Low cost ISDN/pots service using ATM

• US 6,292,486 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1995
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pmc-Sierra Limited (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pmc-Sierra Limited (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Little, Vernon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US08/516,216
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/110.1, 370/112, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 370/94.3, 359/136, 359/137, 359/123
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0067 Resource management and allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0078 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/008 Support of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0087 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0089 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling, SONET
• 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: H04Q 11/0442 Exchange access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• 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 2213/13333 Earth satellites
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13381 Pair-gain system, digital loop carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13386 Line concentrator

Abstract

A method of providing broadband communication services to a subscriber comprised of providing first broadband services from a central office via an ATM link to a neighborhood pedestal system, providing time division multiplex (TDM) services including voice communication services from the central office via a TDM link to the neighborhood pedestal system, providing a SONET-ATM communication link from the neighborhood pedestal system over two unshielded pair of twisted wires to a user-to-network interface (UNI) at a subscriber location, and providing ATM services over the SONET-ATM communication link and providing integrated services digital network (ISDN) or voice services within a SONET-ATM data frame using timing of the SONET-ATM communication link, to the UNI, whereby ATM, ISDN and voice services are provided between the neighborhood pedestal system and the subscriber location over the unshielded wires.

Claims

1. A method of providing broadband communication services to a subscriber comprising:

(a) providing first broadband services from a central office via an ATM link to a neighborhood pedestal system,

(b) providing time division multiplex (TDM services including voice communication services from said central office via a TDM link to said neighborhood pedestal system,

(c) providing a SONET-ATM communication link from said neighborhood pedestal system over two unshielded pair of twisted wires to a user-to-network interface UNI) at a subscriber locations, and

(d) providing ATM services over said SONET-ATM communication link and providing integrated services digital network (ISDN) or voice services within a SONET-ATM data frame using timing of said SONET-ATM communication link, to the UNI,

whereby ATM ISDM and voice services are provided between said neighborhood pedestal system and said subscriber location over said unshielded wires,

said SONET-ATM data frame being comprised of a repeating frame structure comprised of overhead data and payload data, said method including providing said ISDN or voice services within the overhead data and ATM services within the payload data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 including separating ATM from the ISDN and voice communication traffic at the UNI and distributing it to user station apparatus at a subscriber location.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 including receiving TDM signals by a digital loop carrier system in said neighborhood pedestal system, receiving ATM signals by an ATM concentrator system in said neighborhood pedestal system, supplying ISDN or voice signals from the digital loop carrier system to the ATM concentrator and adding at least one of said ISDN and voice signals to said overhead data.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 including multiplexing-demultiplexing said first broadband services at a headend connected between a switch at said central office and digital loop carrier systems contained in plural ones of said neighborhood pedestal systems, and multiplexing-demultiplexing said TDM services at an ATM switch at said headend connected between an ATM access switch at said central office and ATM concentrator systems contained in plural ones of said neighborhood pedestal systems.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said neighborhood pedestal system is a customer premise network comprised of an ATM hub and a PBX, said method including receiving ATM data in the ATM hub, receiving said TDM data in said PBX providing ISDN and voice signals from the PBX to the ATM hub, inserting at least one of the ISDN or voice signals into the overhead data in the ATM hub, distributing ATM data via said UNI to a computer from the ATM hub and distributing at least one of ISDN or voice signals to a telephone from the ATM hub.