System and method for connecting a call with an interworking system

• US 6,483,837 B1
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Howell, Royal Dean, Wiley, William Lyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US09/027,008
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/352, 370/356, 370/358, 370/392, 370/396, 370/397, 370/401, 370/398, 370/376, 370/410, 370/467, 370/437, 370/399, 370/400, 370/402, 370/524, 370/426, 370/525, 370/526, 370/522, 710/31
• US Class Current: 370/395.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5629 Admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model

Abstract

An interworking system and method connects calls through the use of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch and interworking units. The ATM switch and interworking units may either be controlled by a signaling processor or not controlled by the signaling processor for particular calls to make connections. In some instances the signaling processor processes call signaling to determine connections for calls and transports control messages to the ATM switch and the interworking unit identifying the connections. The interworking unit interworks user communications from time division multiplex (TDM) formats to ATM for the selected ATM connections, and the ATM switch cross connects the user communications for the other selected ATM connections. In other instances, either of the ATM switch or the interworking unit may automatically cross connect or interwork the user connections to a connection without receiving a control message from the signaling processor that identifies the connection.

Claims

1. A communication system for connecting a call having user communications and call signaling comprising:

a signaling processor adapted to receive the call signaling, to process the call signaling to select digital signaling requirements and an outgoing connection for the call, and to generate and transmit a first control message identifying the selected digital signaling requirements and a second control message identifying the selected outgoing connection;

an interworking system adapted to receive the first control message from the signaling processor, to receive the user communications, and to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection, and to apply digital signal processing according to the first control message; and

a first asynchronous transfer mode switch adapted to receive the second control message from the signaling processor, to receive and switch the user communications from the asynchronous transfer mode connection from the interworking system to the outgoing connection.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the digital signal processing comprises echo cancellation.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the outgoing connection comprises an asynchronous transfer mode connection.

4. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the first asynchronous transfer mode switch further is adapted to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection provisioned therebetween.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the interworking system comprises:

an interworking unit adapted to receive the control message from the signaling processor and, in response thereto, to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection provisioned therebetween; and

a second asynchronous transfer mode switch that is not controlled by the signaling processor and which is adapted to receive the user communications from the interworking unit and to switch the user communications onto another provisioned connection.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the interworking unit comprises an echo canceler adapted to cancel echo for the connection.

7. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the second asynchronous transfer mode switch further is adapted to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection provisioned therebetween.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the interworking system comprises a service platform adapted to provide enhanced services for the call.

9. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a voice response unit adapted to provide voice responses to a caller.

10. A system for connecting a call having user communications and call signaling comprising:

a signaling processor adapted to receive call signaling, to process the call signaling to select a first connection and a second connection for the call, and to transport a first control message identifying the selected first connection and a second control message identifying the selected second connection; and

an interworking unit adapted to receive the first control message from the signaling processor, to receive the user communications, and to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection for the selected first connection according to the first control message; and

an asynchronous transfer mode switch adapted to receive the second control message from the signaling processor and to switch the user communication to the selected second connection.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the interworking unit comprises an echo canceler adapted to cancel echo for the connection.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch further is adapted to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection provisioned therebetween.

13. A system for connecting a call having user communications and call signaling comprising:

a signaling processor adapted to receive call signaling, to process the call signaling to select a connection for the call, and to transport a control message identifying the selected connection;

an interworking unit adapted to receive the user communications and to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection wherein the time division multiplex connection is provisioned prior to the call to be interworked with the asynchronous transfer mode connection; and

an asynchronous transfer mode switch adapted to receive the control message from the signaling processor and to switch the user communications to the selected connection according to the control message.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interworking unit comprises an echo canceler adapted to cancel echo for the connection.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch further is adapted to interwork the user communications between a time division multiplex connection and an asynchronous transfer mode connection provisioned therebetween.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch further is adapted to switch other user communications between a first time division multiplex connection and a second time division multiplex connection.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a service platform adapted to provide enchanced services for the call.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising a voice response unit adapted to provide voice responses to a caller for the call.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising a communication device adapted to transport the user communications to the interworking unit.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising a communication device adapted to receive the user communications from the asynchronous transfer mode switch.