Systems and methods for multiple mode voice and data communications using intelligently bridged TDM and packet buses and methods for performing telephony and data functions using the same

• US 6,289,025 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vertical Networks Incorporated (Vertical Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pang, Adeline, Kumarasamy, Uthayakumar, Pickett, Scott K.
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/433,637
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/458, 370/402, 370/498, 370/400, 370/445, 370/384, 370/466, 370/469, 370/473, 370/352-356, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/93.03, 379/93.24, 379/93.25, 345/146, 345/348
• US Class Current: 370/458
• 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 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2881 IP/Ethernet DSLAM
• 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 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 : Language aspects
• 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 3/4936 : Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• 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 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 7/1295 : 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. In a system for managing voice and data communications of an office, the office having a plurality of computers coupled to the system over one or more packet buses and a plurality of telephones coupled to one or more time division multiplex (TDM) buses in the system, wherein a wide area communications network is coupled to the one or more TDM buses, wherein the system provides voice and data communications to a plurality of users in the office, a method comprising the steps of:

logging on to the system with at least one of the computers, wherein the at least one computer executes an office attendant program for managing at least the voice communications of the office;

determining in the system whether the at least one computer is authorized to manage the voice communications of the office;

transmitting to the at least one computer over the packet bus data comprising a telephone subscriber directory, wherein the telephone subscriber directory includes information identifying the users in the office and their telephone extensions; and

managing the voice communications of the office with the at least one computer based on communications between the system and the at least one computer over the packet bus and based on the subscriber directory transmitted to the at least one computer over the packet bus, wherein the voice communications of the office include voice communications that stay in a circuit-switched form via the one or more TDM buses, and wherein packet-based communications are selectively coupled to the wide area communications network via the one or more TDM buses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber directory also contains information selected from the group consisting of do not disturb information for particular users, forwarding information for particular users, hunt group information for particular users, email addresses for particular users, personal information manager (“

PIM”

) information of particular users and network information for computers associated with particular users, wherein an operator of the at least one computer manages voice communications of the office based on the subscriber directory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer is used to manage the voice communications of the office based on the subscriber directory which is locally stored in at the at least one computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an update in the subscriber directory with the system; and

providing the updated subscriber directory to the at least computer over the packet bus.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the updated subscriber directory is provided to the at least one computer without a prompt.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the updated subscriber directory is provided to the at least one computer automatically.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

broadcasting the subscriber directory to the computers coupled to the system over the packet bus;

determining an update in the subscriber directory with the system; and

providing the updated subscriber directory to the computers coupled to the system over the packet bus;

wherein the computers coupled to the system and the at least one computer managing the voice communications of the office each locally contain common subscriber directory information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the system broadcasts the updated subscriber directory to all computers coupled to the system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the system sends a message to the computers coupled to the system over the packet bus, wherein the users of the computers coupled to the system are informed of the updated subscriber directory.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the users are informed of the updated subscriber directory by an electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the users of the computers coupled to the system receive a message that indicates that an updated subscriber directory is available, wherein the message received on a particular computer includes an icon for determining whether the user of the particular computer desires to receive the updated subscriber directory.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message provides at least first and second icons, wherein, if the user selects the first icon then the updated subscriber directory is provided to the user, wherein, if the user selects the second icon, then the updated subscriber directory is not provided to the user.

13. In a system for managing voice and data communications of an office, the office having a plurality of computers coupled to the system over one or more packet buses and a plurality of telephones coupled to one or more time division multiplex (TDM) buses in the system, wherein a wide area communications network is coupled to the one or more TDM buses, wherein the system provides voice and data communications to a plurality of users in the office, wherein associated with each user is at least one computer and at least one telephone device, a method comprising the steps of:

determining a first set of the computers to run an office attendant program, wherein a user of a computer running the office attendant program manages voice communications in the office;

determining a second set of computers that will not run the office attendant program, wherein the second set of computers do not manage voice communications in the office;

managing the voice communications of the office with the first set of computers, wherein commands between the first set of computers and the system for managing the voice communications of the office are transmitted over the one or more packet buses;

storing on the system centrally-provided information, wherein the centrally-provided information comprises information for distribution to particular users in the office by the system;

determining a selected subset of the users who are to receive the centrally-provided information; and

providing the selected subset of the users with the centrally-provided information by transmitting the centrally-provided information over the one or more packet buses;

wherein the voice communications of the office include voice communications that stay in a circuit-switched form via the one or more TDM buses and wherein packet-based communications are selectively coupled to the wide area communications network via the one or more TDM buses.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining a first set of the computers to run an office attendant program utilizes user ID/password information in order to determine which of the first set of computers are authorized to run the office attendant program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein only selected users are authorized to run the office attendant program.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the centrally-provided information comprises a user directory.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user directory is provided to each of the computers of the first set of computers when a user of the computers logs on to the system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, when the system determines a change in the user directory, a changed user directory is provided to the first set of computers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the system provides the changed user directory to the first set of computers without a prompt.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the system provides the changed user directory to the first set of computers automatically.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the centrally-provided information comprises non-subscriber business information, wherein an administrator of user of the system determines which of the users receive the centrally-provided information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein all users receive the centrally-provided information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a selected subset of the users receive the centrally-provided information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein a selected set of users are informed of the centrally-provided information by an electronic mail message.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein selected set of users of the computers coupled to the system receive a message that indicates that the centrally-provided information is available, wherein the message received on a particular computer includes an icon for determining whether the user of the particular computer desires to receive the centrally-provided information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the message provides at least first and second icons, wherein, if the user selects the first icon, then the centrally-provided information is provided to the user, wherein, if the user selects the second icon, then the centrally-provided information is not provided to the user.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of maintaining a record of which of the users have received the centrally-provided information.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of maintaining a record of which of the users have received the centrally-provided information.