Voice over data telecommunications network architecture

US7564840B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Level 3 Communications, LLC · US

Inventors

• Isaac K. Elliott · Broomfield, US
• Steven P. Higgins · Colorado Springs, US
• Andrew Dugan · Superior, US
• Jon Peterson · Boulder, US
• Robert L. Hernandez · Longmont, US
• Rick D. Steele · Longmont, US
• Bruce W. Baker · Erie, US
• Rich Terpstra · Louisville, US
• Jonathan S. Mitchell · Superior, US
• Jin Wang · East Islip, US
• Harold Stearns · Erie, US
• Eric Zimmerer · Westminster, US
• Ray Waibel · Arvada, US
• Kraig Owen · Boulder, US
• Shawn M. Lewis · Upton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 12, 2003
• Grant date: Jul 21, 2009
• Expiry date: May 8, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M3/42
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites to request the set-up and tear-down of calls. The gateway sites originate and terminate calls between calling parties and called parties through the data network. The provisioning and network event component collects call events recorded at the soft switch sites. The network management component includes a network operations center (NOC) for centralized network management.