Patent US4541009A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0844803A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Asynchronous transfer mode integrated access service
Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1997-10-29
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-10-29
Abstract
Abstract A communications system is provided which supports asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communications. An ATM multiplexer is located at a customer's premises and connected to customer premises voice and data equipment. A central office ATM multiplexer is connected to various different networks in the existing network infrastructure. The central office ATM multiplexer is preferably connected to networks such as a low-speed packet-switched network, a public circuit-switched network, a private line network, and a high-speed packet-switched network. The ATM multiplexer located at the customer premises preferably supports dynamic bandwidth allocation. Additional features provided by the communications system include the ability to provide different voice encoding schemes for different users based on calling party or called party information.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Courtney Eakins
- 👤 Cheryl F. Newman
- 👤 Ronald W. Toth
- 👤 Fang Wu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 08:18
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L12/5602; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L2012/5614; H04L2012/5615; H04L2012/5629; H04L2012/5631; H04L2012/5632; H04L2012/5672; H04L2012/5673
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for supporting communications
traffic from users of customer premises equipment to
users of off-site equipment using a customer premises
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) multiplexer, a central
office ATM multiplexer, and a plurality of networks
each of which is connected to a portion of the off-site
equipment, comprising the steps of: providing said customer-located ATM
multiplexer, so that said customer premises equipment
can be connected to said customer-located ATM
multiplexer for providing communications traffic over
said customer-located ATM multiplexer; providing a central office ATM
multiplexer in a network central office, said central
office being connected to said customer-located ATM
multiplexer by a communication line, said communication
line supporting said communications traffic between
said customer-located ATM multiplexer and said central
office ATM multiplexer; and providing a plurality of connections
between said central office ATM multiplexer and said
networks, each of said connections being to a
respective one of said networks for supplying a part of
said communications traffic to the off-site equipment
connected to said network.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method defined in claim 1 further
comprising the step of dynamically allocating available
bandwidth on said communication line with said
customer-located ATM multiplexer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method defined in claim 2 wherein
said step of dynamically allocating available bandwidth
on said communication line further comprises the step
of dynamically allocating bandwidth between voice
traffic and data traffic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method defined in claim 2 further
comprising the step of providing activity detection and
inactivity suppression service with said customer-located
ATM multiplexer to allow the bandwidth occupied
by voice traffic on said communication line to expand
and contract in realtime.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 1 further
comprising the step of using different voice encoding
schemes for different users.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method defined in claim 5 wherein
the step of using different voice encoding schemes
comprises the step of determining which encoding scheme
to use for a given user based on signaling information
received from the user.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 6 wherein
the step of determining which encoding scheme to use
comprises the step of determining which encoding scheme
to use based on calling party information.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 6 wherein
the step of determining which encoding scheme to use
comprises the step of determining which encoding scheme
to use based on called party information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein
the step of determining which encoding scheme to use
based on called party information comprises the step of
using a voice encoding scheme that uses less bandwidth
than a standard 64 kbps pulse code modulation (PCM)
scheme when it is determined that said called party
information corresponds to an international
destination.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
116 words
A communications system for supporting
communications traffic from users of customer premises
equipment to users of off-site equipment using
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communications and
using a plurality of networks each of which is
connected to a portion of the off-site equipment,
comprising: a customer-located ATM multiplexer
connected to said customer premises equipment for
supporting communications traffic; and a central office ATM multiplexer in a
network central office, said central office ATM
multiplexer being connected to said customer-located
ATM multiplexer by a communication line and said
central office ATM multiplexer being separately
connected to each of said networks for supplying a part
of said communications traffic to the off-site
equipment connected to each of said networks.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system defined in claim 10 wherein
said customer-located ATM multiplexer dynamically
allocates available bandwidth on said communication
line.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system defined in claim 11 wherein
said customer-located ATM multiplexer dynamically
allocates available bandwidth on said communication
line between voice traffic and data traffic.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 11 wherein
said customer-located ATM multiplexer uses an activity
detection and inactivity suppression service to allow
the bandwidth occupied by voice traffic on said
communication line to expand and contract in realtime.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system defined in claim 10 wherein
said customer-located ATM multiplexer uses different
voice encoding schemes for voice traffic from different
users.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system defined in claim 14 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on signaling information received from the user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 15 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on calling party information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 15 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on called party information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system defined in claim 17 wherein
when it is determined that said called party
information corresponds to an international
destination, a voice encoding scheme that uses less
bandwidth than a standard 64 kbps pulse code modulation
(PCM) scheme is used.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system defined in claim 10 wherein
said central office ATM multiplexer dynamically
allocates available bandwidth on said communication
line.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein
said central office ATM multiplexer dynamically
allocates available bandwidth on said communication
line between voice traffic and data traffic.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein
said central office ATM multiplexer uses an activity
detection and idle suppression service to allow the
bandwidth occupied by voice traffic on said
communication line to expand and contract in realtime.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system defined in claim 10 wherein
said central office ATM multiplexer uses different
voice encoding schemes for voice traffic from different
users.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system defined in claim 22 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on signaling information received from the user.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 23 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on calling party information.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 23 wherein
the voice encoding scheme that is used is determined
based on called party information.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system defined in claim 25 wherein
when it is determined that said called party
information corresponds to an international
destination, a voice encoding scheme that uses less
bandwidth than a standard 64 kbps pulse code modulation
(PCM) scheme is used.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.