Line concentrator for telephone set and communication method of LAN

• US 7,382,766 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Usuba, Shinji, Sekine, Yoshinori, Konishi, Tomokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US09/254,864
• Time in Patent Office: 3,967 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/395.1, 370/395.53, 370/395.6, 370/395.61, 370/395.64, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/473, 370/474, 370/464
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Speech telephones are incorporated in a LAN, and, for example, when a voice telephone 5 communicates with another voice telephone 8, call control is performed through exchange of information between a PC 1 and a. PC 4, juxtaposed with the voice telephones, respectively, via a LAN hub 10, a LAN switching unit 50, and a LAN hub 20. Speech data of the respective telephones 5, and 8 are packetized in the data block of a MAC frame by concentrators 30, and 40 for voice telephones, respectively, and relayed to LAN-SW interfaces 30a, and 40a. Frames having a function of absorbing fluctuation are applied to the data block of the interfaces 30a and 40a. Respective voice data packetized according to the MAC address of the MAC frame are delivered to the voice telephones 5, and 8, respectively, via the LAN switching unit 50, and the concentrators 30, and 40 for voice telephones.

Claims

1. A method of communication over a LAN comprising a plurality of LAN hubs coupled to computing equipment for performing data communication, a plurality of concentrators coupled to voice telephones, and a LAN switching unit, having a plurality of ports and for switching and connecting between the plurality of the LAN hubs, and the plurality of the concentrators for voice telephones, the method comprising the step of:

performing call control for the voice telephones coupled to each of the concentrators with the computing equipment in each of the LAN hubs wherein in case that a response from a PC or work station on the call-in side is not obtained, arrival of a call request is notified, and the response is detected by use of control channel signals of a voice telephone interface on the call-in side.

2. A method of communication over a LAN comprising a plurality of concentrators for voice telephones installed in a LAN comprising a LAN switching unit having a plurality of ports, for switching and connecting a plurality of interfaces, and a plurality of LAN hubs accommodating equipment connected to the LAN switching unit via the interfaces, respectively, and for performing data communication over the LAN, said concentrator comprising:

a LAN interface connected to the LAN switching unit;

at least one voice telephone; and

at least one set of voice telephone interfaces connected to the at least one voice telephone, wherein digital or analog voice data transmitted and received by the at least one set of the telephone interfaces are converted into MAC frames or IP packets, and the digital or analog voice data converted into the MAC frames or IP packets are relayed to the LAN interface, the method comprising routing of packetized voices for communication by voice telephones between the concentrators for voice telephones is performed by switching and connecting operation of the LAN switching unit based on the MAC address in a MAC frame in which the packetized voices are assembled.

3. A method of communication over a LAN comprising a plurality of interfaces, and a plurality of LAN hubs accommodating equipment connected to a LAN switching unit via the interfaces, respectively, and for performing data communication over the LAN, and a plurality of voice concentrators, said concentrators comprising:

a LAN interface connected to the LAN switching unit;

at least one voice telephone; and

at least one set of voice telephone interfaces connected to the at least one voice telephone, wherein digital or analog voice data transmitted and received by the at least one set of the telephone interfaces are converted into MAC frames or IP packets, and the digital or analog voice data converted into the MAC frames or FP packets are relayed to the LAN interface, and the LAN switching unit, having a plurality of ports and for switching and connecting between the plurality of the LAN hubs and the plurality of the concentrators, the method comprising packetizing voice data transmitted and received by the voice telephones for communication over the LAN by applying a frame having a function of absorbing fluctuation in arrival time of the packetized voices to the data block of a MAC frame.

4. A system for communicating with voice telephones over a LAN, comprising:

a LAN switch;

a plurality of LAN hubs performing data communication and coupled to the LAN switch via respective first LAN interfaces;

computing equipment coupled to the LAN hubs via respective second LAN interfaces;

a plurality of concentrators coupled to the LAN switch via respective third LAN interfaces; and

voice telephones coupled to the concentrators via respective voice interfaces that transmit and receive digital or analog voice data, wherein the concentrators are adapted to receive the digital or analog voice data from the voice interfaces and convert it into MAC frames or IP packets and to relay the converted digital or analog voice data to the third LAN interfaces.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the concentrators each comprise a CPU, and further comprising fourth LAN interfaces coupled between the CPUs and respective ones of the LAN hubs for transmitting and receiving data.

6. A telecommunication apparatus for voice telephones installed in a LAN including a plurality of LAN equipment, the telecommunication apparatus comprising:

at least one LAN interface coupled to the LAN equipment;

a CPU;

at least one voice telephone;

a set of voice telephone interfaces to receive and transmit digital and analog voice data or call control data between the CPU and the at least one voice telephone, wherein the CPU converts the digital and analog voice data or call control data into IP packets or MAC frames and transmit the IP packets or MAC frames to the at least one LAN interface wherein the set of voice telephone interfaces PERFORM a BORSCHT function.

7. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a router connected to at least one LAN interface and to a LAN hub or outside of the LAN.

8. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 6, wherein the LAN equipment includes one of a LAN hub and a LAN switching unit.

9. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a LANC circuit coupled to the CPU and voice telephone interface for assembling and disassembling a MAC frame.

10. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 6, wherein the call control data are converted into a call control protocol according to TCP/IP.