Telecommunications system

• US 6,141,339 A
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bog, Murat, Johnson, Harold Wayne, DeNap, Frank Anthony, Swink, Michael Thomas, Edwards, William Lee, Strand, John Arndt III, Gorman, Bryan Lee, Kaplan, Martin Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US08/826,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465-467, 370/351-356, 370/395, 370/397, 370/399, 370/400-401, 370/404, 370/409-410, 370/420, 370/485, 370/522, 370/902, 370/905, 370/907, 455/5.1, 348/6-8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13-16
• US Class Current: 370/395.61
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

The invention is a communications system that provides communications services to an end-user. The system includes a residential hub that is connected to the communications system over a DSL connection. The residential hub converts voice traffic to ATM for transmission over the DSL connection. The communications system includes broadband networks and a service node to facilitate communications services for the end-user.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing communications services to an end-user having a communications hub, wherein the communications system comprises:

a session manager that is operational to receive and process service requests from the communications hub to provide connection instructions and signaling instructions;

a call manager that is coupled to the session manager and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and that is operational to exchange signaling with the PSTN in response to the signaling instructions from the session manager;

a multiplexer that is operational to convert between an ATM over DSL format and an ATM over broadband format;

an ATM switching system that is coupled to the session manager, the multiplexer, and the PSTN, and that is operational to convert between the ATM over broadband format and a PSTN format and provide ATM connections in response to the connection instructions from the session manager; and

wherein one of the service requests is for an end-user telephone call, a portion of the signaling instructions results in an exchange of signaling with the PSTN for the telephone call, and a portion of the connection instructions results in a connection for the telephone call from the communications hub through the multiplexer and the ATM switching system to the PSTN.

2. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising:

the communications hub that is coupled to the multiplexer and that is operational to communicate with an analog telephone using an analog telephony format and convert between the analog telephony format and the ATM over DSL format;

a second multiplexer that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to convert between the ATM over DSL format and the ATM over broadband format; and

a second communications hub that is coupled to the second multiplexer and that is operational to communicate with another analog telephone using the analog telephony format and convert between the analog telephony format and the ATM over DSL format; and

wherein another one of the service requests is for another end-user telephone call and another portion of the connection instructions results in another connection for the other telephone call between the analog telephones and through the ATM switching system.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the ATM switching system is coupled to an Internet and is operational to convert between the ATM over broadband format and an Internet format and wherein another portion of the connection instructions result in end-user access to the Internet through the ATM switching system.

4. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a feature server that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to provide an intranet to the end-user.

5. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a feature server that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to provide a personalized browser to the end-user.

6. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a feature server that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to provide a personalized web page for the end-user.

7. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a feature server that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to provide voice mail to the end-user.

8. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a feature server that is coupled to the ATM switching system and that is operational to provide software to the end-user.