3com Corporation

Utstarcom, Incorporated

U.S. Robotics Corporation

U.S. Robotics Access Corp.

3 Com Corporation

Daniel L Schoo

Robert C Suffern

Donald C Balton

Marc S Baum

Terrel L Jones

Matthew H Harper

Kenneth L Peirce, Jr

Andrew L Norrell

Todd E Landry

Christopher R Hansen

Dale M Walsh

Lih-Shyng Tzeng

Gregory Warren Goodknight

William Verthein

Peter P Jankus

Thanh Q Ngo

Richard J Varman

Jeffrey E Herman

Stanley T Naudus

Vijay J Nadkarni

Leland Otis Thompson

Ying Wu

Tom Gentles

Patrick Calhoun

Sumit Vakil

A communication access chassis having a general purpose computing platform provides communication access between remote users and computer network via the public telephone network. The general purpose computing platform is connected to an internal chassis bus complex transmitting incoming calls between a telephone line interface and a signal conversion system and between the signal conversion system and a local area network interface. The computing platform has a conventional microprocessor and local or peripheral memory storage devices and implements a commercially available open network operating system such as Windows NT&trade;. By virtue of the ability of the general purpose computing platform to run network server programs locally, i.e., in the communication chassis, server functionality that has been provided only by remote computers on a local area network in the prior art is incorporated into the communications chassis itself, providing for improved network management, increased network security and reduced access and processing time, all in a manner transparent to the remote user.

Communication access chassis with general purpose computing platform

Apparatus and method for enabling bilateral transmission of digital data between a local area network and telephone company networks employing both analog and digital telephone lines. A modem modulates signals responsive to signals from a local area network representing an outgoing call to form digital telephone signals suitable for transmission by a telephone line and suitable for demodulation by receiving analog modems. A circuit switched time division multiplex bus transmits the digital telephone signals to the telephone line. The modem also demodulates incoming digital telephone signals to form digital network bus signals divided into packets. A packet bus transmits the digital network bus signals to a network interface which processes the signals and transmits them to the local area network.

Network access method and network access server therefor

A method and apparatus for distributing protocol processing among a plurality of computing platforms. Data communications equipment such as Remote Access Devices, Communication Servers, Terminal Servers, and Dial-up Routers provide single user or large-scale multiple user communication access to various computing environments. The equipment costs and performance of such access equipment is related to the amount of CPU processing capability and memory required to support the desired number of serial communication links. It is common to use protocols that terminate in their entirely in the same processing machine. This invention encompasses methods developed to increase the cost/performance capabilities of the communication equipment that supports these serial links, primarily by means of distributing the protocol processing for higher level protocols across multiple computing platforms, including devices such as modems. Examples of such higher level protocols include PPP, SLIP and RTP.

Distributed processing of high level protocols, in a network access server

A method for coordinating and controlling multiple data streams representing a data transmission session that terminate in different termination units (such as network access servers) using a virtual data stream tunnel is presented. The data streams are transmitted over two or more links, collectively forming a 'bundle. One of the termination units that receives a data stream is designated as the termination unit to receive and reconstruct a call. The designated termination unit is the 'owner' of the bundle. A termination unit that is a not a bundle owner creates a virtual tunnel to the termination unit that is the bundle owner, and sends data streams through the virtual tunnel to the bundle owner to reconstruct the call. The designated termination unit reconstructs the data streams for the bundle and directs the bundle to a destination.

Method and system for coordination and control of data streams that

A method and apparatus for distributing protocol processing among a plurality of computing platforms. Data communications equipment such as Remote Access Devices, Communication Servers, Terminal Servers, and Dial-up Routers provide single user or large-scale multiple user communication access to various computing environments. The equipment costs and performance of levels of providing such access equipment is related to the amount of CPU processing capability and memory required to support the desired number of serial communication links. It is common to use protocols that terminate in their entirely in the same processing machine. This invention encompasses methods developed to increase the cost/performance capabilities of the communication equipment that supports these serial links, primarily by means of distributing the protocol processing across multiple computing platforms, including devices such as modems.

Communication access system with distributed processing

Digital network access server

A method for coordinating and controlling multiple data streams representing a data transmission session that terminate in different termination units (such as network access servers). The data streams are transmitted over two or more links, collectively forming a 'bundle'. The termination units are linked together preferably over a local area network. One of the termination units that receives a data stream is designated as the termination unit to receive and reconstruct the call. The designated termination unit is the 'owner' of the bundle. The termination unit broadcasts an advertisement consisting of a bundle mapping update packet software structure with an identification header to alert the other termination units that it is to reconstruct the call. The identification header in the advertisement notifies the other termination units that if they should receive a portion of the data stream in the bundle, they should forward their packets of data to the designated termination unit. The sharing of bundle information between the termination units gives a great deal of flexibility in the design and type of termination units that may be employed.

Coordination and control of data streams that terminate at different

A method of processing incoming digital telephone calls from remotely located call originators which are destined for receipt by a host computer system. The host computer system is linked to the telephone network by a network access server. The call originators may be any type of data terminal, such as a personal computer or a credit card swipe, which is connected to a modem. The network access server extracts control signals imparted onto the telephone line and correlates the control signals with particular communications, routing or applications protocols identified with the call originators. The modem in the network access server which answers the call is configured during the call connect process and placed in a compatible format for the communications protocol of the incoming call. This dynamic custom configuration of the modem reduces the overall telephone call connection and processing time. The control signals may also be used by network access server for customized call routing or by the network access server or host computer system to run specialized application programs. The method is particularly suitable for use by large enterprises handling a high volume of incoming calls in which data is transmitted to the host computer system according to a variety of different communications protocols, or where the implementation of different routing paths or applications programs is desireable according to the identity or classification of the call originator.

Telephone call routing and switching techniques for data communications

A method of processing incoming digital telephone calls from remotely located call originators which are destined for receipt by a host computer system. The host computer system is linked to the telephone network by a network access server. The call originators may be any type of data terminal, such as a personal computer or a credit card swipe, which is connected to a modem. The network access server extracts control signals imparted onto the telephone line and correlates the control signals with particular communications, routing or applications protocols identified with the call originators. The modem in the network access server which answers the call is configured during the call connect process and placed in a compatible format for the communications protocol of the incoming call. This dynamic custom configuration of the modem reduces the overall telephone call connection and processing time. The control signals may also be used by network access server for customized call routing or by the network access server or host computer system to run specialized application programs. The method is particularly suitable for use by large enterprises handling a high volume of incoming calls in which data is transmitted to the host computer system according to a variety of different communications protocols, or where the implementation of different routing paths or applications programs is desirable according to the identity or classification of the call originator.

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Island Lake, IL, United States of America

Daniel L Schoo