Hybrid packet-switched and circuit-switched telephony system
First Claim
1. A telecommunications system comprising:
- an originating circuit-switched network for providing originating signals in response to voice input,an originating gateway computer for converting said originating signals into digital data packets,a terminating gateway computer that converts said digital data packets into terminating signals,a terminating circuit-switched network for providing voice output in response to said terminating signals, anda packet-switched network for transmitting said digital data packets from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer, at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprising a component for routing said digital data packets through said packet-switched network from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer;
wherein said terminating circuit-switched network is capable of providing first return signals to said terminating gateway computer in response to return voice input,wherein said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said first return signals into return packets of return digital data,wherein at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for routing said return packets through said packet-switched network from said terminating gateway computer to said originating gateway computer,wherein said originating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said return packets into second return signals,wherein said originating gateway computer comprises an originating buffer component for storing said return packets prior to conversion thereof into said second return signals, andwherein said originating gateway computer further comprises a component for rearranging said stored return packets to maintain a proper packet order.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hybrid telephony system with packet switching as well as circuit switching optimizes utilization of transport networks, and is accessible from any conventional telephone set. A call originating from a circuit-switched network is passed through a gateway computer to a backbone packet-switched network, and then through a second gateway computer to a second circuit-switched network where it terminates. The voice of both the originating party and the terminating party is converted to data packets by the near-end gateway computer and then converted back to voice by the far-end gateway computer. In an alternative scenario, the originating party uses a computer on the packet-switched network, which replaces the originating circuit-switched network and the originating computer. Powered by CPUs, DSPs, ASICs disks, telephony interfaces, and packet network interfaces, the gateway computers may have media conversion modules, speech processing modules and routing resolution modules, and are capable of translating telephony call signaling as well as voice between circuit-switched and packet-switched networks. Optionally, the gateway computers may also have analog trunking modules, MF and DTMF digit modules and special services modules, in order to support analog circuit-switched networks and secure telephone calls.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A telecommunications system comprising:
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an originating circuit-switched network for providing originating signals in response to voice input, an originating gateway computer for converting said originating signals into digital data packets, a terminating gateway computer that converts said digital data packets into terminating signals, a terminating circuit-switched network for providing voice output in response to said terminating signals, and a packet-switched network for transmitting said digital data packets from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer, at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprising a component for routing said digital data packets through said packet-switched network from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer; wherein said terminating circuit-switched network is capable of providing first return signals to said terminating gateway computer in response to return voice input, wherein said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said first return signals into return packets of return digital data, wherein at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for routing said return packets through said packet-switched network from said terminating gateway computer to said originating gateway computer, wherein said originating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said return packets into second return signals, wherein said originating gateway computer comprises an originating buffer component for storing said return packets prior to conversion thereof into said second return signals, and wherein said originating gateway computer further comprises a component for rearranging said stored return packets to maintain a proper packet order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A telecommunications system comprising:
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an originating gateway computer for providing digital packets corresponding to originating signals produced in response to voice input, a gateway computer that converts said digital packets into terminating signals, a circuit-switched network for providing voice output in response to said terminating signals, and a packet-switched network for transmitting said digital packets from said originating gateway computer to said gateway computer, at least one of said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer comprising a component for routing said digital packets through said packet-switched network from said originating gateway computer to said gateway computer; wherein said circuit-switched network is capable of providing first return signals to said gateway computer, wherein said gateway computer comprises a component for converting said first return signals into return packets of return digital data, wherein at least one of said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer comprises a component for routing said return packets through said packet-switched network from said gateway computer to said originating gateway computer, wherein said originating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said return packets into second return signals, wherein said originating network comprises a buffer component for storing said return packets prior to conversion thereof into said second return signals, and wherein said originating network further comprises a component for rearranging said stored return packets to maintain a proper packet order. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A telecommunications method comprising:
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providing originating digital packets for transmission from an originating gateway computer, said originating digital packets corresponding to originating signals produced in response to originating voice input; routing said originating digital packets from said originating gateway computer to a gateway computer through a packet-switched network via an originating routing component in at least one of said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer; converting said originating digital packets into terminating signals for transmission from said gateway computer; transmitting said terminating signals through a circuit-switched network for providing terminating voice output in response to said terminating signals; providing first return signals to said gateway computer in response to return voice input into said circuit-switched network; converting said return signals into return digital packets of return digital data for transmission from said gateway computer; routing said return digital packets through said packet-switched network from said gateway computer to said originating gateway computer using said originating routing component or another routing component in said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer; storing the return digital packets in an originating buffer of the originating gateway computer prior to converting the return digital packets into second return signals; rearranging the stored return digital packets to maintain a proper packet order; and converting said return digital packets into the second return signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A telecommunications system comprising:
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an originating circuit-switched network for providing originating signals in response to voice input, an originating gateway computer for converting said originating signals into digital data packets, a terminating gateway computer that converts said digital data packets into terminating signals, a terminating circuit-switched network for providing voice output in response to said terminating signals, and a packet-switched network for transmitting said digital data packets from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer, at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprising a component for routing said digital data packets through said packet-switched network from said originating gateway computer to said terminating gateway computer; wherein said terminating circuit-switched network is capable of providing first return signals to said terminating gateway computer in response to return voice input, wherein said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said first return signals into return packets of return digital data, wherein at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprises a component for routing said return packets through said packet-switched network from said terminating gateway computer to said originating gateway computer, wherein said originating gateway computer comprises a component for converting said return packets into second return signals, wherein said originating network comprises a buffer component for storing said return packets prior to conversion thereof into said second return signals, wherein said originating network further comprises a component for rearranging said stored return packets to maintain a proper packet order, and wherein at least one of said originating gateway computer or said terminating gateway computer comprises a time-division multiplexing bus interconnecting at least one digital trunk interface with a digital signal processor and an application-specific integrated circuit, and a system bus interconnecting said digital signal processor and said application-specific integrated circuit with a central processing unit and a random access memory.
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21. A telecommunications method comprising:
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providing originating digital packets for transmission from an originating gateway computer, said originating digital packets corresponding to originating signals produced in response to originating voice input; routing said originating digital packets from said originating gateway computer to a gateway computer through a packet-switched network via an originating routing component in at least one of said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer; converting said originating digital packets into terminating signals for transmission from said gateway computer; transmitting said terminating signals through a circuit-switched network for providing terminating voice output in response to said terminating signals; providing first return signals to said gateway computer in response to return voice input into said circuit-switched network; converting said return signals into return digital packets of return digital data for transmission from said gateway computer; routing said return digital packets through said packet-switched network from said gateway computer to said originating gateway computer using said originating routing component or another routing component in said originating gateway computer or said gateway computer; storing the return digital packets in an originating buffer of the originating gateway computer prior to converting the return digital packets into second return signals; rearranging the stored return digital packets to maintain a proper packet order; converting said return digital packets into the second return signals; estimating a unit charge for a call going through said gateway computer; informing a caller providing said originating voice input about the unit charge; and recording a payment method specified by the caller before providing said terminating voice output.
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22. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a first gateway device, a destination address of a called device from a calling device over a first circuit-switched network; transmitting, in response to receiving the destination address, a connection request from the first gateway device to a second gateway device over a packet-switched network; connecting, via the second gateway device, to the called device through a second circuit-switched network using the destination address; establishing a call connection between the calling device and the called device through the first circuit-switched network, the packet-switched network, and the second circuit-switched network in response to the connecting; receiving, at the second gateway device, first signals in response to voice input into the circuit-switched network from the called device; converting, via the second gateway device, the first signals into first packets; transmitting, via the second gateway device, the first packets to the first gateway device over the packet-switched network; storing, at an origination buffer in the first gateway device, the first packets prior to converting the first packets into second signals; rearranging, via the first gateway device, the stored first packets to maintain a proper packet order; converting, via the first gateway device, the first packets into the second signals; and transmitting, via the first gateway device, the second signals toward the calling device. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification