Network service provider architecture in communications network

Details Network service provider architecture in communications network Network service provider architecture in communications network

1998-12-21

2003-11-04

Nguyen, Steven (Department: 2665)

Multiplex communications

Communication techniques for information carried in plural...

Combining or distributing information via time channels

C370S522000, C370S474000, C370S395100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06643297

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the provision of network services, and particularly although not exclusively to the provision of network services in circuit switched communications networks.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Prior art time division multiplexed (TDM) telephone systems provide network services to individual calls by internally redirecting those calls within an exchange to one or more individual network service provider equipment items which may be co-located in the exchange, either within a switch, or within a rack or row of racks associated with a switch. Network service provider devices provide services to calls passing through an exchange. Such devices may include network announcers, intelligent peripheral devices, universal tone receivers (UTRs) and universal tone generators (UTGs). Network announcers may comprise simple announcement devices for sending messages such as “all international lines are busy” or the like. Such machines have historically developed from simple analogue devices for playing pre-recorded messages, more recently to digital devices for playing pre-stored messages. A universal tone generator provides dial tones to a call, and a universal tone receiver detects tone dial digits from a call.
Referring to
FIG. 1
herein, there is illustrated schematically a general architectural overview of a prior art exchange comprising a conventional prior art TDM switch
100
, a network announcer device
101
, an intelligent peripheral device
102
, and a universal tone receiver/universal tone generator (UTR/UTG) device
103
. Typically, network service provider components
101
-
103
may be co-located with the TDM switch within an exchange building in an array of racks as illustrated schematically in
FIG. 2
herein. A conventional circuit switched TDM call comprises first and second channels between an originating source device, eg a first telephone device, and a receiving destination device, eg a second telephone device. Each circuit carries traffic data, eg voice or fax/modem traffic data in a first direction on the first channel from the first device to the second device and in a second direction on the second channel from the second device to the first device. A call on an incoming (originating) TDM circuit or trunk may be received by TDM switch
100
at an input port
104
of the switch, routed through the switch via one or more network service provider devices associated with the switch and routed through an output port
105
of the switch. Network services are provided by network service modules comprising for example the network announcer, intelligent peripheral, or UTR/UTG.
In the conventional network, such network services are required at many points in the network. For example in prior art legacy networks, when a number is dialed, parts of the number are echoed from exchange to exchange across the network. Each exchange in a path has to separately recognize it's portion of the dialed number and route the call on that basis. This process incurs delays at every exchange the call passes through. In legacy networks, it is common that some types of service provider for example the UTR/UTG are provided at each exchange in the network, whilst other types of service provider eg the network announcer or intelligent peripheral may appear only at specified places in the network and not on every exchange.
In each case, in prior art legacy networks the network service provider comprises a discrete card or rack of equipment within an exchange. The exchange, when it receives a call either directly from a subscriber or from an incoming trunk recognizes dialed digits or an off-hook signal, and internally switches the call to an appropriate service provider component. This incurs delays throughout the network.
Referring to
FIG. 3
herein, there is illustrated components of an exchange which detect a call and connect the call to a UTR and UTG. As a call is built up from originating source to destination, when a phone
300
goes off hook, a seize detect element
301
of a local exchange
302
detects that the phone has gone off hook. This causes an electronic connection of the call to a universal tone generator
303
which applies a dial tone back to the call.
In the prior art switches, the whole call must be switched entirely through the internal switch network. Each switch takes time to re-direct the call to the appropriate network service provider component. In practice, the physical media used to connect each rack and component is electrical or optical cabling using T
1
/E
1
or higher rate trunks. Where higher rates are used there is an inefficiency in re-multiplexing the data to a higher rate and then de-multiplexing data within the relevant service provider function. Normally, the whole speech path of a call has to be passed to the relevant service provided component and that component then has to pass the speech path back to the switching fabric of the switch for completing a path to the outgoing trunk, thereby incurring delays at the switch in connecting a call to the network service provider devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the specific implementations of the present invention is to avoid the delays associated with switching of a complete call through an internal switching network when providing network services.
Another object of specific implementations of the present invention is to avoid rebuilding internal switch paths for provision of network services to a call.
According to one aspect of the present invention that is provided a circuit switched communications nodal architecture capable of providing a plurality of network services to a plurality of time division multiplexed channels, said architecture comprising:
a plurality of conversion means for converting a plurality of said time division multiplex channels to a plurality of packet stream channels;
a plurality of interface means for interfacing between said plurality of time division multiplixed channels, and said plurality of conversion means;
a plurality of switching means each capable of switching said packet stream channels over a plurality of through connections through said switching means; and
a plurality of peripheral devices, each capable of providing network service signals; wherein
each said peripheral device communicates with at least one said through connected channel by means of at least one further connecting channel connecting said through connected channel and said peripheral device.
The through connected channel preferably extends directly through said switching means without being routed through a said peripheral device.
The connecting channel preferably comprises at least one packet stream passing between the through channel and said peripheral device.
The connecting channel preferably carries data duplicated from said through connected channel, said duplicated data being transmitted to said peripheral device.
Traffic data carried on a said through channel may be replicated and broadcast to a plurality of said peripheral devices.
A time division multiplexed circuit comprising first and second channels may be converted by said conversion means into first and second packet stream channels, and each of said first and second packet stream channels maybe replicated to produce first and second replicated packet stream channels which are communicated to a said peripheral device.
A said peripheral device may comprise a network announcer device, a universal term receiver device, a universal term generator device, an intelligent peripheral device, or a like device capable of providing network service data to a one or a plurality of communications circuits extending across the circuit.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing network services to a communications circuit between a source device and a destination device, said circuit having a time division multiplexed channel portion, said method comprising the steps of:
converting said time division multiplexed channel portion of said circui

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