Local telephone service over a cable network using packet voice

• US 6,236,653 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Glapa, Martin Joel, Dalton, Robert William, Gudapati, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HUY DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/772,711
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/467, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/395, 370/465, 370/252, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6427 Subscriber Access Module; Concentrator; Group equipment
• 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: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1301 Optical transmission, optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13012 Hybrid fiber coax, HFC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13031 Pulse code modulation, PCM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 : Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 : Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 : Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 : Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 : Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

A cable modem supports two-way packet-switched traffic and is capable of telephony-type signaling to provide local telephone services over a two-way HFC cable network. The telephony-type signaling is transmitted using the TCP/IP protocol over an HFC distribution plant. This telephony-type signaling includes representations of “off-hook,” “on-hook,” etc. At the customer'"'"'s premises, the telephony cable modem takes any one of a number of forms. For example, the telephony cable modem comprises terminal equipment ports for coupling to both data terminal equipment such as a personal computer and voice terminal equipment such as a POTS telephone. Alternatively, the telephony cable modem includes POTS functionality and comprises a handset and keypad for dialing. As yet another example, the telephony cable modem includes a terminal equipment port for coupling to data terminal equipment that also functions as a telephone, such as a personal computer equipped with a microphone and speakers.

Claims

1. A method for use in equipment for providing telephone services over a cable network, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling the equipment to at least one packet facility and at least one switched facility;

receiving a telephone signaling message from a switched facility coupled thereto, the telephone signaling message comprising, at least, a called party telephone number;

identifying a packet address from the called party telephone number; and

transmitting the telephone signaling message in a packet form over the packet facility to the identified packet address

wherein the telephone service is Provided to a number of users and further comprising the step of storing a routing table, the routing table comprising three fields for each user;

a user packet address, a telephone number and a packet address for the equipment such that for at least two users the equipment packet address is different.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step includes the step of using a transaction-control-protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in transmitting the packet.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the telephone signaling message is an ISDN signaling message.

4. A method for use in equipment for providing telephone services over a cable network to a number of users, the method comprising the steps of:

a) coupling the equipment to at least one packet facility and at least one switched facility;

b) communicating telephone signaling messages received over the switched facility in packet form over the packet facility and vice versa; and

c) communicating data between the switched facility and the packet facility in support of any telephone calls established as a result of step a)

wherein step b) includes the step of storing a routing table, the routing table comprising three fields for each user;

a user packet address, a telephone number and a packet address for the equipment such that for at least two users the equipment packet address is different.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step b) includes the step of using a transaction-control-protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) for transmitting and receiving telephone signaling messages over the packet facility.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the switched facility is an ISDN facility and the telephone signaling messages are ISDN signaling messages.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein step c) includes the step of using a user-datagram-protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) for transmitting and receiving the data over the packet facility.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the switched facility is an ISDN facility comprising a D-channel and at least one B-channel, and the data corresponds to information communicated to, and from, the at least one B-channel.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the data is audio information between a called party and a calling party.