Telephony protocol server and telephony protocol client in a distributed IP architecture telecommunications system
First Claim
1. A method of providing telecommunication services from a telecommunications platform having a distributed architecture in which a single interface to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a single component can be exploited by other components in the telecommunications platform, the method comprising the steps of:
- configuring a signal gateway to include a signaling interface to the PSTN and an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to an IP network;
configuring a telephony protocol server (TPS) to include a signaling interface to the PSTN and an IP interface to the IP network, wherein the TPS includes a communications protocol stack for interfacing to the PSTN and is operable to terminate communications directed to it from a user of the PSTN;
installing a telephony protocol client (TPC) within at least one additional component of the telecommunications platform, the at least one additional component including an IP interface to the IP network and excluding an interface to the PSTN, the TPC including a portable application program interface (API) for interfacing to the communications protocol stack; and
establishing communications between the TPS and the TPC over the IP network in such a way that the portable API enables the additional component to interface to the PSTN utilizing the communications protocol stack of the TPS, and the at least one additional component and the TPS sharing a single Destination Point Code (DPC) on the PSTN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone system architecture enabling various components of a telephone system to be distributed geographically yet operates as a seamlessly integrated system. A signaling gateway interfaces to the PSTN and through an SS7 interface. The signaling gateway includes a telephony protocol server. At least one other component of the telephone system includes a telephony protocol client. The telephony protocol client and telephony protocol server communicate over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The telephony protocol server provides access to the PSTN to the component having the telephony protocol client. Any functions in the various components that require an SS7 interface to the PSTN are simply handled through the signaling gateway by the telephony protocol server.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of providing telecommunication services from a telecommunications platform having a distributed architecture in which a single interface to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a single component can be exploited by other components in the telecommunications platform, the method comprising the steps of:
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configuring a signal gateway to include a signaling interface to the PSTN and an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to an IP network; configuring a telephony protocol server (TPS) to include a signaling interface to the PSTN and an IP interface to the IP network, wherein the TPS includes a communications protocol stack for interfacing to the PSTN and is operable to terminate communications directed to it from a user of the PSTN; installing a telephony protocol client (TPC) within at least one additional component of the telecommunications platform, the at least one additional component including an IP interface to the IP network and excluding an interface to the PSTN, the TPC including a portable application program interface (API) for interfacing to the communications protocol stack; and establishing communications between the TPS and the TPC over the IP network in such a way that the portable API enables the additional component to interface to the PSTN utilizing the communications protocol stack of the TPS, and the at least one additional component and the TPS sharing a single Destination Point Code (DPC) on the PSTN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A telecommunications system platform based on a distributed architecture and providing a single interface to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a single component of the telecommunications system platform that can be exploited by other components in the telecommunications system platform, the telecommunications system platform comprising:
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a signaling gateway function (SGF) including a telephony protocol server (TPS) that implements a communications protocol stack for interfacing to the PSTN and further including an internet protocol IP interface to an IP network, wherein the TPS is operable to terminate communications directed to it from a user of the PSTN; and a plurality of additional components, wherein each of the plurality of additional components may include a telephony protocol client (TPC) and an IP interface, wherein the TPC operates to interface with the communications protocol stack in the TPS by establishing a connection over the IP network, thus giving each such additional component the ability to interface with the PSTN utilizing the communications protocol stack in the TPS and sharing a single point code. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification