System and method for providing lifeline telecommunication service

• US 7,149,182 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Renucci, Peter J, Whitcher, Robert H
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N.
• Application Number:
  US09/840,837
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-354, 370/357, 370/356, 370/366, 370/389, 370/401, 370/465, 370216-221, 379/88.17, 379/93.07, 379/93.09, 379/93.14, 379/93.15, 709/249, 709/238, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data

Abstract

A system for providing lifeline telecommunication service includes a gateway, an analog signal service module, and an integrated access device. The gateway receives telecommunication information from a telecommunication switch and generates data packets for communicating the telecommunication information. The analog signal service module is remotely coupled to the gateway. The analog signal service module may receive the data packets from the gateway and generate a first analog telephone signal for communicating the telecommunication information over a local loop circuit. Coupled to the local loop circuit, the integrated access device may receive the first analog telephone signal from the analog signal service module and communicate the first analog telephone signal to a subscriber line in a first mode of operation. The integrated access device also may receive the data packets from the gateway, process the data packets to generate a second analog telephone signal communicating the telecommunication information, and communicate the second analog telephone signal to the subscriber line in a second mode of operation.

Claims

1. A system for providing lifeline telecommunication service, comprising:

a gateway operable to receive telecommunication information from a telecommunication switch, to generate data packets for communicating the telecommunication information in a first mode of operation and in a second mode of operation, and to communicate the telecommunication information as digital data not encapsulated in data packets in a third mode of operation;

an analog signal service module remotely coupled to the gateway and operable to receive the data packets from the gateway in the first mode of operation, to receive the telecommunication information as digital data not encapsulated in data packets in the third mode of operation, and to generate a first analog telephone signal for communicating the telecommunication information over a local loop circuit; and

an integrated access device coupled to the local loop circuit and operable to receive the first analog telephone signal from the analog signal service module and to communicate the first analog telephone signal to a subscriber line in the first and third modes of operation, the integrated access device further operable to receive the data packets from the gateway, to process the data packets to generate a second analog telephone signal communicating the telecommunication information, and to communicate the second analog telephone signal to the subscriber line the second mode of operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data packets are communicated to the integrated access device over the local loop circuit using a digital subscriber line in the second mode of operation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated access device operates in the first or third mode if it does not have power and in the second mode if it has power.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is further operable to:

determine whether it can communicate with the integrated access device using the data packets;

communicate the data packets to the integrated access device in response to determining that it can communicate with the integrated access device using the data packets; and

communicate the data packets or the telecommunication information not encapsulated in data packets to the analog signal service module in response to determining that it cannot communicate with the integrated access device using the data packets.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the gateway determines that it cannot communicate with the integrated access device if the gateway cannot maintain a virtual circuit between itself and the integrated access device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated access device comprises:

a processing module operable to receive the data packets from the gateway and to process the data packets to generate the second analog telephone signal communicating the telecommunication information in the second mode of operation; and

a bypass switch operable to communicate the first analog telephone signal to the subscriber line in the first or third mode of operation and to communicate the second analog telephone signal to the subscriber line in the second mode of operation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the telecommunication information is voice information; and

the first and second analog telephone signals are voice signals.