Method and apparatus for transmitting data without establishing a call path

1. In a communication system including a switch coupled with Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and an application server coupled with the switch, a method for sending a server-specified message to the CPE without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a request from the application server to the switch;

sending, based upon the request, a predetermined server-specified message from the switch to the CPE without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE, wherein the CPE is not rung and the predetermined server-specified message is not affected by features of the CPE;

sending a return message from the CPE to the switch without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE; and

sending a status message based upon the return message from the switch to the application server without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE.

2. A method for sending a message in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of sending a predetermined server-specified message from the switch to the CPE comprises the step of forwarding the request received from the application server to the CPE.

3. A method for sending a message in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of sending a predetermined server-specified message from the switch to the CPE comprises the step of opening an analog path to send the predetermined server-specified message to the CPE.

4. A switch comprising:

means for receiving a request from an application server;

means for determining the type of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) message based upon the request;

means, responsive to the type of message, for sending a predetermined server-specified message to a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) coupled to the switch without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE, wherein the predetermined server-specified message is not affected by features assigned to the CPE;

means for receiving a return message from the CPE to the switch without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE; and

means for sending a status message based upon the return message from the switch to the application server without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE.

5. A switch in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the means for sending the predetermined server-specified message to the CPE comprises means for forwarding the request from the application server to the CPE without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE.

6. A switch in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the means for sending a predetermined message to the CPE comprises means for sending a message to the CPE using suppressed ringing capabilities.

7. A switch comprising:

an input port effective in receiving a request from an application server;

a processor effective in determining the type of message based upon the request;

an output port effective in sending, responsive to the type of request, a predetermined server-specified message to a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) coupled to the switch without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE wherein the predetermined server-specified message is not affected by features of the CPE;

a CPE port effective in receiving a return message from the CPE without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE; and

an acknowledgment port effective in sending a status message based upon the return message from the switch to the application server without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE.

8. A switch in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the output port is effective in sending a message utilizing suppressed ringing capabilities to the CPE.

9. A communication system for sending predetermined messages to Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) without setting up an end-to-end call path, the communication system comprising:

an application server;

a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE); and

a switch coupled to the application server and the CPE, the switch effective in receiving a request from the application server and effective in sending, based upon the request, a predetermined server-specified message to the CPE without setting up an end-to-end call path between the CPE and the application server, wherein the predetermined server-specified message is not affected by features of the CPE, the switch further being effective in receiving a return message from the CPE without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE, the switch further being effective in sending a status message based upon the return message from the switch to the application server without setting up a call path between the application server and the CPE.

10. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the switch is effective in forwarding the request from the application server to the CPE.

11. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the CPE comprises a modem.

12. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the CPE comprises a computer.

13. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the CPE comprises a data communications terminal.

14. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the application server comprises a computer.

15. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the application server comprises a data communications device.