IP telephony transport

• US 7,408,923 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mehtab Khan, Mohammad H. Raza
• Original Assignee: Mehtab Khan, Mohammad H. Raza
• Inventors: Raza, Mohammad H., Khan, Mehtab
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh; Bob A
• Application Number:
  US10/702,874
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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

Abstract

A system for simultaneously transporting internet protocol voice traffic and power to an internet protocol telephony transport using the existing twisted pair infrastructure of a traditional phone system. The system includes a twisted pair broadband switch. The twisted pair broadband switch connects on one end to an internet protocol telephone voice switch using Ethernet wiring and connects on another end to a media converter using a twisted pair wiring on the existing twisted pair infrastructure. The media converter condition the voice traffic between a twisted pair interface and an Ethernet interface to allow connection to an internet protocol telephone. Power is simultaneously transported with the voice traffic over the same twisted pair wiring of the existing twisted pair infrastructure.

Claims

1. A system for simultaneously transporting internet protocol voice traffic and power between an Internet Protocol telephone and an Internet Protocol voice telephony switch using twisted pair wiring comprising:

a twisted pair broadband switch, the twisted pair broadband switch connecting on one end to an internet protocol telephone voice switch using Ethernet wiring and connecting on another end to a media converter comprising a twisted pair interface for receiving voice traffic and power from the twisted pair broadband switch through the twisted pair wiring, a twisted pair broadband chip for conditioning Ethernet traffic to be carried on a broadband interface, an Ethernet chip for storing and forwarding Ethernet packets between the twisted pair broadband chip and the external Ethernet interface, and a Field Programmable Gate Array for initializing and controlling the twisted pair broadband chip and the Ethernet chip, the media converter conditioning voice traffic between a twisted pair interface and an Ethernet interface to allow connection to an internet protocol telephone; and

,

a power source connected to the twisted pair broadband switch for providing in-line power to the telephony system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the twisted pair broadband switch comprises several types of input/output interfaces.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein one type of interface is a twisted pair wiring interface using broadband technology.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the interface is a card allowing transport of internet protocol voice traffic within Ethernet frames over the twisted pair wiring.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the card comprises an ethernet switch chip for receiving Ethernet traffic, an Ethernet over broadband chip for conditioning the Ethernet traffic for transport over the twisted pair wiring and a chip having power insertion logic for providing in-line power to the telephony system.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the twisted pair broadband switch includes input/output interfaces for existing applications and devices.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein one type of interface is an Ethernet interface.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the interface is a card having standard Ethernet ports for connectivity to Ethernet based application and devices.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the media converter functionality is incorporated into a single chip, thereby allowing integration into an internet protocol telephone.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the media converter comprises two connectors, one interfacing with the existing twisted pair wiring and the other interfacing with the Ethernet wiring, the Ethernet wiring connecting to an internet protocol telephone.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the twisted pair broadband switch supplies power to the media converter over the twisted pair wiring, the media converter passing the supplied power to an internet protocol telephone.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the twisted pair broadband switch has a smart logic within a power insertion logic for ensuring that an MC is connected on a particular twisted pair wire before applying power to the MC.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the twisted pair broadband switch directly supplies power to an internet protocol telephone from an Ethernet port of the twisted pair broadband switch.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the internet protocol telephony transport has dedicated cabling independent of data transport.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the internet protocol telephony transport carry power over distances of many times greater than 100 meters.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the power source is backed up by a battery.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the twisted pair wiring is an existing twisted pair wiring used for connecting traditional phones, analog and digital phones.

18. A method of using a twisted pair infrastructure for simultaneously transporting internet protocol voice traffic and power to an internet protocol telephony transport, comprising:

a) connecting one end of a twisted pair broadband switch to an internet protocol telephone voice switch using an Ethernet wiring;

b) connecting a second end of the twisted pair broadband switch to a twisted pair wiring using a twisted pair wiring interface on the twisted pair broadband switch;

c) connecting the twisted pair wiring to a twisted pair wiring interface of a media converter;

d) connecting an internet protocol telephone to an Ethernet interface of the media converter for receiving or sending voice communication;

e) transporting through the twisted pair broadband switch, internet protocol voice traffic within Ethernet frames over the twisted pair wiring using a broadband technology;

f) conditioning internet protocol voice traffic between the twisted pair wiring interface and the Ethernet interface by the media converter;

g) receiving the internet protocol voice traffic at the media converter from the twisted pair interface and converting this voice traffic from a broadband transmission media to Ethernet frames;

h) receiving internet protocol voice traffic from the internet protocol telephone at the media converter through the Ethernet interface;

i) conditioning internet protocol voice traffic for transport using the broadband technology over the twisted pair wiring interface; and

,

j) supplying power to the internet protocol telephony transport from a battery back up power source connected to the twisted pair broadband switch.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the internet protocol voice traffic and power are simultaneously transported over a distance of many times greater than 100 meters.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein steps g)-i) are incorporated in a single chip on the media converter and incorporated within the internet protocol telephone or Internet protocol device.

21. A method of supplying power during power outages to an internet protocol telephony transport using a twisted pair infrastructure, comprising:

supplying power from an electrical line power source to a twisted pair broadband switch having a back up battery connected between the power source and the twisted pair broadband switch, the electrical line power source automatically charging the back up battery while the internet protocol telephony transport is in operation;

a) connecting the twisted pair broadband switch to a twisted pair wire of the twisted pair infrastructure;

b) connecting a media converter to the twisted pair wire;

c) ensuring connection between the twisted pair wire and the media converter before allowing power to traverse the twisted pair wire to the media converter;

d) receiving power at the media converter from the twisted broadband switch through the twisted pair wire;

e) applying power to an Ethernet interface at the media converter when an internet protocol telephone or internet protocol device able to receive power is attached to the Ethernet interface;

f) passing power from the media converter to an internet protocol device such as an internet protocol telephone; and

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g) providing power to the internet protocol telephony transport by the back up battery when the electrical line power source shuts down during operation.