US 6,639,913 B1 · System and method for communicating voice and data over a local packet network

Abstract

A system and method of communicating voice and data via a local packet network (LPN) to and from a customer site. A remote digital terminal (RDT) is provided at a customer site to interface a plurality of telephone devices and/or data devices (computers or a local area network of computers) with the LPN via a local loop link, such as a Digital Subscriber Line or a wireless local loop. A host digital terminal (HDT) is provided at a control site within or connected to the LPN that coordinates the communication of voice calls between the RDT and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN and that coordinates the communication of data between the RDT and a data network within or without the LPN. Multiple telephone calls with the customer site can be supported by the remote digital terminal over a single local loop link connected to the LPN. A wire center remote digital terminal (WC-RDT) connects to or is incorporated in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) that is connected to or part of the LPN. The WC-RDT provides standard analog telephone service between a plurality of standard telephone ports suitable for connection to local loop links of a plurality of customer sites and the PSTN switch through the host digital terminal. The WC-RDT is used to provide POTS service to customer sites having an RDT as well as to customer sites that do not have an RDT.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A system for communicating voice over a local packet network (LPN) to and from a customer site connected to the LPN via a local loop link, comprising:

a remote digital terminal at the customer site, the remote digital terminal interfacing a plurality of telephone devices at the customer site to the local loop link to transmit and receive voice via the LPN;
a host digital terminal at a control site within or connected to the LPN that interfaces at least one voice call between the remote digital terminal and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN;
and
a wire center remote digital terminal that connects to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), the wire center remote digital terminal in communication with the LPN, the wire center remote digital terminal providing a standard analog telephone service between each of a plurality of standard telephone ports and the PSTN switch through the host digital terminal, where each of the plurality of standard telephone ports is suitable for connection to a subscriber loop link, where the subscriber loop link is communicatively coupled with a subscriber site.

1 more element

A method for communicating voice and data to and from a customer site over a local packet network (LPN) supporting a packet-based transport protocol, the customer site comprising a plurality of telephone devices, the method comprising steps of at the customer site:

converting a plurality of first analog telephone signals received from the plurality of telephone devices to a first plurality of voice-band packets and modulating the first plurality of voice-band packets for transmission over the LPN via a local loop link between the customer site and the LPN;
demodulating a second plurality of voice-band packets received from the LPN on the local loop link;
converting the second plurality of voice-band packets to a plurality of second analog telephone signals for connection to the corresponding one of the plurality of telephone devices;
at a control site within or connected to the LPN:
receiving the first plurality of voice-band packets from the customer site via the LPN;
converting the first plurality of voice-band packets received from the customer site to a first timedivision multiplexed signal and coupling the first time-division multiplexed signal to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch;
and
converting a second time-division multiplexed signal received from the PSTN switch destined for the customer site to a second plurality of voice-band packets and coupling the second plurality of voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the customer site;
at a wire center:
providing a standard telephone port for connection to a subscriber loop link, where the subscriber loop link is communicatively coupled with a subscriber site, where the standard telephone port is capable of providing a standard analog service to the subscriber site;
demodulating a third plurality of voice-band packets transmitted from the control site via the LPN and received at a subscriber line port of a multiplexer, the multiplexer located at the wire center;
converting the third plurality of voice-band packets to a third analog telephone signal for connection to the subscriber loop link;
converting a fourth analog telephone signal received on the subscriber loop link to a fourth plurality of voice-band packets and modulating the fourth plurality of voice-band packets;
and
coupling the fourth plurality of voice-band packets to the subscriber line port of the multiplexer for transmission over the LPN to the control site.

12 more elements

A system to transport a voice signal between at least one subscriber site and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) over a local packet network (LPN), and to transport a data signal between at least one subscriber site and a data network, comprising:

a remote digital terminal, communicatively coupled to the LPN by a local loop and to the subscriber site by a subscriber loop;
and
a host digital terminal, communicatively coupled to the PSTN and to the LPN;
and
an access multiplexer, communicatively coupled to the remote digital terminal, the remote digital terminal further comprising:
a network interface, configured to communicate a plurality of data packets between a local area network at the subscriber site and the data network via the LPN;
an access network interface configured to communicate a plurality of voice packets to and from the host digital terminal via the LPN;
at least one telephone port configured to communicate an analog voice signal to and from a subscriber loop, where the subscriber loop is communicatively coupled with the at least one subscriber site;
and
a converter configured to convert between the plurality of voice packets and the analog voice signal;
the host digital terminal further comprising:
a LPN interface coupled to the LPN, configured to communicate the plurality of voice-band packets to and from the remote digital terminal via the LPN;
a PSTN interface coupled to the PSTN, configured to communicate a voice signal to and from the PSTN;
and
a packet converter coupled to the LPN interface and to the PSTN interface, the packet converter configured to convert the plurality of voice-band packets between a first format and a second format, where the first format is suitable for transport over the LPN and the second format is suitable for coupling to the PSTN.

12 more elements

A method for transporting voice signals over a local packet network (LPN) to and from a subscriber site, the subscriber site comprising a plurality of first telephone devices and a second telephone device, the method comprising:

at a customer site:
receiving a first plurality of analog telephone signals from the plurality of first telephone devices over a subscriber loop;
converting the first plurality of analog telephone signals to a first plurality of voice-band packets;
coupling the first plurality of voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to a control site;
receiving a second plurality of voice-band packets from the control site via the LPN;
converting the second plurality of voice-band packets to a second plurality of analog telephone signals;
and
communicating the second plurality of analog telephone signals to the plurality of first telephone devices via the subscriber loop;
at a wire center:
receiving a first analog telephone signal from the second telephone device over the subscriber loop;
converting the first analog telephone signal to a third plurality of voice-band packets;
communicating the third plurality of voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the control site;
receiving a fourth plurality of voice-band packets from the control site via the LPN;
converting the fourth plurality of voice-band packets to a second analog telephone signal;
and
communicating the second analog telephone signal to the second telephone device via the subscriber loop;
at a control site:
receiving the first plurality of voice-band packets from the customer site via the LPN;
receiving the third plurality of voice-band packets from the wire center via the LPN;
converting the first plurality of voice-band packets to a first TDM signal;
converting the third plurality of voice-band packets to a second TDM signal;
communicating the first TDM signal and the second TDM signal to a PSTN switch;
receiving a third TDM signal and a fourth TDM signal from a PSTN switch;
converting the third TDM signal into the second plurality of voice-band packets;
converting the fourth TDM signal into the fourth plurality of voice-band packets;
communicating the second plurality of voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the customer site;
and
communicating the fourth plurality of voice-band packets to the LPN for transmission to the wire center.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for communicating voice and data over a local packet network

Life of this patent

System and method for communicating voice and data over a local packet network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38