Wan-based gateway

• US 6,385,193 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Civanlar, Seyhan, Saksena, Vikram R., Mansell, James J., Leighton, William J. III, Coffield, Don Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/825,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/522, 370/410, 370/384, 370/377, 370/354, 370/355, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5645 Connectionless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5667 IP over ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/567 Frame Relay over ATM
• 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 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 : Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 : Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 : Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided for establishing a communication session between first and second terminals in communication over a plurality of networks that employ differing transmission standards. The plurality of networks are selected from among a circuit switched network (e.g., a telephony network), a connectionless packet switched network (e.g., the Internet) and a connection-oriented packet switched network (e.g., an ATM or frame relay network). The apparatus includes a call set-up translator for translating among call set-up protocols associated with the circuit switched network, the connectionless packet switched network and the connection-oriented packet switched network. An encoding format translator is provided for translating among encoding protocols associated with the circuit switched network, the connectionless packet switched network and the connection-oriented packet switched network. Also provided is an address database for storing a plurality of addresses in different formats for each registered terminal, which includes the first and second terminals. The apparatus also includes a session manager for storing control information relating to the first and second terminals. The control information includes an identification of the first and second terminals that participate in the communication session.

Claims

1. An apparatus for establishing a communication session between a first terminal in a first network and a second terminal in a second network, where said first network and said second network are members of a set of networks that employ differing transmission standards, said set of networks including a circuit switched network, a connectionless packet switched network and a connection-oriented packet switched network, comprising:

a call set-up translator for translating a call set-up signal from any one of said networks in said set, based on information derived from said call set-up signal, into a call set-up signal in accordance with a call set-up protocol of any other one of said networks in said set;

an encoding format translator for translating a signal in an encoding format of any one of said networks in said set to a signal in an encoding format of any other one or more of said networks in said set;

an address database for storing a plurality of addresses in different formats for each registered terminal including at least said first and second terminals;

a session manager for storing control information relating to the first and second terminals, said control information including an identification of the first and second terminals participating in the communication session.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said circuit-switched network is a telephony network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connectionless packet switched network is the Internet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connection-oriented packet switched network is an ATM network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connection-oriented packet switched network is a Frame-Relay network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication session is established among at least two terminals in one of said networks and one terminal in another one of said networks, and further comprising means for bridging signals received from said at least two terminals in said one of said networks to form a combined signal that is sent to said one terminal in said another one of said networks.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication session is an audio session.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication session includes video information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication session is a multimedia session including audio and video information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said encoding format translator is an audio format translator.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said encoding format translator is a video format translator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said encoding format translator is a multimedia format translator.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control information further includes Quality-of-Service requirements.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control information further includes information that defines a format in which data is to be received by at least one of the first and second terminals.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said data format is alterable during the communication session.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said call set-up translator translates among a plurality of standards, including standards for telephony networks, for connectionless packet switching networks, and for connection-oriented packet switching networks.

17. A wide area communications network, comprising:

a circuit switched network, a connectionless packet switched network and a connection-oriented packet switched network, said networks operatively cooperating with one another to transmit information therebetween;

at least one gateway for establishing a communication session between a first terminal in a first network and a second terminal in a second network, where said first network and said second network are members of a set of networks that employ differing transmission standards, said set of networks including a circuit switched network, a connectionless packet switched network and a connection-oriented packet switched network, said gateway including;

a call set-up translator for translating a call set-up signal from any one of said networks in said set, based on information derived from said call set-up signal, into a call set-up signal in accordance with a call set-up protocol of any other one of said networks in said set;

an encoding format translator for translating a signal in an encoding format of any one of said networks in said set to a signal in an encoding format of any other one or more of said networks in said set;

an address database for storing a plurality of addresses in different formats for each registered terminal including at least said first and second terminals;

a session manager for storing control information relating to the first and second terminals, said control information including an identification of the first and second terminals participating in the communication session.

18. The wide area network of claim 17 further comprising a second gateway for establishing communication between a third terminal and said first and second terminals, said second gateway being in direct communication with said at least one gateway.

19. The wide area network of claim 18 wherein said at least one gateway and said second gateway are arranged in a peer configuration.

20. The wide area network of claim 18 wherein said at least one gateway and said second gateway are arranged in a master-slave configuration.

21. The wide area network of claim 17 further comprising a local gateway for establishing communication between two terminals located in a local area network in communication with said networks and for establishing communication among said two terminals and said first terminal.