System and method for providing services through an integrated digital network

• US 7,899,063 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Corn, Randy, Blackburn, Alan, Kafka, Henry J., Anshutz, Thomas A., Rembert, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US12/251,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/493, 370/392, 370/356, 370/352, 370/395.5
• US Class Current: 370/395.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4612 LAN interconnection over narrowband networks, e.g. N-ISDN, PSTN, X.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service

Abstract

A system and methods for providing services through an integrated digital network. The present invention embodies a system and methods for providing telecommunications services through an integrated digital network that provides the superset of all previous network types, and can continue to support being the core for existing networks—now used simply as edge access methods. The method includes connecting a multi-service core to existing telecommunications networks, wherein the core can communicate with conventional network components; interconnecting a gateway between the multi-service core and multiple existing network components, wherein the gateway is configured to share multiple service aspects with each network component and to utilize multiple transport protocols to communicate with different core network components; coordinating communications between the gateway and existing network components; and resolving differences between protocols or communications between existing core network components.

Claims

1. A method for converging multiple telecommunications networks, each including network components, into an integrated digital network such that the integrated digital network can provide common network service applications to multiple users, comprising:

connecting a multi-service core to telecommunications networks, wherein the core can communicate with network components;

interconnecting a gateway between the multi-service core and multiple network components, wherein the gateway is configured to share multiple service aspects with each network component and to utilize multiple transport protocols to communicate with different network components, the gateway providing quality of service (QoS) enabled communications by mapping legacy network QoS services to the multi-service core QoS services including mapping network characteristics from legacy network types to an MPLS core, the mapping including mapping a bit rate service class for a first type of network service to QoS classes in a second type of network service;

coordinating communications between the gateway and network components; and

resolving differences between protocols or communications between network components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service aspects include security.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is a MPLS label edge router.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway can coordinate the delivery of communications that provides a management and billing function for applying network resources throughout the integrated digital network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is a Voice over Packet gateway.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a series of MPLS switches and routers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the common network service applications include voice.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the common network service applications include data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the common network service applications include video.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping legacy network QoS services to the multi-service core QoS services includes mapping ATM Constant Bit Rate and Unspecified Bit Rate services to MPLS QoS classes tailored to support the ATM service.

11. A system for providing network services to multiple network users through an integrated digital network comprising multiple telecommunications networks, each including network components, comprising:

a multi-service core with shared service aspects of an associated gateway;

at least one service gateway interconnected to core network components such that one or more telecommunications networks can exchange communications, wherein the gateway is configured to

provide shared service aspects with each telecommunication network;

utilize multiple transport protocols to communicate with network components of different telecommunications networks;

coordinate communications between network components of different telecommunications networks;

provide quality of service (QoS) enabled communications by mapping legacy network QoS services to the multi-service core QoS services, including mapping network characteristics from legacy network types to an MPLS core, the mapping including mapping a bit rate service class for a first type of network service to QoS classes in a second type of network service; and

resolve differences between protocols or communications between network components of different telecommunications networks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the service aspects include security.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway is a MPLS label edge router.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway can coordinate the delivery of communications that provides a management and billing function for applying network resources throughout the integrated digital network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway is a Voice over Packet gateway.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the core comprises a series of MPLS switches and routers.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the network services include voice.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the network services include data.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the network services include video.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein mapping legacy network QoS services to the multi-service core QoS services includes mapping ATM Constant Bit Rate and Unspecified Bit Rate services to MPLS QoS classes tailored to support the ATM service.