Nortel Networks Corporation

Stephen Leonard Fagg

David John Stacey

Michael Thomas

Julian Frank Barry Cable

Julian Frank Cable

Bruce Leigh Townsend

Martin Sproat

Stephen Rylant Evans

Sarah Lucy Wright

Stephen Rhylant Evans

Simon Daniel Breuckheimer

Simon Daniel Brueckheimer

Roy Harold Mauger

Clive Colin Hayball

An improved architecture in a circuit switched communications network is provided in which a plurality of network service provider devices, eg intelligent peripherals are arranged to provide network service data to a plurality of time division multiplex circuits and trunks by converting these circuits and trunks to streams of packets, and providing network service data packetized in a set of network service data packet streams to the circuit packet streams without incurring delays to the circuit packet streams. The circuit packet streams may be duplicated and forwarded to the network service provider devices without incurring delay to the ongoing through put packetized circuits, and similarly packet streams containing network service data may be superimposed into the circuit packet streams, without the requirement for the circuit packet streams to be switched to the network service provider devices. The architecture comprises a plurality of TDM interfaces, a plurality of conversion means for converting from time division multiplexed mode to a plurality of packet streams; a plurality of packet streams switching devices and a plurality of network service provider devices.

Network service provider architecture in communications network

A connection broker (44), located between lower-level system entities (16, 58, 264) associated with a narrowband-broadband interface (250) and a call server (18) that controls call connection across the narrowband-broadband network, contains a memory (251) that stores connection-related information and protocol converters. The connection broker (44) accesses the protocol converters to interpret control messages received from the call server (18) and, where necessary, transposes messages for the call server into a standardised format for use over a uniform fabric application interface (66). Control messages pertaining to connection paths within the narrowband-broadband network (250) and relayed via the connection broker (44) are appropriately phrased (by the connection-related information and protocol converters) to ensure that meaningful information and instruction is communicated between the call server (18) and the lower-level system entities (16, 58, 264). Use of the protocol converters therefore enables connection attributes and network operation and configuration to be altered and advised in-call by having the connection broker (44) both change connection-related information and communicate any change in network configuration to the call server and lower-level system entities, as appropriate.

Communication system architecture and operating protocol therefor

A number of narrow band networks are interconnected via a broad band network having a signalling protocol different from that or those of the narrow band networks. Calls between terminals associated with first and second narrow band networks are set up by the selection by a call server of a phantom trunk between the networks. This phantom trunk is used to relay the addresses of the two terminals to be connected. By recognizing that two connection requests have been received at opposite ends of the same phantom trunk, a processor in the second network determines that a connection between the terminals via the broad band network is required. Selection of the phantom trunk and sending of address messages is effected via a selected one of a number of identical connection brokers coupled to the call server. The workload of the call server is shared among the connection brokers coupled thereto.

Communications system with load sharing communications interface

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Harlow, United Kingdom

Stephen Leonard Fagg