POTS/packet bridge

• US 7,929,519 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• 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: Romain, Dennis Matthew, Goldman, Joel, Velardo, Patrick Michael Jr., Rabiner, Lawrence Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US11/180,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/400
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

A system and method for bridging the POTS network and a packet network, such as the Internet, uses a set of access objects that provide the interfacing and functionality for exchanging address and payload information with the packet network, and for exchanging payload information with the payload subnetwork and signaling information with the signaling subnetwork of the POTS network. The system includes a communications management object that coordinates the transfer of information between the POTS network and the packet network; a payload object that transfers payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network; a signaling object that transfers signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork; and a packet object that transfers payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network. An alternative embodiment uses a plurality of payload, signaling and packet objects to provide a scalable system.

Claims

1. A system implemented in hardware of a computer-based platform for bridging a first communications network having a payload subnetwork and a signaling subnetwork with a second communications network that is packet-switched, comprising:

a communications management object that coordinates a transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network;

a plurality of payload objects linked to the communications management object, wherein each payload object of the plurality of payload objects transfers payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network;

a plurality of signaling objects linked to the communications management object, wherein each signaling object of the plurality of signaling objects transfers signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork; and

a plurality of packet objects linked to the communications management object, wherein each packet object of the plurality of packet objects transfers payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a network for linking the plurality of payload objects, the plurality of signaling objects and the plurality of packet objects to the communications management object.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein physical locations of the plurality of payload objects, the plurality of signaling objects and the plurality of packet objects are spread across a geographic area.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of payload objects is linked to a plurality of access points contained within the payload subnetwork of the first communications network.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of signaling objects is linked to a plurality of access points contained within the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of packet objects is linked to a plurality of access points contained within the second communications network.

7. A method of bridging a first communications network having a payload subnetwork and a signaling subnetwork with a second communications network that is packet-switched, comprising:

establishing a first plurality of communications links to the payload subnetwork of the first communications network for communicating payload information;

establishing a second plurality of communications links to the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network for communicating signaling information in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork;

establishing a third plurality of communications links to the second communications network for communicating information in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network; and

coordinating a transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network using one of the first plurality of communications links, one of the second plurality of communications links and one of the third plurality of communications links.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the first plurality of communications links is established through one of a plurality of available access points contained within the payload subnetwork of the first communications network.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the second plurality of communications links is established through one of a plurality of available access points contained within the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the third plurality of communications links is established through one of a plurality of available access points contained within the second communications network.

11. A system implemented in hardware of a computer-based platform for bridging a first communications network having a payload subnetwork and a signaling subnetwork with a second communications network that is packet-switched comprising:

a communications management object being configured to coordinate a transfer of information between the first communications network and the second communications network;

a payload object linked to the communications management object, the payload object being configured to transfer payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network;

a signaling object linked to the communications management object, the signaling object being configured to transfer signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling network;

a packet object linked to the communications management object, the packet object being configured to transfer payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network; and

an application database linked to the communications management object, the application database being configured to determine a preferred communications mode of a called user for establishing communications contact with another user.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the application database is an active user registry database configured to store communications contact information of the called user including at least one of:

a telephone number, a facsimile number, a mobile telephone number, or an e-mail address.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the active user registry database is further configured to store at least one of:

a set of user profiles and at least one user'"'"'s preferred communications option.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising an application resource object that is configured to coordinate a handling of operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning functions.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the application resource object and the application database are each linked to the communications management object.

16. The system according to 11, wherein the application database is configured to determine a user'"'"'s internet protocol address.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the application database includes a data set to support a plurality of service applications.

18. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a phone markup language interpreter linked to the communications management object.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the phone markup language interpreter is configured to convert hypertext markup language-like commands into audio server requests.

20. The system according to claim 18, further comprising an application resource object that is configured to handle interactive voice response applications.

21. The system according to claim 18, further comprising an application resource object that is configured to handle phone markup language applications.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the phone markup language applications include at least one of:

a banking application, a sales information application, a stock price application, or a weather application.

23. The system according to claim 18, further comprising an application resource object that is configured to handle order confirmation and tracking.