Patent ID: 6137800
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: H04Q,Y10S

Abstract:
A broadband system for connecting calls that use time division multiplexing, the system comprising:a SONET ring adapted to interconnect devices coupled to the SONET ring, the SONET ring comprising SONET multiplexers coupled by SONET paths, wherein the SONET multiplexers are adapted to add calls to, and drop calls from, the SONET ring;an ATM cross connect system coupled to the SONET ring comprising ATM cross connect devices, the ATM cross connect devices adapted to provide provisioned ATM connections over the SONET ring;a plurality of ATM interworking units coupled to the ATM cross connect system, the ATM interworking units adapted to interwork calls with selected ATM connections in response to control messages, wherein the selected ATM connections are provisioned between selected ATM interworking units by the ATM cross connect system over the SONET ring; anda signaling processor system adapted to receive call signaling for the calls, to process the call signaling to select the ATM connections for the calls, and to send the control messages to the selected ATM interworking units designating the selected ATM connections, to receive particular call signaling for a particular call, to select a particular ATM connection between a selected first ATM interworking unit and a selected second ATM interworking unit for the particular call, to send a particular control message to the selected first ATM interworking unit designating the particular ATM connection, to select a particular TDM connection, and to transport a second control message to the selected second ATM interworking unit designating the particular TDM connection;the ATM cross connect system is further adapted to provision the selected particular ATM connection between the selected first ATM interworking unit and selected second ATM interworking unit over the SONET ring; andthe selected first ATM interworking unit is adapted to interwork the particular call with the selected particular ATM connection;the selected second ATM interworking unit is adapted to receive the second control message from the signaling processing system, to receive the call over the selected particular ATM connection, and to interwork the call with particular TDM connection.