Method and architecture for providing telephony between data networks and PSTN

Abstract

A method consistent with the present invention enables communicating telephonic data regarding a call over a data network. The method includes the steps of receiving data units from a first data network over redundant communication paths. Next, it is determined whether the received data units have an error. One of the received date units is then selected from one of the redundant communication paths determined not to have an error and the selected data unit is forwarded to a second data network.

1  through  34 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         35 . A method for telephony communication between a first telephony equipped end point connected to a telephony network and a second telephony equipped endpoint connected to a data network, the telephony network comprising trunks for transmitting voice and data information and further comprising signaling links for transmitting signaling data related to the voice and data information carried on the trunks, comprising: 
 receiving data units carried over at least one of the trunks, to provide received trunk data units;    receiving signaling data units related to the received trunk data units over at least one signaling link, to provide received signaling data units;    combining the received trunk data units and the received signaling data units into a data stream compatible with the data network, to provide a first combined telephony data stream; and    forwarding the first combined telephony data stream to the data network in a format compatible with the data network in order to facilitate communication with the second telephony equipped endpoint.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 receiving, from the second telephony equipped endpoint connected to the data network, a second combined telephony data stream, the second combined telephony data stream comprising data to be carried over trunks of the telephony network and signaling data related to the data to be carried over the trunks of the telephony network;    separating the second combined telephony data stream into separated signaling data units and separated trunk data units; and    forwarding the separated signaling data units to at least one signaling link of the telephony network; and    forwarding the separated trunk data units to at least one trunk of the telephony network to facilitate communication with the first telephony equipped endpoint.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the received signaling data units are received from the telephony network over redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the received trunk data units are received from the telephony network over redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the combining step further comprises: 
 determining whether received signaling data units have an error and determining whether received trunk data units have an error; and    selecting received signaling data units and received trunk data units that do not have errors for combining into the first combined telephony data stream.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the second combined telephony data stream is received from the data network over redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the separating step further comprises: 
 determining whether the second combined telephony data stream contains errors; and    selecting data of the second combined telephony data stream that do not have errors for separating into separated signaling data units and separated trunk data units.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the combining step includes means for modifying the header of received trunk data units and received signaling data units to distinguish between redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein signaling data units and trunk data units are received in the form of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signaling data units at an ATM interface.  
     
     
         44 . A telephony signaling server for communicating telephony information between a telephony network and a data network, the telephony network comprising trunks for transmitting voice and data information and further comprising signaling links for transmitting signaling data related to the voice and data information carried on the trunks, the telephony signaling server comprising: 
 at least one first interface disposed to communicate voice and data information carried on at least one of the trunks with at least one service switching point (SSP) through redundant communications paths;    at least one second interface disposed to communicate signaling data with at least one signaling point (SP) through redundant communications paths, the signaling data being related to the voice and data information carried on the at least one of the trunks;    at least one third interface disposed to communicate a combined data stream over the data network through redundant communications paths; and    a control system associated with the first interface, second interface and third interface, adapted to: 
 receive voice and data information carried on the at least one of the trunks, to provide received trunk data units;  
 receive signaling data related to the received trunk data units, to provide received signaling data units;  
 combine the received trunk data units and the received signaling data units, to provide a first combined data stream;  
 transmit the first combined data stream over the data network;  
 receive from the data network, second combined data stream units, the second combined data stream units comprising data to be carried over the trunks and signaling data related to the data to be carried over the trunks;  
 separate the second combined data stream units into separated signaling data units and separated trunk data units; and  
 transmit the separated signaling data units to the at least one SP; and  
 transmit the separated trunk data units to the at least one SSP.  
   
     
     
         45 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 44 , wherein the control system is further adapted to: 
 examine received trunk data units, received signaling data units, and second combined data stream units;    determine whether the received trunk data units, received signaling data units and second combined data stream units contain errors; and    select received trunk data units, received signaling data units, and second combined data stream units that do not have errors for transmission.    
     
     
         46 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 45 , wherein the control system is further adapted to modify the header of received trunk data units, received signaling data units, and second combined data stream units to distinguish the data units of redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         47 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 46 , wherein received received trunk data units, received signaling data units, and second combined data stream units are received in the form of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signaling data units at an ATM interface.  
     
     
         48 . A telephony signaling server for communicating telephony information between a telephony network and a data network, the telephony network comprising trunks for transmitting voice and data information and further comprising signaling links for transmitting signaling data related to the voice and data information carried on the trunks, the telephony signaling server comprising: 
 at least one first interface disposed to communicate voice and data information carried on at least one of the trunks with at least one service switching point (SSP) through redundant communications paths in the form of trunk data units;    at least one second interface disposed to communicate signaling data with at least one signaling point (SP) through redundant communications paths in the form of signaling data units, the signaling data being related to the trunk data units carried on the at least one of the trunks;    at least one third interface disposed to communicate a combined data stream over the data network through redundant communications paths; and    a cell steering unit, associated with the first interface, second interface, and third interface, adapted to receive trunk data units and signaling data units from redundant communication paths, multiplex the received trunk data units and received signaling data units into a single data stream, and forward the single data stream to the data network.    
     
     
         49 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 48 , wherein the cell steering unit is further adapted to determine whether received trunk data units and received signaling data units have an error, select one of the data units determined not to have an error; and forward the selected data unit to a second data network.  
     
     
         50 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 49 , wherein the cell steering unit is further adapted to modify the header of received trunk data units and received signaling data units data units to distinguish between the data units of redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         51 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 50 , wherein received trunk data units and received signaling data units data units are received in the form of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signaling data units at an ATM interface.  
     
     
         52 . A telephony signaling server for communicating telephonic data over a telephony network, the telephony signaling server comprising: 
 a plurality of first interface units for receiving signaling data units, each signaling data unit including a header portion, from a first telephony network over redundant communication paths;    a plurality of second interface units for receiving data units from trunks associated with the telephony data network, to provide trunk data units, each trunk data unit including a header portion, from a first telephony network over redundant communication paths;    a cell steering unit disposed to multiplex the received signaling data units and the received trunk data units into a single data stream.    
     
     
         53 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 52 , wherein the cell steering unit is further adapted to modify the header of a received trunk data unit and signaling data unit to distinguish the received trunk data unit and signaling data units of redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         54 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 53 , wherein the cell steering unit is further adapted to modify the header of received data units to distinguish the data units of redundant communication paths.  
     
     
         55 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 54 , wherein the cell steering unit is further adapted to determine whether the received data units have an error and select one of the data units determined not to have an error.  
     
     
         56 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 55 , wherein the cell steering unit is further disposed to communicate the combined data stream over a plurality of third interface units for forwarding the selected data unit to a second data network.  
     
     
         57 . The telephony signaling server of  claim 56 , wherein the signaling data units and voice data units are in the form of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells.