Method and system of providing multi-user access to a packet switched network

• US 6,891,825 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mamakos, Louis A., O'Dell, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US09/469,506
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/397, 370/395.2, 370/389, 370/400, 370/352, 370/419, 370/420, 370/464, 370/465, 370/353, 370/392
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2881 IP/Ethernet DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data

Abstract

An approach for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network via a shared Ethernet-based local area network (LAN) is disclosed. Multiple end user stations are connected to the LAN, in which each of end user stations executes a communication software. The communication software is based upon a communication protocol (e.g., Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)) that establishes a point-to-point communication session. The end user stations generate packets based upon the communication protocol. In addition, each of the end user stations selectively encapsulates the communication protocol packets using the Ethernet-based LAN protocol. Further, attached to the LAN is a customer premise equipment (CPE), which transmits the encapsulated packets to a line terminating equipment, which according to one embodiment is a digital subscriber line (DSL) access multiplexer that is located in a central office. The line terminating equipment transports the multiple PPP sessions to a multiplexer/demultiplexer, which is located within a regional carrier'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, the multiplexer/demultiplexer is an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch, which simultaneously transports the multiple PPP sessions over a single permanent virtual circuit (PVC); VPI/VCIs (Virtual Path Identifier/Virtual Connection Identifier) are mapped to the multiple PPP sessions. The multiple PPP sessions are terminated at a remote access server, which recovers and forwards the packets to a backbone router. Thereafter, the backbone router forwards the packets to the packet switched network.

Claims

1. A method for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network, the method comprising:

executing a communication software on a plurality of end user stations that communicate over a local area network (LAN) supporting an Ethernet-based LAN protocol, the communication software being based upon a communication protocol that establishes a point-to-point communication session;

generating packets by the plurality of end user stations based upon the communication protocol;

selectively encapsulating the communication protocol packets using the Ethernet-based LAN protocol; and

forwarding the encapsulated packets to a customer premise equipment (CPE) that is coupled to the LAN,

wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are simultaneously carried over a communication channel and terminated at a remote access server, the point-to-point communication sessions corresponding respectively to a plurality of service providers, the packets being recovered and forwarded to the packet switched network, and wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of end user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication protocol in the executing step is Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the CPE in the step of forwarding is a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel is established over an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) associated with the ATM network is assigned to the CPE.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are mapped to distinct VPI/VCIs (Virtual Path Identifier/Virtual Connection Identifier).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the one service provider by each end user station is dynamic.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packets conform with Ethernet V2 format.

9. A communication system for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network, the communication system comprising:

a line terminating equipment communicating with a customer premise equipment (CPE) coupled to a local area network (LAN) providing connectivity to a plurality of end user stations, each of the end user stations executing a communication software that is based upon a communication protocol that establishes a point-to-point communication session, the plurality of end user stations generating encapsulated packets based upon the communication protocol, the point-to-point communication sessions corresponding respectively to a plurality of service providers;

a multiplexer/demultiplexer coupled to the line terminating equipment and configured to receive the point-to-point communication sessions, the multiplexer/demultiplexer simultaneously carrying the point-to-point communication sessions over a communication channel; and

a remote access server communicating with the multiplexer/demultiplexer and configured to terminate the point-to-point communication sessions, the remote access server recovering the packets and forwarding the packets to the packet switched network,

wherein the remote access server processes individual accounting information for each of the plurality of end user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the communication protocol is Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the CPE is a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem and the line terminating equipment is a DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM).

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the multiplexer/demultiplexer is an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communication channel is a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC), the PVC being associated with the CPE.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are individually mapped to distinct VPI/VCIs (Virtual Path Identifier/Virtual Connection Identifier).

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of end user stations dynamically selects one of the service providers.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the packets conform with Ethernet V2 format.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

executing a communication software on a plurality of end user stations that communicate over a local area network (LAN) supporting an Ethernet-based LAN protocol, the communication software being based upon a communication protocol that establishes a point-to-point communication session corresponding to one of a plurality of service providers;

generating packets by the plurality of end user stations based upon the communication protocol;

selectively encapsulating the communication protocol packets using the Ethernet-based LAN protocol; and

forwarding the encapsulated packets to a customer premise equipment (CPE) that is coupled to the LAN, wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of end user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the communication protocol in the executing step is Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the CPE in the step of transmitting is a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the selection of the one service provider by each end user station is dynamic.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the packets conform with Ethernet V2 format.

22. A method for supporting multi-user access to a data network, the method comprising:

receiving packets supporting a plurality of point-to-point communication sessions initiated respectively by a plurality of hosts, the packets being encapsulated by an Ethernet-type protocol, wherein the point-to-point communication sessions corresponding respectively to a plurality of service providers; and

transmitting the encapsulated packets over a common communication channel to a line terminating device,

wherein the line terminating device resolves the plurality of point-to-point communication sessions according to the respective hosts for accessing the data network, and

wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of hosts based upon a selected one of the service providers.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein one of the point-to-point communication sessions corresponds to a first network service provider, and another one of the point-to-point communication sessions corresponds to a second network service provider.

24. A method for supporting multi-user access to network services, the method comprising:

receiving encapsulated packets from a single customer premise equipment that communicates with a plurality of hosts, each of the hosts being configured to establish point-to-point communication session for transport of the packets and to encapsulate the packets according to an Ethernet-type protocol; and

communicating with an access server via a plurality of communication channels corresponding to the point-to-point communication sessions in response to the received encapsulated packets, the point-to-point communication sessions corresponding respectively to a plurality of service providers, wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of hosts based upon a selected one of the service providers.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the selection of the one service provider by each of the hosts is dynamic.