Signal processing resource allocation for internet-based telephony

• US 6,141,345 A
• Filed: 03/06/1997
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Whang, Kevin K., Goeddel, Thomas William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US08/812,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/408, 370/474, 370/466, 370/467, 370/389, 370/392, 370/410, 375/371, 375/373, 375/354, 379/93.01, 379/93, 379/159, 379/202, 379/93.08
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/002 Applications of echo suppressors or cancellers in telephonic connections in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/08, echo suppressors or cancellers per se H04B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0072 Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856

Abstract

An access platform pools a plurality of different signal processing resources, herein represented by different types of speech-coding algorithms. The access platform is coupled to the Internet, a local-exchange-carrier (LEC), and other communications facilities such as, but not limited to, a plurality of long-distance facilities provided by any one of a number of long distance carriers, e.g., AT&T. For each call through the access platform, one of the plurality of signal processing resources is allocated as a function of signal type either through signal detection or out-of-band signaling. For example, the access platform first determines if the call is an audio call or a non-audio (or data) call by detecting the type of signal. If the call is an audio call, the access platform switches in echo canceling resources. On the other hand, if the call is a data call, the access platform determines if a speech-coding algorithm is being used and, if necessary, switches in a compatible speech-coding resource.

Claims

1. A method for processing signals in communications equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at-least-two incoming signals, the at-least-two incoming signals representing packets of speech-coded data that are incompatible with each other;

grouping signal processing resources into a number of pools, wherein one of the pools is a speech-coding pool;

determining a signal type of each received incoming signal;

wherein when the determined signal type is data for the at-least-two received incoming signals, further including the steps of;

processing the at-least-two received incoming signals to identify the type of speech-coded data in each of the at-least-two received incoming signals, the speech-coded data being representative of a particular speech-coding algorithm; and

selecting at least two speech-coding resources from the speech-coding pool such that one of the selected speech coding resources is compatible with the identified type of speech coding signal in one of the at-least-two received incoming signals and the other of the selected speech coding resources is compatible with the identified type of the other of the at-least-two received incoming signals; and

processing the received at-least-two incoming signals with the selected speech-coding resources for enabling communications between parties;

notwithstanding that incompatible speech-coding algorithms are represented by the packets of speech-coded data in the at-least-two received incoming signals.

2. Communications apparatus used for interconnecting parties for communications, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of signal processing resources;

interface circuitry for coupling to communications lines for receiving at least-two signals therefrom;

at least one signal detector for identifying a signal type of the received signals; and

processing circuitry responsive to the signal detector for selecting individual ones of the signal processing resources to process the received signals for enabling communication between the parties,

wherein at least some of these resources represent different speech-coding applications and wherein the at least one signal detector further identifies that incompatible speech-coded data is present in packet form in each of the at-least-two received signals such that the processing circuitry selects a compatible speech-coding application for each of the at-least-two received signals and wherein the selected speech-coding applications are incompatible with one another.