Patent ID: 6141339
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A communications system for providing communications services to an end-user having a communications hub, wherein the communications system comprises:a session manager that is operational to receive and process service requests from the communications hub to provide connection instructions and signaling instructions;a call manager that is coupled to the session manager and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and that is operational to exchange signaling with the PSTN in response to the signaling instructions from the session manager;a multiplexer that is operational to convert between an ATM over DSL format and an ATM over broadband format;an ATM switching system that is coupled to the session manager, the multiplexer, and the PSTN, and that is operational to convert between the ATM over broadband format and a PSTN format and provide ATM connections in response to the connection instructions from the session manager; andwherein one of the service requests is for an end-user telephone call, a portion of the signaling instructions results in an exchange of signaling with the PSTN for the telephone call, and a portion of the connection instructions results in a connection for the telephone call from the communications hub through the multiplexer and the ATM switching system to the PSTN.