Telecommunications provider agent
DC CAFC
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communication system having a session manager and network elements to provide telephony service to a user having a communication hub and an analog telephone wherein the communication hub is configured to interwork between the analog telephone and a digital communication link, the method comprising:
- transferring a software agent to the communication hub wherein the software agent is operational when executed by the communication hub to manage off-hook detection, dial-tone generation, called number digit collection, and ring-back generation for the analog telephone to establish a telephone call, and to exchange control messages with the session manager to establish the telephone call;
in the session manager, exchanging the control messages with the software agent in the communication hub, and in response, controlling the network elements to establish the telephone call; and
in the network elements, providing a digital communication service for the telephone call over the digital communication link in response to the session manager control.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a provider agent product and method that operates as a software interface between a telephony card and a session manager in an advanced communications network. The provider agent receives event messages from the telephony card indicating on-hook events, off-hook events, and digit events. The provider agent instructs the telephony card to provide dial tone, ring current, ringback, and busy signals to the telephones. The provider agent also exchanges messages with a session manager in the network. These messages include: invite messages, reply messages, join messages, and terminate messages. In response to the above processing, the provider agent instructs the telephony card to interwork telephony signals on a telephony channel with ATM signals on an ATM virtual channel. The provider agent is comprised of a plurality of software objects that are stored on a software storage medium and that include: a controller object, port objects, and event objects. The provider agent objects are executed by a multithreaded processing system and each object has a separate processing thread. The provider agent and the telephony card communicate through an application programming interface that is specified in an Interface Definition Language (IDL) of a Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA).
8 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communication system having a session manager and network elements to provide telephony service to a user having a communication hub and an analog telephone wherein the communication hub is configured to interwork between the analog telephone and a digital communication link, the method comprising:
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transferring a software agent to the communication hub wherein the software agent is operational when executed by the communication hub to manage off-hook detection, dial-tone generation, called number digit collection, and ring-back generation for the analog telephone to establish a telephone call, and to exchange control messages with the session manager to establish the telephone call;
in the session manager, exchanging the control messages with the software agent in the communication hub, and in response, controlling the network elements to establish the telephone call; and
in the network elements, providing a digital communication service for the telephone call over the digital communication link in response to the session manager control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A communication system to provide telephony service to a user having a communication hub and an analog telephone wherein the communication hub is configured to interwork between the analog telephone and a digital communication link, the communication system comprising:
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a server configured to transfer a software agent to the communication hub wherein the software agent is operational when executed by the communication hub to manage off-hook detection, dial-tone generation, called number digit collection, and ring-back generation for the analog telephone to establish a telephone call, and to exchange control messages to establish the telephone call;
a session manager configured to exchange the control messages with the software agent in the communication hub, and in response, to control the communication system to establish the telephone call; and
network elements configured to provide a digital communication service for the telephone call over the digital communication link in response to the session manager control. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeSprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
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Original AssigneeSprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
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InventorsTurner, Steven, Barrow, Matthew Kung-Wei Jonathan, Bernath, Tracey Mark, Bog, Abdullah Murat
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Primary Examiner(s)Chin, Wellington
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Assistant Examiner(s)PHAM, BRENDA H
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Application NumberUS09/803,842Time in Patent Office1,471 DaysField of Search370352-358, 370/401, 370/395, 370/398, 370/494, 370/495, 370/493, 370/463, 370/431, 379/93.09, 379/142.13, 379/166, 379/167.13, 709/200, 709/202, 709/204, 709/213, 709/227, 709/230, 709/311, 709/320US Class Current370/353CPC Class CodesH04L 2012/5605 FibreH04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, c...H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or i...H04L 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEGH04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with oth...H04L 2012/5671 Support of voiceH04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subs...H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/IS...H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband co...
