Emulation of phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system

• US 6,697,358 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Solutions, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 2Wire, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bernstein, Jeffrey G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US10/199,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 379/177, 379/179, 379/161, 379/168, 379/156, 379/372, 379/373.01, 379/88.17, 370/352, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/389, 455/422, 455/554, 455/555, 455/74.1, 455/422.1, 455/462
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/003 Transmission of control signals from or to the key telephone set; signalling equipment at key telephone set, e.g. keyboard or display equipment keyboard equipment in semi-automatic systems H04M3/62

Abstract

A system and method for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system include using a gateway and an adapter. Signaling protocols between the gateway and the adapter provide procedures to enable typical analog phone system characteristics such as a dial tone and a line-in-use indicator. During an incoming or outgoing call, users of multiple phones on the packet telephony distribution system can make and receive calls or join a call in progress using methodologies commonly used for typical analog phone systems.

Claims

1. A system for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system comprising:

a gateway coupled to a telephone network, the gateway configured to dynamically control communication between a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of data network and analog lines in the telephone network, wherein the gateway is further configured to transmit dial tones and line-in-use indicators to the plurality of communication devices; and

a plurality of adapters coupled to the plurality of communication devices, the plurality of adapters being configured to receive incoming calls via the plurality of data network and analog lines and to selectively make outgoing calls via the plurality of data network and analog lines; and

a first adapter having a networking interface and a processor, wherein the networking interface is configured to operate according to a networking standard and the processor couples to the networking interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway mixes audio streams from the plurality of data network and analog lines and the plurality of communication devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway includes a network device for dynamic control of communication between the plurality of communication devices and the plurality of data network and analog lines.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of each of the plurality of communication devices is uniquely coupled to one of each of the plurality of adapters.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of adapters is coupled to an analog phone line and a derived phone line for receiving incoming calls and transmitting outgoing calls.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein

the processor comprises

a digital signal processor configured to process telephony signals and streaming audio; and the first adapter further includes

a codec coupled to the digital signal processor;

a SLIC coupled to the codec and further coupled to the digital signal processor, the SLIC being configured to send signals on the data network and analog lines to control a line voltage for emulating a plurality of line-in-use indicators;

a bypass relay coupled to the SLIC and the digital signal processor wherein the bypass relay dynamically switches access between a derived line and an analog line; and

a hook state detector coupled to the communication device and the digital signal processor for detecting a loop current and detecting an off hook condition and an on hook condition.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway generates a dial tone in response to an incoming call signal and sends the dial tone to an appropriate one of the plurality of communication devices.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one of the plurality of adapters generates a dial tone in response to a signal from the gateway to send the dial tone to an appropriate one of the plurality of communication devices.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway communicates a message signal to the one of the plurality of adapters.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the message signal is a ringing state, a normal loop current state, a reverse loop current state, an open loop current, or a line-in-use state.

11. A method for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system, comprising the steps of:

configuring a gateway to identify a plurality of communication devices;

receiving an incoming call signal from a data network and analog line at the gateway;

transmitting a dial tone to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway;

transmitting a line-in-use indicator to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway; and

mixing audio streams but not mixing audio from a first communication device to avoid echoes at the first communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of determining an off hook and an on hook condition of the plurality of communication devices.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of performing multiple off hook sequences for establishing communication between the plurality of communication devices and the gateway.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of changing voltage levels between the gateway and the plurality of adapters to indicate an off hook condition.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of mixing audio streams from the plurality of communication devices for transmission to a data network and analog line.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of transmitting and receiving a data message and an analog signal on the data network and analog line.

17. A system for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of communication devices;

means for receiving an incoming call signal from a data network and analog line at the gateway;

means for transmitting a dial tone to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway;

means for transmitting a line-in-use indicator to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway; and

means for mixing audio streams but not mixing audio from a first communication device to avoid echoes at the first communication device.

18. A method for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system, comprising:

configuring a gateway to identify a plurality of communication devices;

receiving an incoming call signal from a data network and analog line at the gateway;

transmitting a dial tone to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway;

transmitting a line-in-use indicator to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway; and

performing multiple off hook sequences for establishing communication between the plurality of communication devices and the gateway.

19. A system for emulating phone extensions in a packet telephony distribution system, comprising:

means for configuring a gateway to identify a plurality of communication devices;

means for receiving an incoming call signal from a data network and analog line at the gateway;

means for transmitting a dial tone to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway;

means for transmitting a line-in-use indicator to the plurality of communication devices using the gateway; and

means for performing multiple off hook sequences for establishing communication between the plurality of communication devices and the gateway.