Distributed edge switching system for voice-over-packet multiservice network
A network device including a plurality of communication interfaces, including a telephone line interface, a computer data interface, and a broadband network interface; a processor; a machine-readable storage medium which during use stores a call processing application and service profiles, and which stores executable instructions to mediate communications between the plurality of communication interfaces, the instructions causing the network device to detect network signaling events or trigger points in a telephone call and invoke the call processing application in response to the detected network signaling events or trigger points, the call processing application operating according to parameters defined in the service profiles.
1. A network device comprising:
a plurality of communication interfaces, including a telephone line interface, a computer data interface, and a broadband network interface;
a processor;
a machine-readable storage medium which during use stores a call processing application and service profiles, and which stores executable instructions to mediate communications between the plurality of communication interfaces, the instructions causing the network device to
detect network signaling events or trigger points in a telephone call and
invoke the call processing application in response to the detected network signaling events or trigger points, the call processing application operating according to parameters defined in the service profiles.
2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication interfaces further includes a video streaming device interface.
3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the broadband network interface terminates a broadband network link that joins a customer premises to a packet carrier network.
4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the network device to route IP data between the computer data interface and the broadband network interface.
5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network device is contained in a single physical enclosure.
6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the network device to provide a SIP user agent to represent a telephone that uses the telephone line interface.
7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium during use further stores call routing tables, and
the instructions further cause the network device to perform call routing for telephone calls that use the telephone line interface.
8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium during use further stores call routing tables, and
the instructions further cause the network device to perform call routing for telephone calls according to the call routing tables, the telephone calls using the telephone line interface.
9. A network device comprising;
a broadband network interface;
a plurality of interfaces, including a telephone line interface and a computer data interface;
a processor; and
a machine-readable storage medium that stores processor-executable instructions to provide SIP agents, the instructions causing the network device to
provide a SIP user agent to represent a non-SIP telephone that uses the telephone line interface, and
the instructions further causing the network device to implement a SIP proxy server that mediates all SIP communications over the broadband network interface involving the non-SIP telephone.
10. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the computer data interface passes IP data.
11. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of interfaces includes a video streaming device interface.
12. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the network device is contained in a single physical enclosure.
13. A method for establishing a voice-over-packet network architecture, the method comprising:
locating a system management platform in a shared packet network, the system management platform collecting call log data front a plurality of network devices; and
distributing the plurality of network devices that each include
a telephone line interface,
a computer data interface,
a broadband network interface terminating a link from the shared packet network,
a processor, and
a machine-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions to control telephone calls, the instructions causing each network device to route telephone calls in a peer-to-peer fashion over the shared packet network and to send call log data to the system management platform.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein for each device the broadband network interface terminates a link from the shared packet network.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the routing of telephone calls includes SIP signaling.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the storage medium further stores processor-executable Instructions to act as an SIP proxy server for devices using the telephone line interface and for devices using the computer data interface.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the shared packet network uses IP protocols.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the shared packet network uses ATM protocols.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of network devices each further include a video streaming device interface.