Multiservice access management system

• US 6,128,293 A
• Filed: 12/17/1996
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US08/767,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/395, 370/535, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/470, 370/471, 370/522, 370/357, 370/359, 370/360, 370/419, 370/420, 370/524, 370/264, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353 , 370/356, 370/463, 370/401, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/359
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0464 Primary rate access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13162 Fault indication and localisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13205 Primary rate access, PRI
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A system for managing access by a plurality of terminal devices to an access line of a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The system comprises a SAU (service access unit) connected to the access line, and a FSP (full service provider) which is interconnectable through a call connection within the telephone network to the SAU. The SAU includes a plurality of interfaces each adapted to communicate with a respective terminal device connected thereto. This combination of the SAU and the FSP interconnected through the PSTN enables each of the terminal devices to access or be accessed from multiple service networks. The management system effectively provides multiple independent telephony "service" over the single access line by sharing the available bandwidth of the PSTN connection between the SAU and the FSP amongst the various terminal devices as required.

Claims

1. A system for interfacing a plurality of terminal devices to an access line of a telephone network, comprising:

a SAU (service access unit) connected to the access line, and a FSP (full service provider) which is interconnectable through a call connection within the telephone network to the SAU;

wherein the SAU includes a plurality of interfaces each adapted to communicate with a respective terminal device connected thereto;

a line interface through which the SAU communicates over the access line and telephone network connection with the FSP;

means for transmitting, via the line interface, terminal outgoing traffic which includes outgoing data received from the terminal interfaces and corresponding source terminal information, and means for receiving, via the line interface, terminal incoming traffic which is provided to the terminal interfaces in accordance with destination terminal information extracted therefrom;

wherein the FSP includes a telephone network interface which supports multiple call connections with the telephone network including the connection with the SAU;

means for receiving, via the telephone network interface, the terminal outgoing traffic;

means for providing, responsive to correlating the source terminal information extracted from the terminal outgoing traffic to one or more other call connections, the corresponding outgoing data to the other call connections through the telephone network interface, and means for transmitting, via the telephone network interface, the terminal incoming traffic which includes incoming data received from the other call connections and information for routing to appropriate terminals; and

wherein the terminal interfaces of the SAU include means for adapting signals from the respective terminal devices into information frames having the terminal outgoing data and the corresponding source terminal information, and means for adapting the incoming data from received information frames into signals for the respective terminal devices, the adaptation being effected at a particular interface for incoming data only when the routing information in the received frames corresponds to that particular interface.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access line is an analog line and the line interface is a analog modem.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access line is an ISDN line and the line interface is a digital modem.

4. A system for interfacing a plurality of terminal devices to an access line of a telephone network, comprising:

a SAU (service access unit) connected to the access line, and a FSP (full service provider) which is interconnectable through a call connection within the telephone network to the SAU;

wherein the SAU includes a plurality of interfaces each adapted to communicate with a respective terminal device connected thereto;

a line interface through which the SAU communicates over the access line and telephone network connection with the FSP;

means for transmitting, via the line interface, terminal outgoing traffic which includes outgoing data received from the terminal interfaces and corresponding source terminal information; and

means for receiving, via the line interface, terminal incoming traffic which is provided to the terminal interfaces in accordance with destination terminal information extracted therefrom;

wherein the FSP includes a telephone network interface which supports multiple call connections with the telephone network including the connection with the SAU;

means for receiving, via the telephone network interface, the terminal outgoing traffic;

means for providing, responsive to correlating the source terminal information extracted from the terminal outgoing traffic to one or more other call connections, the corresponding outgoing data to the other call connections through the telephone network interface; and

means for transmitting, via the telephone network interface, the terminal incoming traffic which includes incoming data received from the other call connections and information for routing to appropriate terminals;

wherein the FSP includes further interfaces adapted to interact with corresponding communication service networks; and

means for providing the terminal outgoing data to and receiving terminal incoming data from any of the telephone network interface and the further interfaces;

wherein the further interfaces include any of a frame relay interface, a packet interface, and an asynchronous transfer mode interface; and

wherein the terminal interfaces of the SAU include means for adapting signals from the respective terminal devices into information frames having the terminal outgoing data and the corresponding source terminal information, and means for adapting the incoming data from received information frames into signals for the respective terminal devices, the adaptation being effected at a particular interface for incoming data only when the routing information in the received frames corresponds to that particular interface.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the FSP includes adaptation means for adapting signals from the telephone network interface and the further interfaces into the information frames having the terminal incoming data for transmission to the SAU and for adapting the information frames having the terminal outgoing data from the SAU into signals for the respective interfaces.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in the SAU, the means for transmitting the terminal outgoing traffic includes means for multiplexing individual information frames having outgoing data received from the interfaces, and means for transmitting the multiplexed frames via the line interface to the FSP;

and the means for receiving the terminal incoming traffic of the SAU includes means for de-multiplexing multiplexed information frames received from the FSP, and means for providing the individual de-multiplexed frames having the terminal incoming data to the interfaces; and

wherein, in the FSP, the means for transmitting the terminal incoming traffic includes means for multiplexing individual information frames having the incoming data received from the adaptation means, and means for transmitting the multiplexed frames via the telephone network interface to the SAU; and

the means for receiving the terminal outgoing traffic includes means for de-multiplexing multiplexed information frames received from the SAU, and means for providing the individual de-multiplexed frames having the terminal outgoing data to the adaptation means.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information frames include an indication corresponding to the terminal device from which it originates or to which it is destined.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information frames include an indication of information type.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the indication of information type includes any of voice, data, modem, signaling, initialization.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information frames may varying in length and include an indication of length.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the SAU and the FSP comprise means for limiting the length of information frames when voice information traffic exists.

12. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the interfaces of the SAU and the adaptation means of the FSP further comprise memory buffer means for dynamic rate adaptation, traffic smoothing and reconstitution of information frames.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interfaces of the SAU and the adaptation means of the FSP further comprise data compression means.

14. A service access unit connectable through an access line to a telephone network and connectable to a plurality of terminal devices, for use with a full service provider to which a connection may be established through the telephone network in order to provide multiple service over the access line and network connection, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces each adapted to communicate with a respective device of the terminal devices connected thereto;

a line interface adapted to transmit and receive data over the access line and telephone network connection with the full service provider;

means for transmitting, via the line interface, terminal outgoing traffic which includes outgoing data received from the terminal interfaces and corresponding source terminal information; and

means for receiving, via the line interface, terminal incoming traffic which is provided to the terminal interfaces in accordance with destination terminal information extracted therefrom,

wherein the interfaces include means for adapting signals from the respective terminal devices into information frames having the terminal outgoing data for transmission to the full service provider, and means for adapting received information frames having the terminal incoming data into signals for the respective terminal devices,

wherein the means for transmitting the terminal outgoing traffic includes means for multiplexing individual information frames having the outgoing data received from the interfaces, and means for transmitting the multiplexed frames via the line interface to the full service provider, and

wherein the means for receiving the terminal incoming traffic includes means for de-multiplexing multiplexed information frames received from the full service provider, and means for providing the individual de-multiplexed frames having the terminal incoming data to the interfaces.

15. A service access unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the information frames include an indication corresponding to the terminal device from which it originates or to which it is destined.

16. A service access unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the information frames include an indication of information type.

17. A service access unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein the indication of information type includes any of voice, data, modem, signaling, initialization.

18. A service access unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the information frames may varying in length and include an indication of length.

19. A service access unit as claimed in claim 18, comprise means for limiting the length of information frames when voice information traffic exists.

20. A service access unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the interfaces further comprise memory buffer means for dynamic rate adaptation, traffic smoothing and reconstitution of information frames.

21. A service access unit as claimed in claim 20, wherein the interfaces further comprise data compression means.

22. A service access unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the access line is an analog line and the line interface is a analog modem.

23. A service access unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the access line is an ISDN line and the line interface is a digital modem.

24. A full service provider, connectable to a telephone network, for use with a service access unit (SAU) which is connected by an access line to the telephone network and to which a connection may be established through the telephone network, the SAU having a plurality of terminal devices communicatively coupled thereto, the full service provider comprising:

a telephone network interface which supports multiple call connections with the telephone network including the connection with the SAU;

means for receiving, via the telephone network interface, the terminal outgoing traffic;

means for providing, responsive to correlating the source terminal information extracted from the terminal outgoing traffic to one or more other call connections, the corresponding outgoing data to the other call connections through the telephone network interface;

means for transmitting, via the telephone network interface, the terminal incoming traffic which includes incoming data received from the other call connections and information for routing to appropriate terminals;

further interfaces adapted to interact with corresponding communication service networks, and means for providing the terminal outgoing data to and receiving the terminal incoming data from any of the telephone network interface and the further interfaces, wherein the further interfaces include any of a frame relay interface, a packet interface, and an asynchronous transfer mode interface; and

adaptation means for adapting signals from the telephone network interface and the further interfaces into the information frames having the terminal incoming data for transmission to the SAU and for adapting the information frames having the terminal outgoing data from the SAU into signals for the respective interfaces;

wherein the means for transmitting the terminal incoming data includes means for multiplexing individual information frames having the incoming data received from the adaptation means, and means for transmitting the multiplexed frames via the telephone network interface to the SAU; and

the means for receiving the terminal outgoing data includes means for de-multiplexing multiplexed information frames received from the SAU, and means for providing the individual de-multiplexed frames having the terminal outgoing data to the adaptation means.

25. A full service provider as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information frames include an indication corresponding to the terminal device from which it originates or to which it is destined.

26. A full service provider as claimed in claim 24, wherein the adaptation means further comprise memory buffer means for dynamic rate adaptation, traffic smoothing and reconstitution of information frames.

27. A full service provider as claimed in claim 26, wherein the adaptation means further comprise data compression means.

28. A method of interfacing one or more terminal devices and a plurality of communications service networks which includes a telephone network, to form a full services network, comprising:

transmitting outgoing traffic having data from the terminal devices and corresponding service information, through a call connection within the telephone network to a FSP (full service provider) which is communicatively coupled to the plurality of communications service networks;

routing, by the FSP, the data from the outgoing traffic according to the corresponding service information, to one or more networks of the plurality of communications service networks;

transmitting incoming traffic having data received from any of the plurality of communications service networks and corresponding terminal information, from the FSP, through the call connection within the telephone network to a SAU (service access unit) which is communicatively coupled to the one or more terminal devices, wherein the SAU is communicatively coupled to the FSP through a single access line, and data received from any of the plurality of communications service networks is multiplexed for transmission on the single access line; and

routing, by the SAU, the data from the incoming traffic according to the terminal information, to corresponding ones of the one or more terminal devices.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the service information in the outgoing traffic includes an indication of the terminal device from which the corresponding data originates, and routing by the FSP according to the service information includes correlating the terminal device to a particular communications service network.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein correlating the terminal device to the particular communications service network includes maintaining, by the FSP, profile data in relation to the SAU, the profile data including a correlation table having address or directory information by which the terminal devices of the SAU are identifiable in the plurality of communications service networks.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the plurality of communications service networks includes any of a frame relay network, a packet network and an asynchronous transfer mode network.

32. A full service provider, connectable to a telephone network, for use with a service access unit (SAU) which is connected by an access line to the telephone network and to which a connection may be established through the telephone network, the SAU having a plurality of terminal devices communicatively coupled thereto, the full service provider comprising:

a telephone network interface which supports multiple call connections with the telephone network including the connection with the SAU;

a receiver to receive, via the telephone network interface, the terminal outgoing traffic in multiplexed frames from the SAU;

a processor to de-multiplex the multiplexed information frames received from the SAU, and to multiplex individual information frames having terminal incoming data which includes incoming data received from the other call connections and information for routing to appropriate terminals; and

a transmitter to transmit, via the telephone network interface, the multiplexed terminal incoming data to the SAU.