Service aware switched SDH/SONET/TDM network

• US 7,813,349 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, Keith Joseph, Chen, Weijing
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Chirag G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shivers; Ashley L
• Application Number:
  US11/090,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 370/219, 370/230, 370/235, 370/236, 370/392, 370/395.2, 370/396, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/404, 370/467, 370/539, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/395.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0053 Routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0066 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0082 Interaction of SDH with non-ATM protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Method and apparatus to establish a communication link over a high speed communications network. A unique predetermined address assigned to a switching and access node of each network node of the high speed communications network is examined. In addition, a service address associated with a request to establish a communication link is examined. The service address indicates at least one of a type of service being requested, a network service detail, and a name of a desired service provider. Thereafter, an end-to-end communication link is established between the calling party and a destination party by routing a connection request through plural switching nodes in accordance with the calling party address, an address associated with the destination party, and the service address.

Claims

1. An automated method of establishing a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) connection, comprising:

generating, by Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switch (GMPLS) software running on a SONET Distributed Communications System switch, a request for a TDM connection to a destination access node having a unique E.164 address mapped to a GMPLS routing address;

routing the request to the destination access node;

determining, by the destination access node, whether to accept the request; and

sending a response to the request from the destination access node to the SONET Distributed Communications System switch.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the request is routed to the destination access node through a network, and the network reserves resources for the TDM connection as the request is routed through the network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the request is routed using a signaling protocol that indicates a required resource.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the signaling protocol is a UNI protocol.

5. An automated method of requesting a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) connection, comprising:

generating, by Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switch (GMPLS) software running on a SONET Distributed Communications System switch, a request for a TDM connection to a destination access node having a unique E.164 address mapped to a GMPLS routing address;

routing the request to a network;

determining, by the network, whether a resource for the TDM connection can be provided;

sending a reject response to the SONET Distributed Communications System switch if a resource cannot be provided; and

if a resource can be provided, reserving, by the network, a resource and routing the request to the destination access node.

6. A Time Division Multiplex (TDM) network, comprising:

a SONET Distributed Communications System switch that executes Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switch (GMPLS) software to generate a request for a TDM connection to a destination access node having a unique E.164 address mapped to a GMPLS routing address; and

a destination access node having a unique E.164 address mapped to a GMPLS routing address that determines whether to accept the request, and sends a response to the request to the SONET Distributed Communications System switch.

7. A network according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the SONET Distributed Communications System switch and the destination access node generates a release request which causes the network to release resources used in the TDM connection.

8. A network according to claim 6, wherein the network routes the request to the destination access node using a signaling protocol that indicates a required resource.

9. A network according to claim 8, wherein the signaling protocol is a UNI protocol.