Concentrator for speech telephones and method of communication over LAN using same

• US 7,561,538 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• 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 H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun; Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US10/701,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/265
• 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 concentrator for voice telephones installed in a local area network comprising a local area network switching unit for switching and connecting a plurality of interfaces, and a plurality of local area network hubs accommodating equipment connected to the local area network switching unit via the interfaces, respectively, and for performing data communication over the local area network, said concentrator comprising:

a local area network interface connected to the local area network switching unit; 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 media access control frames or internet protocol packets, and the digital or analog voice data converted into the media access control frames or internet protocol packets are relayed to the local area network interface.

2. A concentrator for voice telephones according to claim 1, further comprising:

a central processing unit; and

a second local area network interface for performing transmission and reception of data between the central processing unit and one of the local area network hubs.

3. A concentrator for voice telephone according to claim 1, wherein signals from circuits of analog telephone network subscribers are converted into call control protocols according to transmission control protocol-internet protocol so as to be able to accommodate the analog telephone subscribers'"'"' terminals.

4. A concentrator for voice telephone according to claim 1, further comprising:

a central processing unit; and

a second local area network interface for performing transmission and reception of data with the central processing unit and wherein the digital or analog voice data received from the at least one voice telephone is converted into transmission control protocol-internet protocol packets or user datagram protocol-internet protocol packets, and the transmission control protocol-internet protocol packets or user datagram protocol-internet protocol packets are transmitted and received via the second local area network interface.

5. A concentrator for voice telephones according to claim 4, further comprising a router connected to the second local area network interface for connecting the second local area network interface to either the outside of the local area network or the local area network hubs.

6. A concentrator for voice telephones according to claim 1, further comprising:

a database coupled to the local area network switching unit or the local area network hubs and storing media access control addresses for clients of the local area network and providing the addresses in response to inquires.

7. A concentrator for telephones according to claim 1, wherein the digital or analog voice data converted into media access control frames or internet protocol packets are applied with a frame for absorbing fluctuation in their arrival time.

8. A method of communication over a local area network comprising a plurality of local area network hubs coupled to computing equipment for performing data communication, a plurality of concentrators coupled to voice telephones, and a local area network switching unit, having a plurality of ports and for switching and connecting between the plurality of the local area network 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 local area network hubs wherein the 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; and

applying a frame having a function of absorbing fluctuation in an arrival time of packetized voice data of the voice telephones.

9. A telecommunication apparatus for voice telephones installed in a local area network including a plurality of local area network equipment, the telecommunication apparatus comprising:

at least one local area network interface coupled to the local area network equipment;

a central processing unit;

a set of voice telephone interfaces to receive and transmit digital and analog voice data or call control data between the central processing unit and at least one voice telephone, wherein the central processing unit is adapted to convert the digital and analog voice data or call control data into internet protocol packets or media access control frames and apply a frame having a function of absorbing fluctuation in an arrival time of the voice data to a data block of the internet protocol packet or media access control frame and transmit the internet protocol packets or media access control frames to the at least one local area network interface wherein the set of voice telephone interfaces are adapted to perform a BORSCHT function.

10. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a router connected to at least one local area network interface and to a local area network hub or outside of the local area network.

11. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the local area network equipment includes one of a local area network hub and a local area network switching unit.

12. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a LANC circuit coupled to the central processing unit and voice telephone interface for assembling and disassembling a media access control frame.

13. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the call control data are converted into a call control protocol according to transmission control protocol/internet protocol.

14. A telecommunication apparatus for voice telephones installed in a local area network including a plurality of local area network equipment, the telecommunication apparatus comprising:

at least one local area network interface coupled to the local area network equipment;

a central processing unit;

a set of voice telephone interfaces to receive and transmit at least one of digital voice data, analog voice data or call control data between the central processing unit and at least one voice telephone, wherein the central processing unit converts the at least one of digital voice data, analog voice data or call control data into transmission control protocol/internet protocol packets or user datagram protocol packets and transmit the packets to the at least one local area network interface.

15. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a router connected to the at least one local area network interface and to a local area network hub.

16. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a router connected to the at least one local area network interface and to an external network.

17. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the central processing unit applies a frame for absorbing fluctuation in an arrival time of the transmission control protocol/internet protocol packets or user datagram protocol/internet protocol packets.

18. A method of communication over a local area network, comprising:

receiving and transmitting digital voice data, analog voice data or call control data between a voice telephone interface and a voice telephone;

receiving and transmitting the digital voice data, analog voice data or call control data between the voice telephone interface and a central processing unit;

converting the digital voice data, analog voice data or call control data into internet protocol packets or media access control frames with the central processing unit; and

transmitting the internet protocol packets or media access control frames from the central processing unit to a local area network interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the internet protocol packets or media access control frames from the local area network interface to a router.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting the internet protocol packets or media access control frames from the router to an external network.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the internet protocol packets or media access control frames to a local area network hub.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting the digital and analog voice data into transmission control protocol/internet protocol packets or user datagram protocol/internet protocol packets with the central processing unit.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein time slots for the digital and analog voice data or call control data are converted into the internet protocol packets or media access control frames.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising applying a frame having a function of absorbing fluctuation in an arrival time of the internet protocol packets or media access control to a data block of the MAC frame.