Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

Verizon Communications Inc.

Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Verizon Services Corporation

John M Carman

Robert D Farris

R Andrew Poole

David Harold Cave

Dale Lee Bartholomew

Michael G Pilkerton

Lin H Kerns

Kamran Sistanizadeh

Raymond Ian Millet

Faye M Smith

N Sharon Embrey

George Korsanos

Albert F Valeo

Kyle Vincent Evans

Andrew N Smith

William Tolson

Public communication networks increasingly need to provide customers with a range of communication services, from baseband voice service, to computer data communications, to high speed digital data communications for multimedia and the like. Many such services would be blocked by existing telephone network line cards, which provide coding and decoding (CODEC) between analog and digital signals and process digital signals only at a relatively low, fixed bit rate. In accord with the invention, intelligent signal detection and control added to a line card selectively bypasses the CODEC and the associated connection to a time slot limited telephone exchange. The selective bypass connection provides a connection to an alternative network functionality capable of providing higher bandwidth digital services. In the preferred embodiment, the bypass provides a connection through an adaptive digital signal processor with a programmed controller. The digital signal processor provides coding and decoding functions, adapted to the particular communication service requested and the physical level signal protocol used over the customer's line. The digital signal processor also provides a two-way digital communication link to a relatively fast data switch, such as an edge device of an asynchronous transport mode (ATM) network. The data switch and associated data network provide a full range of digital communication services of various bandwidths or bit rates as may be requested by individual.

Selective bandwidth connectivity through network line cards

A communications network, for example forming a local exchange carrier telephone network, utilizes three layers of fiber optic rings. The point of demarcation between customer premises media and network media comprises an intelligent soft network interface device or 'soft NID'. First layer rings carry telephone and data communications between the soft NIDs and remote terminals. Several remote terminals in an area communicate via one of the next higher level rings to a host digital terminal. The host digital terminals communicate with each other via a backbone optical fiber ring, and a media gateway controller on this ring provides high level service logic. The remote terminals and preferably the host digital terminals are service switching points (SSPs), for intelligent services provided by the network. Local legacy switches connect to remote terminals, whereas a router on the backbone provides communications to other networks, including legacy long distance networks.

Multi-layer ring architecture for fiber-to-the-home telco carrier network

For communications interface across the line of demarcation between the customer premises media and a link of a public digital broadband communication network, a network interface device is 'soft' in that it is adaptable to different service applications and readily programmable from both the network-side and the customer-side. A network-side interface provides a communications connection to a broadband network link at an edge of the digital broadband network. A customer-side interface provides communications connection to one or more media in the customer premises, for example, to telephone and LAN wiring within the premises. The soft network interface device also includes a data processing system, for controlling at least some of the communications through the interfaces. The data processing system is capable of being programmed with network service provisioning data from the public network as well as with user programming received from the customer premises.

Soft network interface device for digital broadband local carrier networks

In various forms of telephone network signaling, automatic number identification information (ANI) includes a field of two or more 'information' (II) digits, typically used to indicate a calling line attribute, such as hospital line, residential line, payphone, etc. A number of situations have arisen where it is desirable to use these digits to control network functions and it is necessary to accurately pass the digits through with all call related signaling. For example, accurate II digits can enable appropriate processing, billing and payments for toll-free calls from payphones. Existing switch software, however, does not always provide the correct II digits or pass the digits through unchanged. In accord with the invention, a call requiring flexible ANI functionality triggers access to a central database, preferably in a service control point (SCP) or a signaling transfer point (STP). The response message from the database provides the appropriate information digits for the ANI field, and the network switches pass the signaling with those digits for all further processing of the call.

Flexible ANI

A peripheral platform, such as an Intelligent Peripheral (IP), is provided in a Common Channel Interoffice Signaling (CCIS) network having a Services Control Point (SCP) and intelligent network capabilities. The IP or similar platform provides alternate service activation (ASA) and obviates the necessity for the SCP to store a large number of subscriber service profiles. The IP has a call channel link to central office switches of the telephone network and has a data link to the SCP. On receiving a request for activation of alternate service the IP communicates with the SCP and the SCP communicates with the switching offices to retrieve a subscriber service profile from one central office switch and downloads and double assigns that profile to a second central office switch which may thereafter implement the features in that downloaded profile.

Alternate service activation

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Alexandria, VA, United States of America

John M Carman