Communications system for providing ATM connections and echo cancellation

• US 6,674,729 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: DuRee, Albert Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US09/546,785
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 370/282, 370/286, 370/289, 370/352, 370/356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/397, 370/399, 370/395.2, 370/395.3, 370/395.6, 370/395.61, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/286
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5653 using the ATM adaptation layer [AAL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method and system provides connections to an ATM system and includes selective echo cancellation. The invention includes two interworking units, an echo canceller, and a signaling processor. The signaling processor receives and processes signaling to provide connection control instructions to the interworking units. The first interworking unit will accept a connection, and if the connection does not require echo cancellation, interwork the incoming connection with an ATM connection to the ATM system. If the incoming connection requires echo cancellation, the first interworking unit will interwork the incoming connection with an ATM connection to the second interworking unit. The second interworking unit will interwork the ATM connection with another connection to echo cancellation. After echo cancellation, the second interworking unit will interwork the connection from echo cancellation with another ATM connection to the ATM system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

receiving a first Time Division Multiplex (TDM) communication and a first signaling message;

processing the first signaling message to determine if echo cancellation is required;

if echo cancellation is required, selecting a first identifier and a second identifier;

converting the first TDM communication into a first asynchronous communication with the first identifier;

routing the first asynchronous communication to an echo canceller based on the first identifier;

converting the first asynchronous communication into a second TDM communication;

canceling echo from the second TDM communication;

after canceling the echo, converting the second TDM communication into a second asynchronous communication with the second identifier; and

routing the second asynchronous communication based on the second identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signaling message comprises an initial address message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first TDM communication is from a DS0 connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first asynchronous communication comprises an asynchronous transfer mode communication and the first identifier comprises an asynchronous transfer mode identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating and transmitting a second signaling message indicating the second identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second signaling message comprises an initial address message.

7. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

receiving a first signaling message and a first asynchronous communication with a first identifier;

processing the first signaling message to determine if echo cancellation is required;

if echo cancellation is required, selecting a second identifier, a third identifier, and a first TDM connection;

converting the first asynchronous communication into a second asynchronous communication with the second identifier;

routing the second asynchronous communication to an echo canceller based on the second identifier;

converting the second asynchronous communication into a first TDM communication;

canceling echo from the first TDM communication;

after canceling the echo, converting the first TDM communication into a third asynchronous communication with the third identifier;

routing the third asynchronous communication to an interworking unit based on the third identifier;

converting the third asynchronous communication into a second TDM communication; and

routing the second TDM communication over the first TDM connection.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first signaling message comprises an initial address message.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first TDM connection comprises a DS0 connection.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the second asynchronous communication comprises an asynchronous transfer mode communication and the second identifier comprises an asynchronous transfer mode identifier.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating and transmitting a second signaling message indicating the DS0 connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second signaling message comprises an initial address message.