Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-29
2002-01-29
Vincent, David R. (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C370S458000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343074
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems and methods for transmitting and receiving voice and data in multiple modes, and more particularly to systems and methods for multiple native mode voice and data transmissions and receptions with a communications system having a multi-bus structure, including, for example, a time division multiplexed (“TDM”) bus, a packet bus, and a control bus, and multi-protocol framing engines, preferably including subsystem functions such as PBX, voice mail, file server, web server, communications server, telephony server, LAN hub and data router, and methods for performing telephony and data functions using the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Businesses, particularly small to medium size offices, typically have a need for a variety of voice and data communications. For example, a typical office might have a dedicated fax machine, using a dedicated or shared telephone line, one or more telephone lines for voice communications, perhaps coupled to a central or distributed voice mail system(s), and one or more computers or computer networks, often coupled to telephone lines via one or more modems. Many offices now use the Internet in some form for business communications or research or the like, often by way of a modem or modem pool coupled to individual computers.
Typically, such business communication needs have been fulfilled with piecemeal technical solutions, typically from separate equipment and service vendors, and with separate hardware, software and design considerations.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional small office communication configuration. Voice communication system
1
typically is implemented by way of multiple analog trunks
16
from wide area network (“WAN”)
18
. WAN
18
often consists of a telecommunication network by way of a local telephone company or other telecommunications service provider. Analog trunks
16
may be directed through switching system
10
, which may be a conventional PBX or similar telephone switch. Telephones
12
and voice mail system
14
are coupled to switching system
10
. Often, dedicated analog line
16
A is coupled to facsimile
44
for facsimile communications.
Data system
2
typically is implemented with a plurality of computers (or workstations, etc.)
24
interconnected by way of packet network
26
, which may be a standard Ethernet compliant network or other office network. Network
26
often is coupled to remote access server
32
, which is connected to one or more analog trunks
40
, and which may include one or more modems in a modem pool. Computers
24
may communicate with remote systems via the modem pool of remote access server
32
over analog lines
40
and WAN
42
. Network
26
typically includes a connection to printer
22
and file server
20
. In more sophisticated systems, network
26
may be coupled to switching hub
28
and router
30
, which is coupled to WAN
42
over digital trunks
38
. Data system
2
also may include a connection between one or more of computers
24
to modem
36
, which in term is coupled to WAN
42
over dedicated analog trunk
40
A.
Such a conventional system often is characterized by piecemeal equipment and network solutions, limited or non-existent coordination and management between voice system
1
and data system
2
, non-optimized or non-integrated equipment, and inefficient use of costly network services (telephone lines, data lines, etc.), such as duplicate and often idle phone and data network lines, often provided from multiple equipment/service providers. In general, such conventional systems are neither constructed nor operated in a manner to provide efficient and integrated voice/data communications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to address various disadvantages of such conventional communication systems. The present invention provides various systems and methods, perhaps more succinctly a platform, by which voice and data communications may occur in multiple modes and various protocols, and more particularly systems and methods for multiple native mode voice and data transmissions and receptions with a communications/computing system having a multi-bus structure, including, for example, a TDM bus, a packet bus and a control bus, and multi-protocol framing engines, preferably including subsystem functions such as PBX, voice mail and other telephony functions, email and/or file server, Internet server, LAN hub and data router. With the present invention, a platform and various processes are provided in which a TDM bus and a packet bus are intelligently bridged and managed, thereby enabling such multiple mode/protocol voice and data transmissions to be intelligently managed and controlled with a single, integrated system.
In preferred embodiments, a computer or other processor includes a local area network controller, which provides routing and hubs and/or switches for one or more packet networks. The computer also is coupled to a multiple buffer/framer, which serves to frame/deframe data to/from the computer from a TDM bus. The buffer/framer includes a plurality of framer/deframer engines, supporting, for example, ATM and HDLC framing/deframing, and raw buffering of voice data or the like. The buffer/framer is coupled to the TDM bus by way of a multiple port or multiport switch/multiplexer, which includes the capability to intelligently map data traffic between the buffer/framer and the TDM bus to various slots of the TDM frames. Preferably, a DSP pool is coupled to one or more the switch/multiplexer ports and/or the buffer/framer in a manner to provide various signal processing and telecommunications support, such as dial tone generation, DTMF detection and the like. The TDM bus is coupled to various line/station cards, serving to interface the TDM bus with telephone, facsimiles and other telecommunication devices, and also with various digital and/or analog WAN network services. The present invention provides a platform by which processing functions may be switched in to provide support for a wide range of network, vendor and application services.
With the present invention, a full PBX-type telecommunication system may be provided by way of the computer/processor and associated telephony hardware and software. Functions such as voice mail, automated attendant, call forwarding, hold, transfer, caller ID, conferencing and other telephony functions may be similarly provided. While supporting such telephony functions in their native mode primarily by way of the TDM bus, the computer/processor also supports concurrent packet data transmissions over the LAN subsystem and packet bus(es). As needed to efficiently support various voice/data communications in the particular office/work environment, the buffer/framer and switch/multiplexer provide a multi-protocol router functionality, enabling the TDM bus traffic and the packet bus traffic to be intelligently bridged and managed without degradation of each other, and without requiring translation or transcoding. With the present invention, the same WAN services may be intelligently managed and controlled for simultaneous voice, video and data traffic.
The computer/processor supports a variety of applications, such as remote configuration, management and back-up, bandwidth allocation and control, least cost routing, voice over Internet Protocol (or “voice over IP”), as well various telephony related applications. In certain preferred embodiments, audio/video data streams, such as H.320 and H.323 data streams, also are intelligently managed and controlled. In certain preferred embodiments, management applications (such as the SNMP protocol) enable the system to be remotely monitored and configured via a web browser-type access.
In accordance with the present invention, various telephony and data functions useful in offices and other settings may be more conveniently and efficiently performed, and various methods for performing telephony and data functions are provided in accordance with various preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Acc
Loudermilk & Associates
Vertical Networks, Inc.
Vincent David R.
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