Patent ID: 6452924
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A network comprising:a network control system server that defines a collection of circuits in a circuit-switched infrastructure as an IP subnet, said network control system server using said definition to define a route between two network nodes having respective IP addresses, a switch commander that communicates with said circuit-switched infrastructure that causes certain of said circuits in said collection to form a connection in response to a signal, said network control system server supplying said signal in accordance with said route, wherein workstations are associated with said two network nodes, said network further comprising a workstation interface associated with one of said workstations that formats digital data received from another of said workstations for presentation to said one of said workstations and formats digital data from said one of said workstations for sending to said another of said workstations, further comprising a premises switch that communicates with said network control system server, said certain circuits, and said workstation interface, said premises switch collecting said digital data of said connection originating from said workstation interface and transmitting said originating digital data of said connection on said certain circuits, said premises switch receiving said digital data of said connection sent by said another of said workstations and transmitting said sent digital data to said workstation interface, and wherein said one of said workstations is further associated with a local area network, said workstation interface and said premises switch communicating with each other via said local area network, said premises switch having a packet switch for passing through digital data not associated with said connection.