Patent ID: 6526050
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
A communications network comprising:A) a plurality of switching nodes each of which contains line cards with multiple ports for connections between the communications network and subscriber lines or other switching systems; B) an internal network interconnecting the switching nodes for conveying switched telecommunications data between them, one of said nodes being a local node and the intended recipient node being a remote node; C) a host computer that includes a Layer 5 software application which exercises supervisory control over the nodes; D) a host network linking the host computer with the switching nodes; E) a programmable Layer 4 software application in each switching node that performs call-processing operations defined by a system operator, the Layer 4 application having separate software objects functioning as state machines with instances of objects being dedicated to specific tasks for one port on the switching node, at least one of said software objects being capable of communicating with Layer 4 objects in a remote node in the telecommunications network, independent of instructions from said host; F) channels in each switching node that comprises data paths between ports and a switch/matrix card and software in the switching node that directly supervise the use of these paths; G) a plurality of first interfaces adapted to communicate information: 1. between the software objects in the Layer 4 application, 2. between the Layer 4 application and the Layer 5 application, and 3. between the Layer 4 application and a Layer 3 application in the line cards; and H) a plurality of second interfaces adapted to communicate information between each port and the Layer 4 application in the same node, independently of the host, and between that Layer 4 application and the Layer 5 application.