System and method for transporting a call

• US 7,203,199 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sucharczuk, Mark, Duree, Albert Daniel, Christie, legal representative, Christie, deceased
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam; Phirin
• Application Number:
  US09/702,576
• Time in Patent Office: 2,352 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.2,395.6,395.61,395.63-396.65,410,426,238.1,310.1,310.2,335,397,396,392,356,398,465,467,252,401,384,385,389,395.1,395.3,352,353,354,386,399,409,358,395
• US Class Current: 370/395.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5602 Bandwidth control in ATM Networks, e.g. leaky bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A system and method for transporting a call having call signaling and voiceband user communications through an asynchronous transfer mode system identifies when compression, encryption, or another processing option has been applied to the voiceband user communications. A first signaling processor processes the call signaling to identify a selected first connection and a processing option, such as a compression method, to be applied to the voiceband user communications. The first signaling processor transports a control message to a first interworking unit identifying the selected connection and the selected compression method. The first interworking unit compresses the voiceband user communications with the selected compression method, sets a convergence sublayer indicator bit as an indicator in an asynchronous transfer mode cell, fills the cell with the compressed voiceband user communications, and transports the cell over the selected connection. A second interworking unit receives the asynchronous transfer mode cell, and interworks the cell according to a decompression method for the voiceband user communications if the convergence sublayer indicator bit is set.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first signaling processor configured to receive and process call signaling to generate and transfer a first control message indicating an identifier;

a first interworking unit configured to receive voice-band communications and the first control message, determine if initial voice-band processing is required, perform the initial voice-band processing if required, convert the voice-band communications into asynchronous communications with the identifier and with a processing indicator indicating if the initial voice-band processing was performed, and transfer the asynchronous communications; and

a second interworking unit configured to receive the asynchronous communications, convert the asynchronous communications into the voice-band communications, determine if the initial voice-band processing was performed based on the processing indicator, perform additional voice-band processing if the initial voice-band processing was performed, and transfer the voice-band communications.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises encryption and the additional voice-band processing comprises decryption.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises compression and the additional voice-band processing comprises decompression.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises echo cancellation.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the identifier indicates an asynchronous transfer mode connection, the asynchronous communications comprise asynchronous transfer mode communications, and the first interworking unit is configured to transfer the asynchronous transfer mode communications over the asynchronous transfer mode connection.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the processing indicator comprises an asynchronous transfer mode convergence sublayer indicator.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the call signaling comprises an initial address message.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:

the first signaling processor is configured to receive and process the call signaling to generate and transfer the first control message indicating a type of the initial voice band processing; and

the first interworking unit is configured to determine if the initial voice-band processing is required and perform the type of the initial voice-band processing based on the first control message.

9. A communication system comprising:

a first signaling processor configured to receive and process call signaling to generate and transfer a first control message and a signaling message both indicating an identifier and a type of voice band processing;

a second signaling processor configured to receive and process the signaling message to generate and transfer a second control message indicating the identifier and the type of the voice band processing;

a first interworking unit configured to receive voice-band communications and the first control message, and in response to the first control message, to perform initial voice-band processing, convert the voice-band communications into asynchronous communications with the identifier and with a processing indicator indicating that the initial voice-band processing was performed, and transfer the asynchronous communications; and

a second interworking unit configured to receive the asynchronous communications and the second control message, determine if the initial voice-band processing was performed based on the processing indicator, and in response to the second control message, to convert the asynchronous communications into the voice-band communications, perform additional voice-band processing if the initial voice-band processing was performed, and transfer the voice-band communications.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the signaling message comprises an initial address message.

11. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises encryption and the additional voice-hand processing comprises decryption.

12. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises compression and the additional voice-band processing comprises decompression.

13. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises echo cancellation.

14. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the identifier indicates an asynchronous transfer mode connection, the asynchronous communications are asynchronous transfer mode communications, and the first interworking unit is configured to transfer the asynchronous transfer mode communications over the asynchronous transfer mode connection.

15. The communication system of claim 14 wherein the processing indicator comprises an asynchronous transfer mode convergence sublayer indicator.

16. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the call signaling is an initial address message.

17. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving and processing call signaling, and in response, generating and transferring a first control message indicating an identifier;

receiving voice-band communications and the first control message;

determining if initial voice-band processing is required and performing the initial voice-band processing if required;

converting the voice-band communications into asynchronous communications with the identifier and with a processing indicator indicating if the initial voice-band processing was performed;

transferring the asynchronous communications;

receiving the asynchronous communications;

converting the asynchronous communications into the voice-band communications;

determining if the initial voice-band processing was performed based on the processing indicator and performing additional voice-band processing if the initial voice-band processing was performed; and

transferring the voice-band communications.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises encryption and the additional voice-band processing comprises decryption.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises compression and the additional voice-band processing comprises decompression.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises echo cancellation.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the identifier indicates an asynchronous transfer mode connection, the asynchronous communications comprise asynchronous transfer mode communications, and transferring the asynchronous communications comprises transferring the asynchronous transfer mode communications over the asynchronous transfer mode connection.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the processing indicator comprises an asynchronous transfer mode convergence sublayer indicator.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the call signaling comprises an initial address message.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein:

generating the first control message comprises generating the first control message indicating a type of the initial voice band processing; and

determining if the initial voice-band processing is required and performing the initial voice-band processing comprises determining if the initial voice-band processing is required and performing the initial voice-band processing based on the first control message.

25. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving and processing call signaling, and in response, generating and transferring a first control message and a signaling message both indicating an identifier and a type of voice band processing;

receiving and processing the signaling message to generate and transfer a second control message indicating the identifier and the type of the voice band processing;

receiving voice-band communications and the first control message;

performing initial voice-band processing in response to the first control message;

in response to the first control message, converting the voice-band communications into asynchronous communications with the identifier and with a processing indicator indicating that the initial voice-band processing was performed;

transferring the asynchronous communications;

receiving the asynchronous communications and the second control message;

determining if the initial voice-band processing was performed based on the processing indicator;

converting the asynchronous communications into the voice-band communications in response to the second control message;

in response to the second control message, performing additional voice-band processing if the initial voice-band processing was performed; and

transferring the voice-band communications.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the signaling message comprises an initial address message.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises encryption and the additional voice-band processing comprises decryption.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises compression and the additional voice-band processing comprises decompression.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the initial voice-band processing comprises echo cancellation.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the identifier indicates an asynchronous transfer mode connection, the asynchronous communications comprise asynchronous transfer mode communications, and transferring the asynchronous communications comprises transferring the asynchronous transfer mode communications over the asynchronous transfer mode connection.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the processing indicator comprises an asynchronous transfer mode convergence sublayer indicator.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the call signaling is an initial address message.