Apparatus and method for using multiple call controllers of voice-band calls

• US 20040095925A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paradyne Corporation (Dasan Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Paradyne Corporation (Dasan Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cody, Timothy, Germain, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An apparatus for using multiple call controllers of voice-band calls is provided. The apparatus comprises: a first protocol endpoint configured to receive at least one first external message from a first call controller and to map the first external message to at least one corresponding first internal call control message; a second protocol endpoint configured to receive at least one second external message from an integrated access device and to map the at least second one external message to at least one corresponding second internal call control message; and a protocol adapter configured to receive the first and the second internal message and to route the first and the second internal message to an appropriate one of the first and second endpoints.

Claims

1. An apparatus connecting a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network, comprising:

a first protocol endpoint configured to receive at least one first external message from a first call controller and to map the first external message to at least one corresponding first internal call control message;

a second protocol endpoint configured to receive at least one second external message from an integrated access device (IAD) and to map the at least second one external message to at least one corresponding second internal call control message; and

a protocol adapter configured to receive the first and the second internal message and to route the first internal message and the second internal message to an appropriate one of the first and the second endpoints.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third protocol endpoint configured to receive at least one third external message from a second call controller and to map the third external message to at least one corresponding third internal call control message, wherein the protocol adapter is further configured to receive the third internal message and to route the third internal message to an appropriate one of the first, the second and the third endpoints.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first protocol endpoint is further configured to receive at least one third internal call control message from the protocol router and to map the third internal call control message to at least one corresponding third external message for transmission to the first call controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bearer connection manager configured to manage each of a plurality of bearer connections, wherein each of the plurality of bearer connections comprises at least two connection points.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bearer connection manager is capable of at least one of creating the bearer connection, destroying the bearer connection, connecting the at least two connection points in the bearer connection, adding a connection point to the bearer connection, deleting the connection point from the bearer connection, and modifying the characteristics of the bearer connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a call segment configured to connect and to disconnect the at least two connection points in the bearer connection.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the call segment is further configured to process a set of bearer-related messages.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first interface, configured to receive a first plurality of voice packets from the LPN and to transmit a second plurality of voice packets to the LPN;

a second interface, configured to receive a first plurality of voice timeslots from the circuit-switched network and to transmit a second plurality of voice timeslots to the circuit-switched network;

a first converter, configured to receive the first plurality of voice packets from the first interface and to convert the first plurality of voice packets to the first plurality of voice timeslots; and

a second converter, configured to receive the second plurality of voice timeslots from the second interface and to convert the second plurality of voice timeslots to the second plurality of voice packets.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first external message is a General Requirements 303 (GR-303) message.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first external message is a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) V5 message.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first external message is a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) message.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first external message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first external message is a H.248 message.

14. An apparatus connecting a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network and capable of supporting multiple call control protocols simultaneously, comprising:

a first call control protocol endpoint configured to exchange a first plurality of call control messages with a first call controller, and to map each of the first plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message;

a second call control protocol endpoint configured to exchange a second set of call control messages with a second call controller, and to map each of the second plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message;

a third call control protocol endpoint configured to exchange a third set of call control messages with an integrated access device (IAD), and to map each of the third plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message; and

a protocol adapter configured to receive a plurality of internal messages from the first call control protocol endpoints, second call control protocol endpoints and third call control protocol endpoints, and further operative to route each of the plurality of internal messages to an appropriate one of the first, the second and the third call control endpoints.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first external message is a General Requirements 303 (GR-303) message.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first external message is a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) V5 message.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first external message is a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) message.

18. A method for supporting multiple call control protocols simultaneously in a gateway that connects a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network, comprising:

receiving at least one first external message from a first call controller;

mapping the first external message to at least one corresponding first internal call control message;

receiving at least one second external message from a second call controller;

mapping the second external message to at least one corresponding second internal call control message;

receiving at least one third external message from an integrated access device (IAD);

mapping the at least third one external message to at least one corresponding third internal call control message;

routing the first, the second and the third internal messages to an appropriate one of the first, the second and the third protocol endpoints.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising managing each of a plurality of bearer connections wherein each of the plurality of bearer connections comprises at least two connection points.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a first plurality of voice packets from the LPN;

transmitting a second plurality of voice packets to the LPN;

receiving a first plurality of voice timeslots from the circuit-switched network;

transmitting a second plurality of voice timeslots to the circuit-switched network;

converting the first plurality of voice packets to the first plurality of voice timeslots; and

converting the second plurality of voice timeslots to the second plurality of voice packets.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first external message is a Generic Requirements 303 (GR-303) message.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first external message is a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) V5 message.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first external message is a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) message.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first external message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

25. A method for supporting multiple call control protocols simultaneously in a gateway that connects a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network, comprising:

exchanging a first plurality of call control messages with a first call controller;

mapping each of the first plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message;

exchanging a second set of call control messages with a second call controller;

mapping each of the second plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message;

exchanging a third set of call control messages with an integrated access device (IAD);

mapping each of the third plurality of call control messages to a corresponding internal call control message;

receiving a plurality of internal messages from the first, the second and the third call control protocol endpoints; and

routing each of the plurality of internal messages to an corresponding one of the first, the second and the third call control endpoints.

26. A computer readable storage medium containing program code for controlling a method for supporting multiple call control protocols simultaneously in a voice-over-packet (VoP) media gateway that connects a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network, the program code comprising logic configured to perform the steps of:

receiving at least one first external message from a first call controller;

mapping the first external message to at least one corresponding first internal call control message;

receiving at least one second external message from a second call controller;

mapping the third second message to at least one corresponding second internal call control message; and

receiving at least one third external message from an integrated access device (IAD);

mapping the at least third one external message to at least one corresponding third internal call control message;

routing the first, the second and the third internal messages to an appropriate one of the first, the second and the third protocol endpoints.

27. An apparatus connecting a local packet network (LPN) and a circuit-switched network, comprising:

a means for receiving at least one first external message from a first call controller;

a means for mapping the first external message to at least one corresponding first internal call control message;

a means for receiving at least one second external message from a second call controller;

a means for mapping the third second message to at least one corresponding second internal call control message; and

a means for receiving at least one third external message from an integrated access device (IAD);

a means for mapping the at least third one external message to at least one corresponding third internal call control message; and

a means for routing the first, the second and the third internal messages to an appropriate one of the first, the second and the third protocol endpoints.