Access node comprising VoIP cards with common IP/MAC addresses
First Claim
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1. An access node configured to handle downstream Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) packets associated with an ongoing VoIP call, the access node comprising:
- a controller card connectable to an IP network;
a first and at least one additional VoIP card connectable to the controller card and each of the VoIP cards being configured to terminate an analog Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line, wherein the first VoIP card is the destination of the RTP packets and is configured with at least one User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port number, the VoIP cards are assigned a common IP address and a common MAC address for the RTP packets;
wherein the controller card is configure to receive an RTP packet from the IP network, the RTP packet comprising the common IP address as a destination IP address, the common MAC address as a destination MAC address and a destination UDP port number;
wherein the VoIP cards share the common IP address and the common MAC address and are each configured to operate in an active mode for processing the RTP packets based on destination UDP port numbers associated with the RTP packets; and
wherein the UDP port number identifies the first VoIP card among the VoIP cards.
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and arrangements in a VoIP access node for handling downstream and upstream RTP packets associated with an ongoing VoIP call. One common IP address can be assigned to the all of the RTP traffic of an access node instead of assigning one IP address per VoIP card. This may be done by identifying the destination VoIP card based on the destination UDP port number in a received RTP packet. The number of public IP addresses needed for VoIP service may be reduced without increasing the cost of the access node.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An access node configured to handle downstream Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) packets associated with an ongoing VoIP call, the access node comprising:
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a controller card connectable to an IP network; a first and at least one additional VoIP card connectable to the controller card and each of the VoIP cards being configured to terminate an analog Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line, wherein the first VoIP card is the destination of the RTP packets and is configured with at least one User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port number, the VoIP cards are assigned a common IP address and a common MAC address for the RTP packets; wherein the controller card is configure to receive an RTP packet from the IP network, the RTP packet comprising the common IP address as a destination IP address, the common MAC address as a destination MAC address and a destination UDP port number; wherein the VoIP cards share the common IP address and the common MAC address and are each configured to operate in an active mode for processing the RTP packets based on destination UDP port numbers associated with the RTP packets; and wherein the UDP port number identifies the first VoIP card among the VoIP cards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method in an access node for handling downstream RTP packets associated with an ongoing VoIP call, the access node comprising a controller card connected to an IP network, and a first and at least one additional VoIP card connected to the controller card, wherein the first VoIP card is a destination of the RTP packets, and is configured with at least one UDP port number, the method comprising:
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assigning a common IP address and a common MAC address for the RTP packets to the VoIP cards, each of the VoIP cards being configured to terminate an analog Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line; receiving an RTP packet from the IP network, the RTP packet comprising the common IP address as a destination IP address, the common MAC address as a destination MAC address and a destination UDP port number; and identifying a destination VoIP card based only on the destination UDP port number; wherein the VoIP cards are each configured to operate in an active mode for processing the RTP packets based on destination UDP port numbers associated with the RTP packets. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method in an access node for handling upstream RTP packets associated with an ongoing VoIP call, the access node comprising a controller card connected to an IP network, and a first and at least one additional VoIP card connected to the controller card, the first VoIP card being the origin of the RTP packets, the method comprising the following performed by the first VoIP card:
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generating an RTP packet comprising the common IP address as a source IP address and the common MAC address as a source MAC address; and forwarding the generated RTP packet to the IP network; wherein the VoIP cards share the common IP address and the common MAC address for the RTP packets and are each configured to operate in an active mode for processing the RTP packets based on User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port numbers associated with the RTP packets and wherein the UDP port number identifies the first VoIP card among the VoIP cards; and wherein each of the VoIP cards is configured to terminate an analog Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification