Broadband telecommunications system interface

• US 6,667,982 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Christie, Joseph Michael, DuRee, Albert Daniel, Nelson, Tracy Lee, Wiley, William Lyle, Gardner, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/237,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351-356, 370/391.1, 370/396, 370/389, 370/397, 370/398, 370/399, 370/395.2, 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 370/426, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0066 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0089 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling, SONET
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5672 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13205 Primary rate access, PRI
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits

Abstract

The invention is a system for interfacing a GR-303 system with a broadband system. The broadband system can be an ATM system. The invention can process the GR-303 signaling to select ATM connections and then interwork the GR-303 connections with the selected ATM connections. The invention can interwork GR-303 signaling and SS7 signaling. The invention can also process SS7 signaling to select GR-303 connections and then interwork ATM connections with the selected GR-303 connections.

Claims

1. A broadband system interface configured to communicate with a remote terminal and a broadband network, the broadband system interface comprising:

a signaling interface configured to receive first signaling having a first format from the remote terminal, process the first signaling to generate second signaling having a second format, and transmit the second signaling;

a signaling processor configured to receive the second signaling from the signaling interface, process the second signaling to select a connection in the broadband network, generate a control message that includes an identifier indicating the selected connection, and transmit the control message; and

a bearer interface configured to receive digital user communications from the remote terminal, receive the control message from the signaling processor, and interwork the digital user communications on the selected connection by adding the identifier to the digital user communications.

2. The broadband system interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a routing system configured to route the digital user communications with the identifier to the broadband network based on the identifier.

3. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the bearer interface comprises a multiplexer.

4. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the bearer interface is configured to receive the digital user communications in a GR-303 format.

5. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the selected connection comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection and the identifier comprises an ATM identifier.

6. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the first format of the first signaling comprises GR-303 format.

7. The broadband system interface of claim 6 wherein the second format of the second signaling comprises SS7 signaling.

8. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the signaling processor is configured to:

receive an initial address message; and

process the initial address message to select the connection.

9. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the signaling processor is configured to:

receive a release message; and

transmit a tear down message to the bearer interface responsive to the release message.

10. The broadband system interface of claim 1 wherein the signaling processor is configured to transmit third signaling to the broadband network.

11. A method of operating a broadband system interface comprised of a signaling interface, a signaling processor, and a bearer interface, the broadband system interface configured to communicate with a remote terminal and a broadband network, the method comprising:

in the signaling interface, receiving first signaling having a first format from the remote terminal, processing the first signaling to generate second signaling having a second format, and transmitting the second signaling;

in the signaling processor, receiving the second signaling from the signaling interface, processing the second signaling to select a connection in the broadband network, generating a control message that includes an identifier indicating the selected connection, and transmitting the control message; and

in the bearer interface, receiving digital user communications from the remote terminal, receiving the control message from the signaling processor, and interworking the digital user communications on the selected connection by adding the identifier to the digital user communications.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

routing the digital user communications with the identifier to the broadband network based on the identifier.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the bearer interface comprises a multiplexer.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the bearer interface, receiving the digital user communications in a GR-303 format.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected connection comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection and the identifier comprises an ATM identifier.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the first format of the first signaling comprises GR-303 format.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the second format of the second signaling comprises SS7 signaling.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the signaling processor, receiving an initial address message and processing the initial address message to select the connection.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the signaling processor, receiving a release message and

transmitting a tear down message to the bearer interface responsive to the release message.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting third signaling to the broadband network.