Internet telephone service with mediation

• US 6,122,255 A
• Filed: 02/03/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1996
• 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: Bartholomew, Dale L., Farris, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HUY DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/790,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/351, 370/389, 370/401, 370/237, 370/235, 370/468, 370/465, 370/385, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A communication network system comprising telephone networks concatenated with a packet switched data internetwork such as the Internet is provided. The network system transports voice signals therethrough while minimizing circuit overload in the telephone network circuits inputting signals to be transported through the internetwork. The telephone networks have a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) system using signaling system 7 (SS7) signals. The input load to the internetwork from the telephone systems is monitored by monitoring the control signals in the SS7 network. When an overload condition occurs or appears imminent all or part of the load is switched from the trunk circuits of the telephone network to the SS7 network following protocol translation and multiplexing with the control signals in the SS7 network. Provision is made for insuring excess capacity in the SS7 network before load is transferred.

Claims

1. A communication network system comprising in combination:

a switched telephone network having a plurality of central office switching systems and having first and second subscriber stations connected by local links to first and second of said central office switching systems, said central office switching systems switching communication signals in a telephone network first protocol through said telephone network;

a separate control network for said switched telephone network, said control network transporting control signals having a second protocol for selectively establishing connection between said central office switching systems;

a packet switched data internetwork coupled to said switched telephone network via a server, said first subscriber station connected to said first central office switching system, said server translating a third data signal protocol used in said packet switched data internetwork to and from said telephone network first protocol;

a load control processor coupled to said separate control network for said switched telephone network and directing the transport of communication signals between a subscriber station connected to said second central office switching system and said first central office switching system connected to said server, said transport being directed over either said switched telephone network or over said separate control network;

wherein said load control processor directs the transport of said communication signals between a subscriber station connected to said second central office switching system and said first central office switching system connected to said server over either said switched telephone network or over said separate control network in response to determination of the load in said switched telephone network.

2. A communication system according to claim 1 wherein said packet switched data network comprises the Internet.

3. A communication system according to claim 1 wherein said separate control network comprises a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) system using Signaling System 7 (SS7 ) and said control signals in said second protocol comprise SS7 signals.

4. A communication system according to claim 1 including first and second separate control network servers coupled between said first and second central office switching systems and spaced nodes in said separate control network;

said first and second control network servers translating said second protocol used in said separate control network to and from said telephone network protocol.

5. A communication system according to claim 4 wherein said second protocol is signaling system 7 (SS7 ) protocol.

6. A communication system according to claim 5 wherein said telephone network protocol is a r carrier protocol.

7. A communication system according to claim 1 including monitors coupled to links in said separate control network and coupled to said load control processor, said monitors providing signals to said load control processor indicative of the load in said switched telephone network.

8. A communication network system comprising in combination:

a first switched telephone network having a plurality of subscriber stations connected thereto by local links to central office switching systems in said first switched telephone network, said central office switching systems switching communication signals of a first protocol through said telephone network;

a first separate control network for said first switched telephone network, said first control network transporting control signals having a second protocol for selectively establishing connection between said subscriber stations;

a second switched telephone network having a plurality of subscriber stations connected thereto by local links to central office switching systems in said second switched telephone network;

a packet switched data internetwork coupled to said first and second switched telephone networks via first and second servers, said servers translating a third data signal protocol used in said packet switched data internetwork to and from said first protocol;

a load control processor coupled to said first separate control network for said first switched telephone network and directing the transport of communication signals between a subscriber station connected to a first central office switching system in said first telephone network and a first of said first and second servers over either said first switched telephone network or over said separate control network;

wherein said load control processor directs the transport of said communication signals between a subscriber station connected to said second central office switching system and said first central office switching system connected to said server over either said switched telephone network or over said separate control network in response to determination of the load in said switched telephone network.

9. A communication system according to claim 8 wherein said packet switched data network comprises the Internet.

10. A communication system according to claim 8 wherein said separate control network comprises a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) system using Signaling System 7 (SS7 ) and said control signals in said second protocol comprise SS7 signals.

11. A communication system according to claim 8 including first and second separate control network servers coupled between said first and second central office switching systems and spaced nodes in said control network;

said first and second separate control network servers translating said second protocol used in said control network to and from said first protocol.

12. A communication system according to claim 11 wherein said second protocol is signaling system 7 (SS7 ) protocol.

13. A communication system according to claim 12 wherein said first protocol is a T carrier protocol.

14. A communication system according to claim 8 including monitors coupled to links in said separate control network and coupled to said load control processor, said monitors providing signals to said load control processor indicative of the load in said switched telephone network.

15. A method of transporting a voice signal over a combination of concatenated networks including a switched telephone network having a separate packet switched control network and a packet switched data internetwork comprising the steps of:

a) determining the traffic load in the switched telephone network to the packet switched data internetwork;

b) responsive to the determined load switching at least a portion of subsequent traffic directed to and from the packet switched data internetwork to the separate packet switched control network.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said packet switched data internetwork comprises the Internet.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said separate packet switched control network comprises a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) network using signaling system 7 (SS7 ).

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said traffic load in said switched telephone network is determined by monitoring call set up signals in the CCIS SS7 network.

19. A method according to claim 15 including the step of translating the voice signal to SS7 protocol.

20. A method according to claim 17 including the steps of translating the voice signal to a T carrier protocol and translating the T carrier protocol to SS7 protocol.

21. A method according to claim 20 including the step of translating the SS7 protocol signal carrying the voice signal back to T carrier protocol and translating the T carrier protocol signal to TCP/IP protocol.

22. A method according to claim 21 including the steps of transporting the TCP/IP signal carrying the voice through said packet switched data internetwork, translating the TCP/IP signal which was transported through said packet switched data internetwork to T carrier protocol, and translating said last named T carrier protocol signal to analog voice.

23. A method according to claim 21 including the steps of transporting the TCP/IP signal carrying the voice through said packet switched data internetwork, translating the TCP/IP signal which was transported through said packet switched data internetwork to T carrier protocol, and delivering said last named T carrier protocol signal via a second switched telephone network.

24. In a communication network system comprising in combination:

a switched telephone network having a plurality of central office switching systems and having first and second subscriber stations connected by local links to first and second of said central office switching systems, said central office switching systems switching telephone network protocol communication signals through said telephone network;

a separate control network for said switched telephone network, said control network transporting control signals having a second protocol for selectively establishing connection between said central office switching systems;

a packet switched data internetwork coupled to said switched telephone network via a server comprising said first subscriber station connected to said first central office switching system;

a method comprising the steps of;

a) determining the traffic load in said switched telephone network to the packet switched data internetwork;

b) responsive to the determined load switching at least a portion of subsequent traffic directed to the packet switched data internetwork to the separate packet switched control network;

c) translating said switched subsequent traffic to said second signal protocol used in said separate control network;

d) further translating said switched subsequent traffic in said second signal protocol to telephone network protocol; and

e) delivering said further translated subsequent traffic to said server in said telephone network protocol.

25. In a communication network system comprising in combination:

a switched telephone network having a plurality of central office switching systems and having first and second subscriber stations connected by local links to first and second of said central office switching systems, said central office switching systems switching telephone network protocol communication signals through said telephone network;

a separate control network for said switched telephone network, said control network transporting control signals having a second protocol for selectively establishing connection between said central office switching systems;

a packet switched data internetwork coupled to said switched telephone network via a server comprising said first subscriber station connected to said first central office switching system;

a method comprising the steps of;

a) determining the traffic load in said switched telephone network to the packet switched data internetwork;

b) responsive to the determined load switching at least a portion of subsequent traffic directed to the packet switched data internetwork to the separate packet switched control network;

c) translating said switched subsequent traffic to said second signal protocol used in said separate control network;

d) multiplexing said subsequent traffic in second signal protocol with control signals in said second signal protocol in said separate control network;

e) demultiplexing said subsequent traffic in second signal protocol;

f) translating said demultiplexed subsequent traffic in said second signal protocol to telephone network protocol; and

g) delivering said demultiplexed and translated subsequent traffic to said server in said telephone network protocol.

26. A method of transporting a voice signal over a combination of concatenated networks including a switched telephone network having a separate packet switched control network and a packet switched data internetwork comprising the steps of:

a) determining the traffic load in the switched telephone network to the packet switched data internetwork;

b) responsive to the determined load switching at least a portion of subsequent traffic directed to and from the packet switched data internetwork to the separate packet switched control network, and

c) multiplexing said switched subsequent traffic with control signals in said separate packet switched control network.

27. A method according to claim 26 including the step of determining that the separate packet switched network has available capacity for transporting said subsequent traffic before switching said traffic.

28. A communication network system comprising in combination:

a switched telephone network having a plurality of central office switching systems and having first and second subscriber stations connected by local links to first and second of said central office switching systems, said central office switching systems switching communication signals in a telephone network protocol through said telephone network;

a separate control network for said switched telephone network, said control network transporting control signals having a second protocol for selectively establishing connection between said central office switching systems;

a packet switched data internetwork coupled to said switched telephone network via a server comprising said first subscriber station connected to said first central office switching system, said server translating a third data signal protocol used in said packet switched data internetwork to and from said telephone network protocol;

a load control processor coupled to said separate control network for said switched telephone network and directing the transport of communication signals between a subscriber station connected to said second central office switching system and said first central office switching system connected to said server, said transport being directed over said separate control network following a determination that said separate control network has sufficient available capacity to transport said communication signals.

29. A communication system for transporting a voice communication call, dialed as an Internet directed call at a calling subscriber telephone station, to a remote dialed destination subscriber telephone station via the Internet, comprising:

a switched telephone network comprising a plurality of central office switching systems connectable to each other through voice communication links, a first of said central office switching systems connected to said calling subscriber telephone station and a second of said central office switching systems interfacing with an Internet server;

a separate control signaling data network for said switched telephone network operative to establish connection between said central office switching systems;

a load monitor connected to said separate control signaling network; and

a load control processor coupled to said separate control network and operative to direct the transport of voice communication signals for said dialed Internet directed call between said first and second central office switching systems through said separate control signaling network when said load monitor indicates traffic therein is within a set load threshold, wherein routing of said call bypasses said switched telephone network voice communication links.