systems through at least one signal transfer point coupled to a controller for said common channel signaling network, said controller having data storage;

a method for providing for said premises terminals through a network node having access servers and a router, alternate access to an internetwork service provider having a group of dial-up access links having a first group of numbers, said method comprising the steps of;

storing call redirection information concurrently for said first group of numbers in said data storage;

setting a trigger in the switched telephone network for each of the numbers in said first group of numbers, said trigger being actuatable upon the occurrence of pre-established conditions;

establishing said conditions;

upon said conditions being satisfied redirecting calls for said dial-up access links having said first group of numbers to a second group of access links wherein at least one of said links in said second group is connected to one of said access servers; and

routing said call from said router to a predetermined one of said internet service providers associated with said conditions.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein said second group of access links is identified by numbers which are stored in said data storage in correspondence to said first group of numbers.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the numbers in said first group correspond to a virtual number whereby the dialing of the virtual number by one of said premises terminals results in a call to at least one of the numbers in said first group.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of storing call redirection information comprises:

accessing through said switched telephone network a processor in communication with said controller; and

concurrently transmitting redirection information for said group of numbers to said processor for storage in said data storage.

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein said redirection information indicates a plurality of alternative destinations for at least one of the numbers in said group.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said redirection information designates an apportionment percentage for call redirection to said alternative destinations.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein said redirection information designates a time schedule for call redirection to each of said alternative destinations.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein said redirection information includes at least a first and second set of call redirection destinations for said numbers in said first group, one of said sets selected for current operation.

22. A method according to claim 21 further comprising the step of updating said data base by selecting a different set for current operation.