System and method for translating telecommunications signals of span interfaces

• US 6,470,028 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Gary Leon, Perry, Matthew C., Li, Hong, Harner, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/175,063
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/354, 370/385, 370/524, 370/477, 370/217, 370/360, 370/466, 370/463, 370/419, 370/100.12, 370/100.13, 370/119, 370/118
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1635 Format conversion, e.g. CEPT/US
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• 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 2213/13163 Fault alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1334 Configuration within the switch

Abstract

A system for switching communications signals between a first communications network and a second communications network is provided. The system includes a J1 interface coupled to the first communications network by a J1 span, a E1 interface coupled to the second communications network by an E1 span, and an interface processor in communication with the J1 interface and the E1 interface. The interface processor is then operable to translate signals formatted for the J1 span into an E1 format for transmission on the El span. The interface processor is further operable to translate communications signals formatted for the E1 span into a J1 format for transmission on the J1 span.

Claims

1. A system for switching communications signals between a first communications network and a second communications network, comprising:

a J1 interface coupled to the first communications network by a J1 span;

an E1 interface coupled to the second communications network by an E1 span; and

a first interface processor in communication with the J1 interface and the E1 interface, the first interface processor operable to translate signals formatted for the J1 span into an E1 format for transmission on the E1 span, the first interface processor further operable to translate communications signals formatted for the E1 span into a J1 format for transmission on the J1 span;

a second interface processor operable to send communications data to the J1 interface and wherein the first interface processor transfers the translated communications signals from the first interface processor to the second interface processor for transmission to the second communications network across the J1 interface.

2. A method of switching communications signals, comprising:

receiving communications data from a span interface;

storing the communications data in a memory according to a first memory map;

receiving a request from a call processor, the request referencing the communications data by indicating an expected location according to a second memory map;

translating the expected location into an actual location according to the first memory map in response to receiving the request; and

responding to the request using the communications data stored at the actual location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the request further comprises receiving a request to access the communications data in the memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein responding to the request comprises:

accessing the communications data at the actual location in the memory; and

providing the communications data to the call processor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a change request to change the stored communications data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responding to the change request by modifying the stored communications data at the actual location in the memory according to the request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising;

sending the modified communications data to the span interface.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein responding to the request further comprises sending the communications data to a second span interface.

9. A system for processing communications signals transferred between a first communications network and a second communications network, comprising:

a first span interface coupled to the first communications network by a first digital communications link, the first digital communications link operable to transfer communications data in a first format, the first span interface operable to store the communications data according to the first format;

a second span interface coupled to the second communications network by a second digital communications link, the second digital communications link operable to transfer communications data in a second format, the second span interface operable to store the communications data according to the second format; and

an interface processor in communication with the first span interface and the second span interface, the interface processor configured to process communications data stored in the second format, the interface processor including a span converter operable to translate the format of the communications data from the first format to the second format to allow further processing of the communications data by the interface processor, the span converter operable to translate the first format to the second format in response to a request referencing the communications data stored according to a first memory map associated with the first format, the request indicating an expected location according to a second memory map associated with the second format, the span interface operable to translate the expected location into an actual location according to the first memory map in response to receiving the request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface processor translates the format of the communications data in response to requests from call processors.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first digital communications link is an E1 span.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the second digital communications link is a J1 span.

11. A system for processing communications signals transferred between a first communications network and a second communications network, comprising:

a first span interface coupled to the first communications network by a first digital communications link, the first digital communications link operable to transfer communications data in a first format, the first span interface operable to store the communications data according to the first format;

a second span interface coupled to the second communications network by a second digital communications link, the second digital communications link operable to transfer communications data in a second format, the second span interface operable to store the communications data according to the second format; and

an interface processor in communication with the first span interface and the second span interface, the interface processor configured to process communications data stored in the second format, the interface processor including a span converter operable to translate the format of the communications data from the first format to the second format to allow further processing of the communications data by the interface processor;

an upper level processor in communication with the first and second span interfaces and the interface processor, the interface processor providing the translated communications data to the upper level processor, the upper level processor routing the translated communications data to the second span interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the upper level processor is operable to process data only in the second format.

15. A system for processing communications signals received from a communications network, comprising:

a span interface coupled to the communications network by a digital communications link, the digital communications link operable to transfer communications data in a first format, the span interface operable to store the communications data in the first format;

a switching device coupled to the span interface, the switching device including;

an upper level processor configured to process communications data in a second format;

a span interface processor in communication with the span interface and the upper level processor, the span interface processor operable to access the stored communications data and translate the accessed communications data from the first format to the second format in response to a data access request from the upper level processor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the span interface processor accesses alarm indications in response to the data access request.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the span interface processor accesses signaling indications in response to the data access request.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the span interface processor accesses diagnostic indications in response to the data access request.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the span interface processor accesses loop back indications in response to the data access request.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the span interface processor responds to a data access request by the upper level processor by comparing an address and bit location supplied by the request to a first memory map associated with the second format and translating the address and bit location to a different address and bit location based on a second memory map associated with the first format.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first format is an E1 format and the second format is a J1 format.

22. A system for processing communications signals received from a communications network, comprising:

a span interface coupled to the communications network by a digital communications link;

a span interface processor in communication with the span interface, the span interface processor operable to receive communications data from the span interface, the communications data being transferred to the span interface across the digital communications link, the span interface processor operable to store the communications data in a memory according to a first memory map, the span interface processor including;

a call processor operable to generate a call processing request referencing the stored communications data by indicating an expected location according to a second memory map; and

a span converter in communication with the call processor and the memory, the span converter operable to respond to the request by translating the expected location into an actual location according to the first memory map and by using the communications data stored at the actual location.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising an upper level processor for routing communications data received by the span interface from the first communications network to a second span interface for transmission to a second communications network.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the first memory map comprises a memory map of alarm, signaling, diagnostic and loop back indications in E1 format.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the second memory map comprises a memory map of alarm, signaling, diagnostic and loop back indications in J1 format.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the span converter translates alarm, signaling, diagnostic and loop back indication address and bit locations between E1 and J1 formats according to the first and second memory maps.