Bridging and signalling subsystems and methods for private and hybrid communications systems including multimedia systems
First Claim
1. An apparatus for communicating nonisochronous data over an isochronous channel, comprising:
- a reception module coupled to a nonisochronous network, the reception module operable to receive the nonisochronous data from the nonisochronous network; and
an encapsulation module coupled to the reception module and the isochronous channel, the encapsulation module operable to;
divide the stored nonisochronous data into first and second segments;
encapsulate the first and second segments into a first frame and a second frame, respectively; and
queue the first and second frames for transmission over the isochronous channel.
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Abstract
A subsystem for communicating a private network signalling message over a packet network and bridges for communicating a Media Access Control (MAC) layer frame over an isochronous channel and for communicating an isochronous signalling frame over a nonisochronous network. The subsystem comprises: (1) an encapsulation circuit, coupled to a transmitting user station, capable of receiving the private network signalling message from the transmitting user station, the encapsulating circuit encapsulating the signalling message within, and adding source and destination addresses to, a routable protocol frame, the source and destination addresses corresponding to addresses of the transmitting user station and a particular receiving user station, the encapsulation circuit queuing the routable protocol frame for transmission over the packet network and (2) a de-encapsulation circuit, coupled to the particular receiving user station, capable of receiving the routable protocol frame, the de-encapsulation circuit extracting the signalling message from the routable protocol frame, the packet network thereby simulating a point-to-point connection between the transmitting and particular receiving user stations to effect node-to-node private network signalling therebetween.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus for communicating nonisochronous data over an isochronous channel, comprising:
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a reception module coupled to a nonisochronous network, the reception module operable to receive the nonisochronous data from the nonisochronous network; and
an encapsulation module coupled to the reception module and the isochronous channel, the encapsulation module operable to;
divide the stored nonisochronous data into first and second segments;
encapsulate the first and second segments into a first frame and a second frame, respectively; and
queue the first and second frames for transmission over the isochronous channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of communicating nonisochronous data over an isochronous channel, comprising:
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receiving nonisochronous data from a nonisochronous network;
dividing the nonisochronous data into first and second segments;
encapsulating the first and second segments into a first frame and a second frame, respectively; and
queuing the first and second frames for transmission over the isochronous channel. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program for communicating nonisochronous data over an isochronous channel, the program encoded on a computer-readable medium and operable to execute the following steps:
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receiving nonisochronous data from a nonisochronous network;
dividing the nonisochronous data into first and second segments;
encapsulating the first and second segments into a first frame and a second frame, respectively; and
queuing the first and second frames for transmission over the isochronous channel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
negotiating a larger maximum frame size by generating and receiving transmit identification (XID) messages over the isochronous channel; and
if the step of negotiating is unsuccessful, dividing the nonisochronous data into first and second segments, individually encapsulating the first and second segments into the first frame and a second frame, respectively, assigning a segment number to each of the first and second frames, and queuing the first and second frames for transmission over the isochronous channel.
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19. The computer program of claim 15, further operable to perform the steps of receiving a second frame from the isochronous channel and de-encapsulating the second frame to form nonisochronous data for transmission over the nonisochronous network.
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20. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the nonisochronous data comprises a network layer packet.
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21. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the nonisochronous data comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) layer frame.
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22. An apparatus for communicating an isochronous signalling frame over a nonisochronous network, comprising:
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a reception module coupled to an isochronous channel and operable to receive the isochronous signalling frame from a source device via the isochronous channel; and
an encapsulation module coupled to the reception module and a nonisochronous network, the encapsulation module operable to encapsulate the isochronous signalling frame into a routable protocol frame and to queue the routable protocol frame for transmission over the nonisochronous network to a destination device, the nonisochronous network thereby capable of simulating a point-to-point connection between the source device and the destination device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
receive a subsequent routable protocol frame from the destination device via the nonisochronous network;
de-encapsulate an isochronous signalling frame from the subsequent routable protocol frame; and
queue the isochronous signalling frame for transmission over the isochronous channel.
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25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the reception module is further operable to validate a frame check sequence number of the isochronous signalling frame.
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26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a storage module coupled to the reception module and operable to store the isochronous signalling frame.
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27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the isochronous signalling frame comprises a Q.931 signalling frame.
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28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the isochronous signalling frame comprises an SS7 signalling frame.
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29. A method of communicating an isochronous signalling frame over a nonisochronous network, comprising:
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receiving the isochronous signalling frame from a source device via an isochronous channel;
encapsulating the isochronous signalling frame into a routable protocol frame; and
queuing the routable protocol frame for transmission over the nonisochronous network to a destination device, the nonisochronous network thereby capable of simulating a point-to-point connection between the source device and the destination device. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
receiving a subsequent routable protocol frame from the destination device via the nonisochronous network;
de-encapsulating a subsequent isochronous signalling frame from the subsequent routable protocol frame; and
queuing the isochronous signalling frame for transmission over the isochronous channel.
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32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving comprises validating a frame check sequence number of the isochronous signalling frame.
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33. The method of claim 29, further comprising storing the isochronous signalling frame.
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34. The method of claim 29, wherein the isochronous signalling frame comprises a Q.931 signalling frame.
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35. The method of claim 29, wherein the isochronous signalling frame comprises an SS7 signalling frame.
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36. A computer program for communicating an isochronous signalling frame over a nonisochronous network, the computer program encoded on a computer-readable medium and operable to execute the following steps:
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receiving the isochronous signalling frame from a source device via an isochronous channel;
encapsulating the isochronous signalling frame into a routable protocol frame; and
queuing the routable protocol frame for transmission over the nonisochronous network to a destination device, the nonisochronous network thereby capable of simulating a point-to-point connection between the source device and the destination device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
receiving a subsequent routable protocol frame from the destination device via the nonisochronous network;
de-encapsulating a subsequent isochronous signalling frame from the subsequent routable protocol frame; and
queuing the isochronous signalling frame for transmission over the isochronous channel.
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39. The computer program of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving comprises validating a frame check sequence number of the isochronous signalling frame.
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40. The computer program of claim 36, further comprising storing the isochronous signalling frame.
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41. A subsystem for communicating a private network signalling message between a first node and a second node over a packet network, comprising:
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an encapsulation module coupled to the first node associated with a transmitting user station, the encapsulation module operable to;
receive a private network signalling message from the first node;
associate the signalling message with a source address and a destination address, the source address corresponding to an address of the first node and the destination address corresponding to an address of the second node;
encapsulate the signalling message, the source address, and t he destination address into a routable protocol frame; and
queue the routable protocol frame for transmission over the packet network; and
a de-encapsulation module coupled to a second node associated with a receiving user station, the de-encapsulation module operable to;
receive the routable protocol frame; and
de-encapsulate the signalling message from the routable protocol frame, the packet network thereby simulating a point-to-point connection between the first node and the second node to effect node-to-node private network signalling therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of communicating a private network signalling message between a first node and a second node over a packet network, comprising:
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receiving a private network signalling message from the first node associated with a transmitting user station;
associating the signalling message with a source address and a destination address, the source address corresponding to an address of the first node and the destination address corresponding to an address of the second node;
encapsulating the signalling message, the source address, and the destination address into a routable protocol frame;
queuing the routable protocol frame for transmission over the packet network;
receiving the routable protocol frame at a second node associated with a receiving user station; and
de-encapsulating the signalling message from the routable protocol frame, the packet network thereby simulating a point-to-point connection between the first node and the second node to effect node-to-node private network signalling therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A computer program for communicating a private network signalling message between a first node and a second node over a packet network, the computer program operable to execute the following steps:
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receiving a private network signalling message from the first node associated with a transmitting user station;
associating the signalling message with a source address and a destination address, the source address corresponding to an address of the first node and the destination address corresponding to an address of the second node;
encapsulating the signalling message, the source address, and the destination address into a routable protocol frame;
queuing the routable protocol frame for transmission over the packet network;
receiving the routable protocol frame at a second node associated with a receiving user station; and
de-encapsulating the signalling message from the routable protocol frame, the packet network thereby simulating a point-to-point connection between the first node and the second node to effect node-to-node private network signalling therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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Specification