US6680952B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for backhaul of telecommunications signaling protocols over packet-switching networks
Assignee: Cisco Technology Inc
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Filing: 1999-06-01
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Granted: 2004-01-20
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Expires: 2019-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A generic backhaul protocol is provided for passing telecommunication signaling messages according to multiple signaling protocols between a gateway and a media gateway controller. A message in accordance with the generic backhaul protocol includes a message header that indicates the signaling protocol and/or the channel being used on the gateway. The message also includes a message body that contains a protocol data unit encapsulating signaling data in accordance with a signaling protocol.
Inventors
- 👤 Diane M. Berg
- 👤 David Auerbach
- 👤 Kenneth Alfred Morneault
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:16
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/10; H04L65/102; H04L65/1043; H04L12/00; H04L12/64; H04L12/6418; H04L12/66; H04L41/00; H04L41/02; H04L41/0226; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1069; H04L65/1101; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04M; H04M7/00; H04M7/12; H04M7/1205; H04M7/125; H04M7/1255; H04L2012/6481; H04L2012/6486; H04L69/00; H04L69/18; H04M7/009
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
A telecommunications network, comprising: a gateway in communication with a packet-switching network and a first node originating a first voice call bearing first signaling data according to a first signaling protocol; a media gateway controller coupled to the gateway and configured to control one or more gateways, in communication with the packet-switching network and a terminating node terminating the voice call, based on the first signaling data to provide voice communications over the packet-switching network between the first node and a terminating gateway; wherein the gateway is further configured to extract the first signaling data from the first voice call, package the first signaling data into a first message, and transmit the first message to the media gateway controller, said first message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
148 words
A telecommunications network, comprising: a gateway in communication with a packet-switching network and a first node originating a first voice call bearing first signaling data according to a first signaling protocol; a media gateway controller coupled to the gateway and configured to control one or more gateways, in communication with the packet-switching network and a terminating node terminating the voice call, based on the first signaling data to provide voice communications over the packet-switching network between the first node and a terminating gateway; wherein the gateway is further configured to extract the first signaling data from the first voice call, package the first signaling data into a first message, and transmit the first message to the media gateway controller, said first message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
109 words
The telecommunications network of claim 1 , wherein: the gateway is further in communication with a second node originating a second voice call bearing second voice data and second signaling data according to a second signaling protocol incompatible with the first signaling protocol; and the gateway is further configured to extract the second signaling data from the second voice call, package the second signaling data into a second message, and transmit the second message to the media gateway controller, said second message including a second message header having indicating the second signaling protocol and a second message body containing a second protocol data unit encapsulating the second signaling data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The telecommunications network of claim 2 , wherein: the gateway is in communication with the first node by a first channel; the gateway is in communication with the first node by a second channel; the first message header further indicates the first channel; and the second message header further indicates the second channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The telecommunications network of claim 3 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are of the same signaling protocol type and are multiplexed over the same IP session group.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The telecommunications network of claim 3 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are of different protocol types.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
148 words
A telecommunications network, comprising: a gateway in communication with a packet-switching network and a first node by a first channel originating a first voice call bearing first signaling data; a media gateway controller coupled to the gateway and configured to control a first gateway and a terminating gateway, in communication with the packet-switching network and a terminating node terminating the voice call, based on the first signaling data to provide voice communications over the packet-switching network between the first node and the terminating gateway; wherein the gateway is further configured to extract the first signaling data from the first voice call, package the first signaling data into a first message, and transmit the first message to the media gateway controller, said first message including a first message header indicating the first channel and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
148 words
A telecommunications network, comprising: a gateway in communication with a packet-switching network and a first node by a first channel originating a first voice call bearing first signaling data; a media gateway controller coupled to the gateway and configured to control a first gateway and a terminating gateway, in communication with the packet-switching network and a terminating node terminating the voice call, based on the first signaling data to provide voice communications over the packet-switching network between the first node and the terminating gateway; wherein the gateway is further configured to extract the first signaling data from the first voice call, package the first signaling data into a first message, and transmit the first message to the media gateway controller, said first message including a first message header indicating the first channel and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
101 words
The telecommunications network of claim 6 , wherein: the gateway is further in communication with a second node originating a second voice call by a second channel other than the first channel bearing second signaling data; and the gateway is further configured to extract the second signaling data from the second voice call, package the second signaling data into a second message, and transmit the second message to the media gateway controller, said second message including a second message header having indicating the second channel and a second message body containing a second protocol data unit encapsulating the second signaling data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
The telecommunications network of claim 7 , wherein: the first signaling data is formatted according to a first signaling protocol; the second signaling data is formatted according to a second signaling protocol; the first message header further indicates the first signaling protocol; and the second message header further indicates the second signaling protocol.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The telecommunications network of claim 8 , wherein the first signaling protocol and the second signal protocol are compatible.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The telecommunications network of claim 8 , wherein the first signaling protocol and the second signaling protocol are incompatible.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
147 words
A telecommunication device, comprising: a communication interface in communication with a gateway; one or more processors coupled to the communication interface; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing an arrangement of instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the telecommunications device to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of protocol adapters for processing signaling data according to a plurality of signaling protocols; receiving a first message from the gateway, said message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and identifying and causing a first protocol adapter that is instantiated to process signaling data according to the first signaling protocol to process the first signaling data encapsulated in the first protocol data unit based on the first message header.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
147 words
A telecommunication device, comprising: a communication interface in communication with a gateway; one or more processors coupled to the communication interface; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing an arrangement of instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the telecommunications device to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of protocol adapters for processing signaling data according to a plurality of signaling protocols; receiving a first message from the gateway, said message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and identifying and causing a first protocol adapter that is instantiated to process signaling data according to the first signaling protocol to process the first signaling data encapsulated in the first protocol data unit based on the first message header.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
106 words
The telecommunications device of claim 11 , wherein said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving a second message from the gateway, said message including a second message header indicating a second signaling protocol incompatible with the first signaling protocol and a second message body containing a second protocol data unit encapsulating the second signaling data; and identifying and causing a second protocol adapter that is instantiated to process signaling data according to the second signaling protocol to process the second signaling data encapsulated in the second protocol data unit based on the second message header.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
150 words
The telecommunications device of claim 12 , wherein: the first message header further indicates a first channel on the gateway; the second message header further indicates a second channel on the gateway; said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of call instances for processing signaling data borne on a plurality of channels on the gateway; identifying and causing a first call instance that is instantiated to process a first voice call borne on the first channel and formatted according to the first signaling protocol to process the first signaling data based on the first message header; and identifying and causing a second call instance that is instantiated to process a second voice call borne on the second channel and formatted according to the second signaling protocol to process the second signaling data on the second message header.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The telecommunications device of claim 11 , wherein said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the step of sending a message to the gateway to causing a channel of the gateway to come into or go out of service.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
147 words
A telecommunications device, comprising: a communication interface in communication with a gateway; one or more processors coupled to the communication interface; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing an arrangement of instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the telecommunications device to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of call instances for processing signaling data borne on a plurality of channels of the gateway; receiving a first message from the gateway, said message including a first message header indicating the first channel and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and identifying and causing a first call instance that is instantiated to process signaling data borne on the first channel to process the first signaling data encapsulated in the first protocol data unit based on the first message header.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
147 words
A telecommunications device, comprising: a communication interface in communication with a gateway; one or more processors coupled to the communication interface; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing an arrangement of instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the telecommunications device to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of call instances for processing signaling data borne on a plurality of channels of the gateway; receiving a first message from the gateway, said message including a first message header indicating the first channel and a first message body containing a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and identifying and causing a first call instance that is instantiated to process signaling data borne on the first channel to process the first signaling data encapsulated in the first protocol data unit based on the first message header.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
105 words
The telecommunications device of claim 15 , wherein said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving a second message from the gateway, said message including a second message header indicating a second channel of the gateway other the first channel and a second message body containing a second protocol data unit encapsulating the second signaling data; and identifying and causing a second call instance that is instantiated to process signaling data borne on the second channel to process the second signaling data encapsulated in the second protocol data unit based on the second message header.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
139 words
The telecommunications device of claim 16 , wherein: the first message header further indicates a first signaling protocol of the first protocol data unit; the second message header further indicates a second signaling protocol of the second protocol data unit; said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: instantiating a plurality of protocol adapters for processing signaling data according to a plurality of signaling protocols; identifying and causing a first protocol adapter that is instantiated to process the first voice call formatted according to the first signaling protocol to process the first signaling data based on the first message header; and identifying and causing a second call instance that is instantiated to process the second voice call formatted according to a second signaling protocol to process the first signaling data.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
The telecommunications device of claim 15 , wherein said instructions are further arranged to cause the one or more processors to perform the step of sending a message to the gateway to causing a channel of the gateway to come into or go out of service.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of backhauling signaling data in voice calls to a media gateway controller, comprising the steps of: receiving a first voice call in accordance with a first signaling protocol; extracting the first signaling data from the first voice call; packaging the first signaling data into a first message, said first message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and first message body including a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and transmitting the first message to the media gateway controller.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of backhauling signaling data in voice calls to a media gateway controller, comprising the steps of: receiving a first voice call in accordance with a first signaling protocol; extracting the first signaling data from the first voice call; packaging the first signaling data into a first message, said first message including a first message header indicating the first signaling protocol and first message body including a first protocol data unit encapsulating the first signaling data; and transmitting the first message to the media gateway controller.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: receiving a second voice call with a first signaling protocol incompatible with the first signaling protocol; extracting the second signaling data from the second voice call; packaging the second signaling data into a first message, said second message including a first message header indicating the second signaling protocol and second message body including a second protocol data unit encapsulating the second signaling data; and transmitting the second message to the media gateway controller.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein: the first voice call is received over a first channel; the second voice call is received over a second channel; the first message header further indicates the first channel; and the second message header further indicates the second channel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are of the same protocol type and the first voice call and the second voice call are multiplexed over the same channel.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are of different protocol types.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-01-19 | 2007-07-21 | 2008-01-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-01-19 | 2011-07-21 | 2012-01-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-01-19 | 2015-07-21 | 2016-01-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |