Telecommunications system to provide analog telephony communications over a packet connection

• US 7,693,131 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bog, Murat, Johnson, Harold Wayne, DeNap, Frank Anthony, Swink, Michael Thomas, Edwards, William Lee, Strand, John Arndt III, Gorman, Bryan Lee, Kaplan, Martin Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Blanche
• Application Number:
  US10/894,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A communication system provides PSTN access to a user device coupled to a packet network over a packet connection. The user device exchanges telephony signaling and telephony communications in an analog format with an analog telephone, exchanges the telephony signaling and the telephony communications in the packet format over the packet connection, and exchanges Internet communications over the packet connection. A service node exchanges the telephony signaling in the packet format with the user device, processes the telephony signaling to select a PSTN connection, transfers a control message indicating the PSTN connection, and exchanges the telephony signaling in a PSTN format with the PSTN. An interworking unit receives the control message, and in response, exchanges the telephony communications in the packet format with the user device and exchanges the telephony communications in the PSTN format with the selected PSTN connection.

Claims

1. A communication system to provide Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) access to a residential communication hub, the communication system comprising:

the residential communication hub coupled to a packet network over a packet connection configured to exchange telephony control signaling and telephony user communications in a PSTN format with an analog telephone, convert the telephony control signaling and the telephony user communications in the PSTN format to a packet format, exchange the telephony control signaling in the packet format with a service node over the packet connection, wherein the service node comprises a call manager and a voice mux, exchange the telephony user communications in the packet format with the service node over the packet connection, and exchange Internet communications with the service node over the packet connection;

wherein the call manager is coupled to the packet network and configured to process the telephony control signaling to select a PSTN connection of the PSTN, transfer a control message indicating the selected PSTN connection, convert the telephony control signaling between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchange the telephony control signaling in the PSTN format with the PSTN over a signaling interface of the PSTN; and

wherein the voice mux is coupled to the packet network and configured to receive the control message from the call manager, and in response, to exchange the telephony user communications in the packet format with the residential communication hub, convert the telephony user communications between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchange the telephony user communications in the PSTN format over the selected PSTN connection.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the packet format comprises asynchronous transfer mode.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the packet connection comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the packet connection comprises a wireless connection.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the residential communication hub is configured to receive video communications in the packet format over the packet connection.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the residential communication hub is configured to provide echo cancellation for the telephony user communications.

7. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the voice mux is configured to provide echo cancellation for the telephony user communications.

8. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the service node further comprises a session manager;

and wherein the session manager is coupled to the packet network and configured to exchange user information in the packet format with the residential communication hub; and

wherein the session manager is configured to store and implement call management rules for the residential communication hub in response to the user information provided through an HTML browser.

9. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the telephony control signaling in the PSTN format comprises an initial address message.

10. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the selected PSTN connection comprises a DS0 connection.

11. A method of operating a communication system to provide Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) access to a residential communication hub, the method comprising:

in the residential communication hub that is coupled to a packet network over a packet connection, exchanging telephony control signaling and telephony user communications in a PSTN format with an analog telephone, converting the telephony control signaling and the telephony user communications in the PSTN format to a packet format, exchanging the telephony control signaling in the packet format with a service node over the packet connection, wherein the service node comprises a call manager and a voice mux, exchanging the telephony user communications in the packet format with the service node over the packet connection, and exchanging Internet communications with the service node over the packet connection;

in the call manager that is coupled to the packet network, processing the telephony control signaling to select a PSTN connection of the PSTN, transferring a control message indicating the selected PSTN connection, converting the telephony control signaling between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchanging the telephony control signaling in the PSTN format with the PSTN over a signaling interface of the PSTN; and

in the voice mux that is coupled to the packet network, receiving the control message from the call manager, and in response, exchanging the telephony user communications in the packet format with the residential communication hub, converting the telephony user communications between the packet format and the PSTN format, and exchanging the telephony user communications in the PSTN format over the selected PSTN connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet format comprises asynchronous transfer mode.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet connection comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet connection comprises a wireless connection.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising in the residential communication hub, receiving video communications in the packet format over the packet connection.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising in the residential communication hub, providing echo cancellation for the telephony user communications.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising in the voice mux, providing echo cancellation for the telephony user communications.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising in a session manager of the service node that is coupled to the packet network, exchanging user information in the packet format with the residential communication hub, and in the session manager, storing and implementing call management rules for the residential communication hub in response to the user information provided through an HTML browser.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the telephony control signaling in the PSTN format comprises an initial address message.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected PSTN connection comprises a DS0 connection.