Method and apparatus for interconnecting ATM-attached hosts with telephone-network attached hosts
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in establishing connections between a host connected via a telephone link to a telephone network, and a host attached to an asynchronous transfer mode ATM network, the apparatus comprising:
- telephone network adapter means for establishing a first data communications session between said apparatus and said host connected to said telephone network, said first data communication session employing a first protocol for carrying a layer-3 packet;
means for determining a layer-3 address for said host connected to said telephone network;
ATM adapter means for establishing a second data communications session between said apparatus and said ATM-attached host, said second data communication session employing a second protocol for carrying a layer-3 packet;
means for translating between said first and second protocols;
means for performing address translation between ATM addresses, telephone numbers, and layer-3 addresses; and
means for reading a layer-3 packet header and routing a packet between said telephone network adapter means and said ATM adapter means to connect said host connected to said telephone network with said ATM-attached host, said packet having its address and protocol translated to correspond to that of the host to which it is destined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Communication, for example, via the internet protocol (IP), is facilitated among ATM-attached, LAN-attached and telephone-network-attached hosts, by a so-called "RouTel" and an address server. The RouTel provides gateway capabilities for connecting a) the telephone network, e.g., via 1) integrated services digital network basic rate interface (ISDN BRI), 2) ISDN primary rate interface (ISDN PRI), or 3) modem interfaces, and b) an ATM network, via one or more ATM interfaces. Optionally, the RouTel provides interfaces for directly attaching legacy LANs, e.g., Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring. More particularly, the RouTel can perform IP packet forwarding between 1) a telephone-network-attached host and an ATM-attached host; 2) two telephone-network-attached hosts; and 3) a telephone-network-attached host and a legacy LAN-attached host.
295 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use in establishing connections between a host connected via a telephone link to a telephone network, and a host attached to an asynchronous transfer mode ATM network, the apparatus comprising:
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telephone network adapter means for establishing a first data communications session between said apparatus and said host connected to said telephone network, said first data communication session employing a first protocol for carrying a layer-3 packet; means for determining a layer-3 address for said host connected to said telephone network; ATM adapter means for establishing a second data communications session between said apparatus and said ATM-attached host, said second data communication session employing a second protocol for carrying a layer-3 packet; means for translating between said first and second protocols; means for performing address translation between ATM addresses, telephone numbers, and layer-3 addresses; and means for reading a layer-3 packet header and routing a packet between said telephone network adapter means and said ATM adapter means to connect said host connected to said telephone network with said ATM-attached host, said packet having its address and protocol translated to correspond to that of the host to which it is destined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for connecting a telephone-network-attached host to an asynchronous transfer mode ATM-attached host, the method comprising the steps of:
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placing a first telephone call to a data base at a known telephone number; receiving over said first telephone call the identity of an available telephone adapter on a RouTel; disconnecting from said first telephone call; originating a second telephone call to said identified available adapter; receiving a query for a layer-3 address; transmitting said telephone-network-attached host'"'"'s layer-3 address if said telephone network attached host has a layer-3 address; receiving a layer-3 address if said telephone-network-attached host has no layer-3 address; and transmitting a layer-3 data packet identifying said layer-3 address as the source of said packet. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method for use in a RouTel comprising the steps of:
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receiving a telephone call from a telephone-network-attached TNA host; querying said TNA host to determine if said TNA host has a layer-3 address; assigning a layer-3 address to said host if the result of said determination is that said TNA host does not have a layer-3 address; receiving a layer-3 data packet; determining the layer-3 address of the destination of the packet; determining the corresponding lower layer address or telephone number corresponding to the destination layer-3 address; converting the encapsulation layer-3 data packet from a first protocol by which the data packet is received to a second protocol suitable for reaching the destination; establishing a connection to the destination of the packet; and forwarding the layer-3 packet to the destination.
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21. A method for use by a RouTel in connecting an asynchronous transfer mode ATM-attached host to a telephone-network-attached host having a layer-3 address, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, over an ATM connection, a packet from said ATM-attached host; determining, from the layer-3 address of said packet, that said packet is destined for said TNA host; retrieving a last known telephone number for said TNA host; placing a call to said last known telephone number; establishing a data communication session with said TNA host when said host is still located at said last known telephone number; translating said packet from the protocol in which it was received to a protocol employed by said TNA host; transmitting said translated packet to said TNA host over said data communication session. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification