Voice over data telecommunications network architecture
US8036214B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 20, 2007 |
| Grant date | Oct 11, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 9, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M3/42
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical 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 permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on- network and off-network callers. The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol 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 gateway sites include network access devices to provid…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.