Patent ID: 6097723
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling network switching across digital and analogue hardware switches, comprising:(a) a central network controller node having a call task for booking and executing calls by setting up said hardware switches that interconnect a first terminal and a second terminal and a switch master task for receiving commands to control all of said switches in the network, maintaining status information for all of said switches and distributing requests for particular connections; and(b) a switch controller task coupled to said central network controller and operative to interface between said central network controller and an associated hardware switch and a codec couplable to said hardware switch, said switch controller task providing a generic switch model for receiving connective commands from the network controller, said switch controller task having a core converter operative to convert connective commands provided to the generic switch into instructions that control a hardware switch and a codec couplable to said hardware switch;whereby connection of said codec to a specified port of said hardware switch allows communication through said codec between analogue and digital signals.