Systems and methods for multiple voice data communication which includes interface cards including configurable clocks that are dynamically coupled to a TDS bus

• US 6,266,340 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation, Vertical Networks Incorporated (Vertical Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Vertical Networks Incorporated (Vertical Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pickett, Scott K., Delveaux, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/283,101
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/445, 370/438, 370/451, 370/458, 370/442, 370/503, 370/498, 370/401, 370/402, 370/423-5, 370/463, 370/489
• US Class Current: 370/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2883 ATM DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2889 Multiservice, e.g. MSAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/43 with synchronous transmission, e.g. time division multiplex [TDM], slotted rings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 : in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 : Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• 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 3/563 : User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 : where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 : Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 : Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 : for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Systems and methods by which voice/data communications may occur in multiple modes/protocols are disclosed. In particular, systems and methods are provided for multiple native mode/protocol voice and data transmissions and receptions with a computing system having a multi-bus structure, including, for example, a TDM bus and a packet bus, and multi-protocol framing engines. Such systems preferably include subsystem functions such as PBX, voice mail and other telephony functions, LAN hub and data router. In preferred embodiments, a TDM bus and a packet bus are intelligently bridged and managed, thereby enabling such multiple mode/protocol voice and data transmissions to be intelligently managed and controlled with a single, integrated system. A computer or other processor includes a local area network controller, which provides routing and hub(s) for one or more packet networks. The computer also is coupled to a buffer/framer, which serves to frame/deframe data to/from the computer from TDM bus. The buffer/framer includes a plurality of framer/deframer engines, supporting, for example, ATM and HDLC framing/deframing. The buffer/framer is coupled to the TDM bus by way of a switch/multiplexer, which includes the capability to intelligently map data traffic between the buffer/framer and the TDM bus to various slots of the TDM frames. Preferably, a DSP pool is coupled to buffer/framer in a manner to provide various signal processing and telecommunications support, such as dial tone generation, DTMF detection and the like. The TDM bus is coupled to a various line/station cards, serving to interface the TDM bus with telephone, facsimiles and other telecommunication devices, and also with a various digital and/or analog WAN network services.

Claims

1. A processing system providing voice and data communications over a communications network, comprising:

a computing system;

a first bus configured for transmitting data in packet form;

a second bus configured for transmitting data in a time division multiplexed mode utilizing a plurality of frames, each of the frames comprising a plurality of time slots;

a plurality of interface cards coupled to the second bus and receiving commands from the computing system, wherein the interface cards are coupled to the communications network, wherein the interface cards selectively transmit data to and receive data from the second bus under control of the computing system, wherein at east certain of

the plurality of interface cards include a clock for transmitting data to the second bus;

wherein the processing system couples and/or decouples the clock of any one or more of the certain interface cards from driving the second bus wherein a configurable clock is provided to the second bus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system operates with the second bus clocked at a first clock speed at a first point in time, wherein the processing system operates with the second bus clocked at a second clock speed at a second point in time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing system includes at least a first interface card providing a first clock at the first point in time, wherein the processing system includes at least the first interface card and at least a second interface card providing a second clock at the second point in time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second interface card provides a hardware upgrade to the processing system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein, at the second point in time the first clock is isolated from the second bus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first clock is isolated from the second bus by a tri-state buffer.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing system includes firmware, wherein the firmware is modified to control a change from the first clock speed to the second clock speed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a computer coupled to the processing system via the first bus remotely controls the coupling and decoupling of the clocks of the interface cards to the second bus.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer comprises a client and the processing system comprises a server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a computer coupled to the processing system via the communications network remotely controls the coupling and decoupling of the clocks of the interface cards to the second bus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer comprises a client and the processing system comprises a server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a bridge circuit is coupled between the first bus and the second bus.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the bridge circuit comprises a bridge reading and filtering data packets to or from the first bus.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the bridge circuit comprises a router determining a communication path for a packetized data communication.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the bridge circuit comprises:

a central processing unit; and

a transfer control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) control unit coupled to tie central processing unit.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising LAN bus coupled to the first bus and a second packet bus coupled to the LAN bus, wherein the computing system controls bridging between the first bus and the second packet bus over the LAN bus.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises hardware and software selectively allocating resources within the system, wherein the computing system determines communications paths within the system and over the communications network for processing data and voice communications based on predetermined rules.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the rules selectively allocate resources within the system as a function of time of day, resource availability over the communications network, type of communication and/or usage patterns.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the second bus comprises an MVIP bus.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first bus comprises an Ethernet bus.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein data communications occur via an HDLC protocol, wherein a framing/deframing circuit frames and deframes the data communications to and from the HDLC protocol.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein data communications occur via an ATM protocol, wherein a framing/deframing circuit frames and deframes the data communications to and from the ATM protocol.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of telephone devices coupled to one or more of the interface cards, wherein the plurality of telephone devices are coupled together through the second bus.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing system controls voice communications between one of the telephone devices and the communications network, wherein data communications are concurrently occurring between the communications network and the first bus.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the second bus receives voice and data inputs via first interface circuits, and wherein the computing system monitors the voice and data inputs and determines a connection path between the second bus and the first bus according to software allocation rules.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing system further comprises a memory storage unit storing a resource allocation program operable by the computing system, wherein the resource allocation program assigns resources within the system according to predetermined allocation rules.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the predetermined allocation rules include rules for allocating voice communication inputs and rules for allocating data communication inputs.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the predetermined allocation rules assign resources according to time of day.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the predetermined allocation rules assign resources by prioritizing inputs received by the second bus.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of second buses.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of first buses.