MXPA00005936A - Transmission of signalling information between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunications system - Google Patents
Transmission of signalling information between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunications systemInfo
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- MXPA00005936A MXPA00005936A MXPA/A/2000/005936A MXPA00005936A MXPA00005936A MX PA00005936 A MXPA00005936 A MX PA00005936A MX PA00005936 A MXPA00005936 A MX PA00005936A MX PA00005936 A MXPA00005936 A MX PA00005936A
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- Prior art keywords
- signaling
- message
- event
- subscriber terminal
- terminal
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Abstract
The present invention provides a telecommunications system comprising an interface mechanism for passing signalling events between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal within the telecommunications system. The interface mechanism comprises a signalling element within the central terminal for receiving a first signalling event for transmission to the subscriber terminal and for referencing a stored set of messages to determine a first signalling message to encode the first signalling event for transmission to the subscriber terminal. Further, it comprises a signalling manager within the subscriber terminal for receiving the first signalling message from the central terminal, and for referencing said stored set of messages to decode the first signalling message to determine the first signalling event. The signalling manager is arranged to receive a second signalling event for transmission to the central terminal and to encode the second signalling event as a predetermined signalling message from said stored set of messages, a parameter of the predetermined signalling message being arranged to contain information identifying the type of the second signalling event. In accordance with the present invention, a core set of messages can be defined to represent all of the necessary signalling events which may need to be communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. By defining a core set of messages, the number of bits required to define each message is relatively small, this assisting in reducing the bandwidth demands required for signalling.
Description
TRANSMISSION OF SIGNALING INFORMATION BETWEEN A CENTRAL TERMINAL AND A SUBSCRIBER TERMINAL OF A SYSTEM
TELECOMMUNICATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems, and more particularly to techniques for transmitting signaling information between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunication system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a typical telecommunication system, a subscriber terminal may be located in a subscriber's premises to handle calls to and from the subscriber. One or more lines may be provided from the subscriber terminal to support one or more elements of telecommunication equipment located in the subscriber's premises. In addition, a central terminal can be provided for controlling several subscriber terminals and the particular one for controlling call between a subscriber terminal and other components of a telecommunications network. Almost always, certain signaling information will be transmitted between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal to ensure that the incoming and outgoing calls are handled correctly. To increase the efficiency of the communication system, it is desirable to achieve the maximum reduction in the amount of signaling information that needs to be passed between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal to perform the signaling functions necessary to establish and handle incoming and outgoing calls. . As the number of users of telecommunication networks increases, there is also a constant increase in the demand of such networks to be able to support more users. Since techniques are developed to enable such systems to support more and more subscriber terminals, and therefore more users, then it is clear that the bandwidth demands on the communication paths connecting the terminal and the terminal Subscriber fees are increasing, which also increases the need for effective techniques for handling the signaling information that needs to be passed between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal to handle the calls. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for effectively managing the signaling information that passes between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunications system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Viewed from a first aspect, the present invention provides a telecommunication system that includes an interface mechanism for passing signals between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal in the telecommunication system, an interface mechanism comprising: a signaling element in the central terminal for receiving a first signal for transmitting it to the subscriber terminal and for referring to a stored set of messages for determining a first signaling message for encoding the first signaling event to transmit it to the subscriber terminal; a signaling manager at the subscriber terminal for receiving the first signaling message from the central terminal, and for referring to said stored set of messages for decoding the first signaling message for determining the first signaling event; the signaling manager is positioned to contain information that identifies the type of the second signaling event; and the signaling element is positioned to decode, with respect to the stored set of messages, the predetermined signaling message from the subscriber terminal to determine the second signaling event. In accordance with the present invention, a central set of messages can be defined to represent all the necessary signaling events that may need to be communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. With the definition of a central set of messages, the number of bits required to define each message is relatively small, which helps reduce the bandwidth demand required for signaling. Furthermore, it has been found that in general there are more restrictions on the bandwidth in uplink communication from the subscriber terminal to the central terminal, since lower duplex speeds are often employed in uplink communication than in downlink communication. To mitigate this problem, in accordance with the present invention, a predetermined signaling message is defined which can be used to encode a plurality of different signaling events that may require to be transferred from the subscriber terminal to the central terminal; a parameter of the predetermined signaling message is positioned to contain information identifying the type of signaling event. With the use of a predetermined signaling message instead of several separate signaling messages, the signaling message can be defined using fewer bits, whereby also the bandwidth required in the uplink communication is reduced for signaling purposes. This is useful, since in preferred embodiments, there is often more signaling information to be transmitted in the uplink communication path than the downlink path, and thus the reduction in the bandwidth obtained by the use of the message The predetermined signaling helps to mitigate the surplus of bandwidth demands resulting from the uplink signaling information. In preferred embodiments, the predetermined signaling message used to encode the second signaling event has a plurality of parameter fields, and the signaling manager is positioned to employ the plurality of parameter fields to represent a plurality of the second signaling events. in the default signaling message. With this approach, savings in bandwidth can also be achieved, since it is not necessary to issue the predetermined signaling message for each signaling information element. Instead, multiple elements of signaling information may be received by the signaling manager, and the signaling manager may then be placed to pack such multiple elements of signaling information into a predetermined signaling message, thereby making efficient use of the signaling information. bandwidth available to further reduce the bandwidth required for signaling purposes. It will be appreciated that the signaling element in the central terminal can take several different forms. However, in the preferred embodiments, the signaling element includes: a signaling port placed to receive the first signaling event, and with reference to the stored message set, to generate the first signaling message; and a signaling multiplexer positioned to cause the first signaling message to be transmitted to the subscriber terminal. In preferred embodiments, a plurality of subscriber terminals are associated with the central terminal, each subscriber terminal is positioned to provide one or more telecommunication lines for connecting elements of telecommunication equipment to the subscriber terminal, the central terminal includes a multiplexer of signaling for each subscriber terminal associated with the central terminal, and each signaling multiplexer has associated therewith a signaling port for each telecommunication line that can be supported by the corresponding subscriber terminal. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments, the signaling events belonging to a specific telecommunication line of a specific subscriber terminal will be handled by a particular signaling port associated with the signaling multiplexer provided for that subscriber terminal. Preferably, for an incoming call to a particular telecommunication line of a subscriber terminal, the corresponding signaling port is positioned to receive a preparation signaling event, and to generate a preparation message that includes as parameter an identifier of the telecommunication line to which the incoming call is directed, the signaling manager is positioned to decode the preparation message to determine the preparation signaling event, and to have the preparation signaling event processed at the subscriber terminal to do that the telecommunication equipment connected to the particular telecommunication line generates an indication of incoming call. The incoming call indication can take any appropriate form, and will almost always depend on the type of telecommunication equipment connected to the telecommunication line. If the telecommunication equipment is a telephone, then the incoming call indication will almost always have to do with the ringing of the telephone. In preferred embodiments, more signaling messages may be sent from the central terminal to the subscriber terminal to control the duration of each ring of the telephone. In preferred embodiments, when an incoming call is accepted at the subscriber terminal, an off-hook signaling event is generated indicating that the incoming call is connected, and the signaling manager responds to that off-hook signaling event to produce the message default signaling, and a parameter of the predetermined signaling message identifies that the incoming call is connected. Almost always, the off-hook signaling event will be generated from the subscriber terminal in response to the connected element of the telecommunication equipment receiving the incoming call, such as when a user lifts a telephone speaker. The number of elements for the telecommunication equipment supporting a single subscriber terminal may vary, depending on several factors, such as the bandwidth available for connections between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. However, in preferred embodiments, the subscriber terminal provides one or more telecommunication lines for connecting elements of the telecommunication equipment to the subscriber terminal, a signaling processor is provided at the subscriber terminal for each telecommunication line supporting the telecommunication line. subscriber terminal, and the signaling manager is positioned to determine from a parameter of the first signaling message the telecommunication line to which the first signaling event is directed, and to advance the first signaling event decoded to the signaling processor. corresponding signage. Preferably, the parameter of the first signaling message used by the signaling manager to determine the telecommunication line to which the first signaling event is directed is a line number identifying the telecommunication line to which the first signal is directed. signaling event. For an outgoing call from the subscriber terminal, preferably the signaling manager is positioned to generate the predetermined signaling message with a predetermined signaling message parameter indicating a preparation signaling event, signaling element which is set to decode the predetermined signaling message with reference to the stored set of messages to generate a signaling event to be processed by the central terminal. Further, when the outgoing call is accepted at the central terminal, in the preferred embodiments, then a preparation confirmation signaling event indicates that the outgoing call is connected and the signaling element receives it, and that signaling element responds to said signaling preparation confirmation to produce a connection message to represent the preparation confirmation signaling event, the signaling manager is positioned to decode the connection message to produce a signaling event confirming that the outgoing call is connected. During the operation of the telecommunication system, it is often necessary to periodically test certain elements in the telecommunication system, and these test procedures also require the transmission of test information between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. As with the signaling information, it is desirable to minimize the amount of test information that needs to be passed between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal to perform these required test routines. Thus, in preferred embodiments, the signaling element is further positioned to receive a first test event to be transmitted to the subscriber terminal and is positioned to reference the stored message set to determine a first test message to encode the first event of test for transmission to the subscriber terminal. In addition, the signaling manager at the subscriber terminal preferably is positioned to receive the first test message and to refer to said stored set of messages to decode the first test message to determine the first test event. Further, in preferred embodiments, the signaling manager may be positioned to receive a second test event for transmission to the central terminal and encode the second test event as a predetermined test message from said stored set of messages, a parameter of the predetermined test message is positioned to contain information that identifies the type of the second test event. In accordance with the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, the central message set is defined to represent not only the necessary signaling events that may be required to communicate between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal, but also the necessary test events . With the definition of a central set of messages, the number of bits required to define each message is relatively small, this helps to reduce the demands of the bandwidth required for the test.
In preferred embodiments, the predetermined test message that is used to encode the second test event has a plurality of parameter fields, and the signaling manager is positioned to employ the plurality of parameter fields to represent a plurality of the second events. test in the default test message. With this approach, further savings in bandwidth can be realized, since it is not necessary to issue the predetermined test message for each test information element. Preferably, the telecommunication system further comprises a test processor in the subscriber terminal to which the signaling manager is placed to pass the first test event to be processed by the test processor. In preferred embodiments, a test processor is provided per subscriber terminal, although more than one test processor may be available if desired. The present invention can be used in any type of telecommunication system, for example a wired telecommunication system, or a wireless telecommunication system. However, in preferred embodiments, the central terminal and the subscriber terminal are connected via a wireless link, and the central terminal and the subscriber terminal comprise link connection mechanisms for establishing the wireless link for incoming and outgoing calls.
Seen from a second aspect, the present invention provides a central terminal for a telecommunication system in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, in which the signaling events are passed between the central terminal and a subscriber terminal, the terminal central comprising a signaling element for receiving a first signaling event for transmission to the subscriber terminal and for referring to the stored set of messages for determining a first signaling message for encoding the first signaling event to be transmitted to the terminal of subscriber, the signaling element is further positioned to decode, with reference to the stored set of messages, signaling messages received from the subscriber terminal to generate signaling events to be processed by the central terminal. Seen from a third aspect, the present invention provides a subscriber terminal for a telecommunication system in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, in which the signaling events are passed between the subscriber terminal and a central terminal, the The subscriber terminal comprises: a signaling manager to receive a first signaling message from the central terminal, and to reference a stored set of messages to decode the first signaling message to determine a first signaling event to be processed by the subscriber terminal; the signaling manager is furthermore positioned to receive a second signaling event for transmission to the central terminal and to encode the second signaling event as a predetermined signaling message from said stored message set, a parameter of the predetermined signaling message which It is positioned to contain information that identifies the type of signaling event. Viewed from a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method for handling signaling events that pass between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunication system, the method comprising the steps of: placing a signaling element in the central terminal to respond to the reception of a first signaling event to be transmitted to the subscriber terminal to reference a stored set of messages to determine a first signaling message; coding in the signaling element the first signaling event as said first signaling message; transmitting the first signaling message to the subscriber terminal; placing a signaling manager in the subscriber terminal to receive the first signaling message from the central terminal, and, with reference to said stored set of messages, to decode the first signaling message to determine the first signaling event; receiving in the signaling manager a second signaling event to be transmitted to the central terminal; coding in the signaling manager the second signaling event as a predetermined signaling message from the stored message set, and providing as a parameter of the predetermined signaling message the information that identifies the type of the second signaling event; and decoding in the signaling element, with reference to the stored set of messages, the predetermined signaling message that is received from the subscriber terminal to determine the second signaling event.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic overview of an example of a wireless telecommunication system wherein the present invention can be employed; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an example of a subscriber terminal of the telecommunication system of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an example of a central terminal of the telecommunication system of Figure 1; Figure 3A is a schematic illustration of a modem shelf of a central terminal of the telecommunication system of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an illustration of an example of a frequency plane for the telecommunication system of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the elements of an access concentrator and the central terminal used to control calls to and from the subscriber terminals in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the main elements employed in preferred embodiments of the present invention for routing calls to and from a subscriber terminal. Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the main components used to handle signaling procedures at the subscriber terminal for incoming and outgoing calls; Figures 8A to 8C are interaction diagrams illustrating an example of the signaling events that occur during the preparation of an incoming call to a subscriber terminal; Figures 9A to 9C are interaction diagrams illustrating an example of the signaling events that occur during the preparation of an outgoing call from the subscriber terminal.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY
The present invention can be used in any type of telecommunication system, for example a wired telecommunication system or a wireless telecommunication system. In addition, the present invention can be used to control the signaling of any appropriate type of telecommunication signal, for example a telephone signal, a video signal or data signals, such as those used to transmit data over the Internet, and to support new technologies, such as broadband and video order technologies. However, for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be considered that a wireless telecommunication system is used to handle telephony signals, such as POTS (Basic Telephony Service) signals. Before describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an example of said wireless telecommunication system in which the present invention can be employed will be explained first, with reference to figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a schematic overview of a example of said wireless telecommunication system. The telecommunication system includes one or more service areas 12, 14 and 16, which are serviced by a respective central terminal (CT) 10 that establishes a radio link with subscriber terminals (ST) 20 in the area in question. The area that is covered by a central terminal 10 may vary; for example, in a rural area with a low density of subscribers, a service area 12 could cover an area with a radius of 15-20 km; a service area 14 in an urban environment where there is a high density of subscriber terminals 20 could only cover an area with a radius of the order of 100 m; in a suburban area with an intermediate density of subscriber terminal, a service area 16 could cover an area with a radius of the order of 1 Km. It will be appreciated that the area covered by the particular central terminal 10 can be chosen to suit local requirements of actual or expected subscriber density, local geographic considerations, etc., and is not limited to the examples illustrated in figure 1. In addition, the coverage does not need and almost always will not be circulated in degree due to design considerations in antennas, geographic factors, buildings, etc., that will affect the distribution of transmitted signals. The central terminals 10 for respective service areas 12, 14, 16 can be connected to each other by links 13, 15 and 17 which interface, for example, with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 18. The links can include telecommunication technology conventional that uses copper wires, optical fibers, satellites, microwaves, etc. The wireless telecommunication system of Figure 1 is based on providing radio links between subscriber terminals 20 in fixed locations with a service area (e.g., 12, 14, 16) and the central terminal 10 for that service area. These wireless radio links are established by predetermined frequency channels, a frequency channel often consisting of a frequency for uplink signals from a subscriber terminal to the central terminal, and another frequency for descending signals from the central terminal to the subscriber terminal.
Due to setbacks with the bandwidth, it is not practical for each individual subscriber terminal to have its own dedicated fency channel to communicate with a central terminal. Accordingly, techniques have been developed to allow data elements that are related to different wireless links (ie, different ST-CT communications) to be transmitted at the same time on the same fency channel without interfering with each other. One of these techniques is related to the use of a "multiple code division access" (CDMA) technique, by means of which a set of orthogonal codes can be applied to the data to be transmitted in a particular fency channel. of data that relate to different wireless links that are combined with different orthogonal codes of the set. The signals to which an orthogonal code has been applied can be considered as being transmitted by a corresponding orthogonal channel in a particular fency channel. One way of operating said wireless telecommunication system is a fixed allocation mode, where a particular ST is directly associated with a particular orthogonal channel of a particular fency channel. The calls to and from the elements of a telecommunication equipment connected to this ST will always be under the management of the orthogonal channel in that particular fency channel, the orthogonal channel will always be available and dedicated to that particular ST. However, as the number of users of telecommunication networks increases, there is also an increase in the demand of such networks in their capacity to support more users. To increase the number of users that can be supported by a single central terminal, an alternative way of operating said wireless telecommunication system is in a demand allocation mode, in which a large number of ST is associated with the central terminal that the number of available orthogonal channels that support traffic. These orthogonal channels are then assigned to particular STs on demand as needed. This approach means that a central terminal can support many more STs than is possible in a fixed allocation mode, the exact number supported depends on the level of dial tone service desired by the service provider. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, each subscriber terminal 20 has a demand-based access to its central terminal 10, so that the number of subscribers that can be serviced exceeds the number of wireless links available . Figure 2 illustrates an example of a configuration for a subscriber terminal 20 for the telecommunication system of Figure 1. Figure 2 includes a schematic representation of the client's property 22. A customer radio unit (CRU) 24 is left mounted on the client's property. The customer radio unit 24 includes a flat box antenna or the like 23. The customer radio unit is mounted at a location on the client's property or on a mast, etc., and in such an orientation that the flat box antenna 23 in the radio unit of the client 24 is left towards the address 26 of the central terminal 10 for the service area in which the radio unit of the client 24 is located. The customer radio unit 24 is connected by a drop line 28 to a power supply unit (PSU) 30 in the customer's premises. The power supply unit 30 is connected to the local power supply to supply power to the customer's radio unit 24 and a network terminal unit (NTU) 32. The customer radio unit 24 is also connected by the customer's radio unit. power supply 30 to the network terminal unit 32, which in turn is connected to the telecommunication equipment in the client's building, for example, to one or more telephones 34, facsimile machines 36 and computers 38. The computer is represented. telecommunication in a single building of the client. Nevertheless, this need not be the case, since the subscriber terminal 20 can support multiple lines, so that several subscriber lines could be supported by a single subscriber terminal 20. The subscriber terminal 20 can also be placed to support Analog and digital telecommunication, for example analog communications to 16, 32 or 64 bits / sec. or digital communication in accordance with the ISDN BRA standard. Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an example of a central terminal of the telecommunication system of Figure 1. The common equipment frame 40 comprises several equipment shelves 42, 44, 46, including a RS combiner and an amplitude shelf. of energy (RFC) 42, a power supply shelf (PS) 44 and several modem shelves (in this example 4) (MS) 46. The shelf of the RF combiner 42 allows the modem shelves 46 to operate in parallel. If 'n' modem shelves are provided, then the RF combiner shelf 42 combines and amplifies the transmission signal energy 'n', each transmission signal is from one of the respective 'n' modem shelves, and amplifies and it separates the received signals, 'n', so that the separated signals can be passed to the respective modem shelves. The power supply shelf 44 provides a connection to the total power supply and a fusion for the various components in the common equipment rack 40. A bidirectional connection extends between the rack of the RF combiner 42 and the main antenna of the central terminal 52, as an omnidirectional antenna, mounted on a central terminal mast 50. This example of a central terminal 10 is connected by a point-to-point microwave link to a location where an interface is made to the public switched telephone network 18, illustrated in schematic in figure 1. As already mentioned, other types of connections (for example, copper wires or optical fibers) can be used to link the central terminal 10 to the public switched telephone network 18. In this example, the shelves of modems are connected via lines 47 to a microwave terminal (MT) 48. A microwave link 49 extends from the microwave terminal 48 to a point-to-point microwave antenna 54 mounted on the mast 50 for a guest connection to the public switched telephone network 18.
A personal computer, work station or the like can be provided as a site controller (SC) 56 to support the central terminal 10. The site controller 56 can be connected to each modem rack of the central terminal 10 by, for example, connections RS232 55. The site controller 56 can then provide support functions, such as fault location, alarms and states, the configuration of the central terminal 10. A site controller 56 will almost always support a single central terminal 10, although a plurality of site controllers 56 may be networked to support a plurality of central terminals 10. As an alternative to the RS232 connections 55, which extend to a site controller 56, data connections such as an X link could be provided. .25 57 (illustrated with a dotted line in Figure 3) from a packet assembler and disassembler 228 to a switching node 60 of an adminis element trainer (EM) 58. An element manager 58 can support several central distributed terminals 10 connected by respective connections to the switching node 60. The element manager 58 enables a large potential number (for example up to or more than 1000) of central terminals 10 that will be integrated into a management network. Element manager 58 is based around a powerful workstation 62 and may include several 64 computer terminals for network engineers and control personnel.
Figure 3A illustrates various parts of a modem shelf 46. An RF transmit / receive unit (RFU for example placed on a card in a modem shelf) 66 generates the RF signals of modulated transmission at average energy levels and recovers and amplifies the baseband RF signals for the subscriber terminals. The RF unit 66 is connected to an analog card (AN) 68 which performs AD / DA conversions, baseband filtering and vector summation of 15 signals transmitted from the modem (MC) cards 70. Analog unit 68 is connected to several 70 modem cards (almost always 1-8). The modem cards perform the processing of baseband signals of the transmission and reception signals to / from the subscriber terminals 20. This may include half the convolutional coding rate and x 16 dispersion with "access multiplexed access" codes. division of codes "(CDMA) in the transmission signals, and the synchronization recovery, the correction of errors and not expanded in the reception signals. Each modem card 70 in this example has two modems and in preferred modes there are eight modem cards per shelf, and therefore sixteen modems per shelf. However, to incorporate redundancy so that a modem can be substituted on a subscriber link when a failure occurs, only 15 modems are usually used on a single modem shelf 46. The sixteenth modem is then used as a spare that can be be switched if a failure occurs in any of the 15 modems. The modem cards 70 are connected to the tributary unit (TU) 74 terminating the connection to the public switched telephone network 18 (for example, by one of the lines 47) and handles the telephony information signaling to the subscriber terminals by one of 15 of the total of 16 modems. In addition, each modem rack 46 includes a shelf controller 72 that is used to manage the operation of the entire modem rack and its secondary network subelements (NSE). The rack controller (SC) is provided with an RS232 serial port for connection to the site controller 56 or the packet assembler and disassembler 228. The rack controller communicates control and data information via a backplane asynchronous busbar directly with the other elements of the modem shelf. Other sub-elements of the network are connected by means of modem cards. The wireless telecommunication between a central terminal 10 and the subscriber terminals 20 could operate at various frequencies. Figure 4 illustrates a possible example of the frequencies that could be used. In the present example, the wireless telecommunication system is intended to operate in the 1.5-2.5 GHz band. In particular, this example is intended to operate in the band defined by Recommendation ITU-R (CCIR) F.701 (2025-21). 10 MHz, 2200-2290 MHz). Figure 4 illustrates the frequencies used for the uplink of the subscriber terminals 20 to the central terminal 10 and for the downlink of the central terminal 10 to the subscriber terminals 20. It should be noted that the uplink radio channels 12 and downlink 12, 3.5MHz each, are centered around 2155MHz. The separation between the reception and transmission channels exceeds the minimum required separation of 70MHz. In this example, each modem rack is positioned to support a frequency channel (i.e., an uplink frequency plus the corresponding downlink frequency), with techniques such as code division multiplex access (CDMA), used for allowing a plurality of wireless links to subscriber terminals to be supported at the same time in a plurality of orthogonal channels in each frequency channel. Almost always, radio traffic from a particular central terminal
will be extended in the area covered by a neighboring central terminal 10. To avoid, or at least reduce, interference problems caused by junction areas, any given central terminal 10 will employ only a limited number of available frequencies. This is explained in greater detail in GB-A-2,301, 751, which also provides further details on coding / decoding by CDMA, and in the signal processing steps employed in the subscriber terminals and the central terminal to control the CDMA communication between them. The above description has provided an overview of a suitable wireless telecommunication system in which this invention can be employed. Next, the techniques used in preferred embodiments of the present invention for controlling calls to or from subscriber terminals of the wireless telecommunication system will be explained. As already indicated, in a demand-allocation operation mode, many more STs than those in the traffic support channels can be supported to handle the wireless links with those STs; The exact number supported depends on the level of the dial tone service desired by the service provider. However, the use of a demand allocation mode complicates the interface between the central terminal and the switching of a public switched telephone network (PSTN). In the lateral switching interface, the CT must provide services for switching, as if all the subscribers were connected to direct service even though they could not be actually purchased from a radio frequency channel. Regardless of whether the ST is acquired or not for switching, all subscribers must be present in the interface for switching. Without any form of concentration, it is clear that it would be necessary to provide a large number of interfaces for switching. However, most PSTN switches still use non-concentrated interfaces, for example V5.1 or CAS, and only relatively few employ concentrated interfaces, such as TR303 or V5.2. To prevent each central terminal from having to provide a large number of interfaces for the switch, it is proposed to employ an access concentrator that transmits signals and receives signals from the central terminal using concentrated interfaces, but that maintains a non-concentrated interface for the switch. , the protocol conversion and the mapping functions that are used in the access concentrator to convert signals from a concentrated format to a non-concentrated format and vice versa. Said access concentrator is illustrated in FIG. 5, which illustrates elements of the access concentrator and the central terminal used to control calls. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although Figure 5 illustrates the access concentrator 100 as a separate unit to the central terminal 10, in fact this is the preferred embodiment, it is also possible that the functions of the access concentrator could be provided in the central terminal 10 in situations where it is considered appropriate. As shown in Figure 5, the access concentrator 100 has several tributary units 110, hereinafter referred to as XTU (tributary units (which are facing each other) of exchange), which constitute a non-concentrated interface to the switch of a network of telecommunication. When an incoming call is received on the path 200 of the switch of a telecommunication network, then the XTU 110 receiving that call is arranged to determine, from the information associated with that incoming call, to which line of the subscriber terminal the incoming call is destined, and then uses that information to access a database 150 associated with that XTU 110 to retrieve all the necessary information about the subscriber terminal line to allow the call to be routed through an access hub to the central terminal and then via a wireless link to the subscriber terminal. In preferred modalities, the XTU 110 are connected to the switch of the telecommunication network via the line E1. The number of lines E1 required will depend on the number of subscriber terminal lines supported by the wireless telecommunication system, each subscriber terminal line having a dedicated time slot in one of the predetermined connections of E1. Once the necessary information has been recovered by the XTU 110 from the database 150, then the XTU 110 is arranged to contact the tributary unit 120 in the access concentrator 100, hereinafter referred to as CTU 120 (unit concentrating feeder), to request a call manager at CTU 120 to determine an appropriate path for directing the call on the backplane between the XTU 110 and the CTU, by the backward routing between the access concentrator 100 and the central terminal 10, and by the wireless link between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal to which the call is intended. The mechanism used by the call manager in preferred modes determines the path for routing the call between the access concentrator, the central terminal and the subscriber terminal will be explained below with reference to figure 6. In addition, a detailed explanation is offered of this technique in GB-A-2, 326,310 (UK patent application No. 9712168.5) filed on June 1, 1997. However, in summary, the call manager preferably establishes a call object to represent the call, and then store the information retrieved from the database 150 using the XTU as attributes of that call. In addition, preferably, the call manager employs certain elements in the access concentrator and the central terminal to determine if there is a radio slot available to carry the call between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. Here, the term "radio slot" refers to the bandwidth elements into which each frequency channel is subdivided, these radio slots are assigned to particular calls as required. Once the radio slot for the call has been located, the flame manager on the CTU 120 causes the addressed subscriber terminal to be invited to acquire the wireless link in the radio slot. Once the subscriber terminal has acquired the wireless link in the correct radio slot, then the call manager causes the support time slots to be located in the links of the backward routing concentrated interface between the access concentrator 100 and the central terminal 10, and in the concentrated backplane between the XTU 110 and the CTU 120 in the access concentrator 100.
The backplane and backward routing are referred to as "concentrates", since the number of time slots provided is less than the actual number of subscriber terminals that the system supports. Consequently, a support time slot is placed dynamically when and as required. Accordingly, unlike the E1 connections between the XTU 110 and the exchange switch, where the data relating to a particular subscriber terminal line will always appear in a particular time slot of a particular E1 line, the data for a line of particular subscriber terminal may appear in any free support time slot in the backplane and backward routing, since these time slots are dynamically located at the time of call initiation. Once the above procedure has occurred, then the call can be routed from the XTU 110 to the backplane to the CTU 120, and thence from the backward routing to the tributary unit 130 in one of the modem shelves of the terminal With which the subscriber terminal has established the wireless link, this tax unit 130 is referred to as DTU 130 (tributary unit of allocation on demand). As already explained with reference to Figure 3a, the data is then routed through the modem card 70, an analog card 68, a transmit / receive RF unit 66, and then via the RF combiner 42 rack before being transmitted from the antenna from the central terminal to the subscriber terminal via the wireless link.
The above description has explained the general technique used to route an incoming call from a switch of a telecommunication network to a particular subscriber terminal. A similar procedure is employed in the reverse direction for outgoing calls from a subscriber terminal to the switch. In this case, when the subscriber terminal makes contact with the central terminal to establish an outgoing call, then once the radio link is established, the DTU 130 on the modem shelf of the appropriate central terminal has access to the base data 180 to retrieve the necessary information (e.g., time slot ID E1) to allow the call to be routed by backward routing and the backplane to the correct E1 line to the switch. The recovered information is then transmitted with the preparation message to the CTU 120 to allow the creation of said call. Figure 6 illustrates in more detail the elements used to route calls from the switch to the subscriber terminal, and vice versa. For an incoming call, the first step is that the incoming call is received via the exchange port 210 contained in the XTU 110 of the access concentrator, and then the call to the call manager 220 is notified on the CTU 120. The administrator Call 220 then sends a message to radio administrator 230, requesting radio administrator 230 to identify a radio slot that will be used to carry the call. In the central terminal 10, several radio slaves are provided in the DTU 130, in preferred embodiments there is a radio slave 240 for each modem rack, and consequently each frequency channel, provided by the central terminal. The radio manager 230 identifies a radio slot by asking each radio slave 240 on the shelves capable of carrying a call to the addressed subscriber terminal for a radio slot. In turn, each radio slave 240 is asked, until a suitable radio slot is found, the addressed radio slave 240 which sends a message to the radio manager 230 informing the radio manager 230 of a radio slot. suitable radio that can be used for the call, if said radio slot exists in the frequency channel controlled by the radio slave. When the radio slave 240 instructs the radio administrator 230 that a radio slot is available for the call, the radio slave 240 also makes contact with the port manager of the radio associated with the selected radio slot. In preferred embodiments, there is a radio port manager 250 provided for each radio slot. Upon receiving the message from the radio slave 240, the radio port manager 250 is positioned to configure itself, so that it has the ability to receive an acquisition request message from a subscriber terminal in the radio slot. associated Once the radio administrator 230 has received from the radio slave 240 the identification of the radio slot that will be used to carry the call, it informs the call manager 220 that a radio slot has been determined. The call manager 220 then instructs the radio administrator 230 to invite the addressed subscriber terminal to acquire the wireless link in the selected radio slot. Radio manager 230 then informs all radio slaves 240 associated with the frequency channels that can be used to make contact with the subscriber terminal, and these radio slaves are set to instruct all radio port managers 250 associated with the radio slots of those frequency channels to cause those radio port managers to transmit an invitation message to the subscriber terminal 20. One of the orthogonal channels in each frequency channel is preferably designated as a channel of call control, and therefore one of the radio port managers 250 will be associated with that call control channel. When a subscriber terminal is not involved in a call in a particular traffic channel, it is preferably placed to listen to the call control channel, which allows sending management messages to the subscriber terminal, and also, in accordance with with preferred embodiments of the present invention, allow the subscriber terminal to receive information about incoming calls whose destination is the subscriber terminal.
Accordingly, generally speaking, the transmission of the invitation message in the call control channel issued by the radio port manager 250 will be sufficient to inform the addressed subscriber terminal 20 of the radio slot to be acquired to establish a wireless link between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal for an incoming call. However, in some cases, the addressed subscriber terminal will already be involved in a call on another traffic channel (or actually in communication with the TC for administration purposes, such as software transfer), and consequently no longer will be listening to the call control channel. However, since more than one element of the telecommunication equipment may be supported by an individual subscriber terminal, it is possible that this incoming call may be connected, even if one element of the telecommunication equipment is already involved in another call. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments all radio port managers associated with the radio slots that can be used to make contact with the addressed subscriber terminal are set to send the invitation message, which ensures that the subscriber terminal 20 will receive the invitation message and will act appropriately. The invitation messages transmitted by the radio port managers 250 are received by a radio port slave 260 at the subscriber terminal 20. In general, there will be a radio port slave 260 per subscriber terminal 20. The slave radio port 260 will then inform the logic of the ST 270 that a request to acquire a particular radio slot has been received. The logic of the ST 270 in Figure 6 encapsulates the functionality contained in the ST microcontroller. The logic of the ST 270 will then return an access request message to the radio port slave 260 that instructs the radio port slave to issue an acquisition request message to the radio port manager 250 at the central terminal 10 associated with the identified radio slot. Once this has been done, the radio port slave 260 will enter a state in which it expects to be granted access to the wireless link. Once the radio port manager 250 associated with the located radio slot has received the acquisition request message, it verifies that the acquisition request message has been received from the correct subscriber terminal 20, and then sends a message to the radio port slave 260 to give access to the subscriber terminal to the radio slot, and will also send an acquisition acknowledgment message via the radio slave 240 and the radio manager 230 to the call manager 220. In this point, the radio administrator 230 will locate support time slots in the links of the concentrated interface between the access concentrator 100 and the central terminal 10. In preferred embodiments, the radio administrator stores fixed mappings between the radio slots and the radio stations. Support time slots located by the radio administrator, so that once the radio administrator knows the acquired radio slot by the subscriber terminal, it will locate a predetermined support time slot. Once this is done, the incoming call can be connected and then the call can proceed. For outgoing calls, preferably the following procedure is used. Periodically the radio port manager 250 associated with the call control channel is positioned to transmit a free list for subscriber terminals 20 indicating those radio slots that are available for purchase by the subscriber terminals for outgoing calls. The radio port 250 administrators associated with the radio slots identified in the free list are notified, so that they can configure themselves to reach an available state, in which they are ready to receive the acquisition request messages from the subscriber terminals. When the radio port slave 260 receives the transmission of the free list in the call control channel, it notifies the logic of the subscriber terminal 270. If the logic of the subscriber terminal 270 then detects a hang-up condition, indicating that a user of a connected element of the telecommunication equipment wishes to make an outgoing call, then the subscriber terminal logic 270 will inform the radio port slave 260 of a radio slot that has been selected from the free list , and that will be used to establish the outgoing call.
The radio port slave 260 will then notify the radio port manager 250 associated with the selected radio slot by issuing an acquisition request message to the radio port manager. The acquisition request message identifies the ST that wishes to make the outgoing call. The radio port manager 250 will then inform the radio administrator 230 via the radio slave 240 of the acquisition of the radio slot by the subscriber terminal 20. In addition, the radio port manager 250 will issue a message to grant access to the radio port slave 260. The logic of the ST 270 then sends the off-hook message to the radio port slave 260, which passes it to the call manager 220 through the radio port manager 250. As in In the case of the incoming call, the radio administrator 230 then places a support channel to carry the call between the access concentrator 100 and the central terminal 10. Then the outgoing call can be connected. With the description of the techniques employed in the preferred embodiments of the present invention to locate radio slots for incoming and outgoing calls to establish a wireless link for incoming and outgoing calls, the techniques employed to handle the signaling procedures for incoming calls and protrusions will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 7, which is a block diagram illustrating the principal elements employed in preferred embodiments of the present invention for effecting said signaling functions. During the establishment of a wireless link in a particular radio slot, the radio port manager 250 associated with the radio slot will communicate with the radio port slave 260 of the subscriber terminal via the input / output ports ( l / O) 430 and 440. During this time, the signaling multiplexer (SIGMUX) 420 at the central terminal (a SIGMUX is provided for each subscriber terminal supported by the central terminal) and the relay 450 at the subscriber terminal will be deactivated to prevent the passage of any signaling information through ports I / O 430, 440 between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. However, once the wireless link has been established, the radio port manager 150 will send a signal to the SIGMUX 420 to allow the SIGMUX to multiplex the signaling messages to transmit them over the wireless link to the subscriber terminal 20. , the radio port slave 260 will send a signal to the relay 450 to allow the relay to pass the signaling information between the I / O port 440 and the POTS administrator 460. In the central terminal 10, a signaling port (SIGPORT )
400 is provided for each subscriber line that may be supported at the subscriber terminal. Accordingly, if the subscriber terminal 20 can support 16 lines, then 16 SIGPORT will be associated with the corresponding SIGMUX 420 at the central terminal. Each SIGPORT 400 is positioned to receive signaling events destined for the corresponding line of the subscriber terminal of several other elements in the central terminal, these signaling events indicating to the SIGPORT 400 that a signaling message needs to be generated to be transmitted to the Subscriber terminal 20. SIGPORT 400 has access to a message set 410 which contains a list of all the messages that SIGPORT 400 can create to represent the signaling events received from other elements of the central terminal. In preferred embodiments, this set of messages 410 comprises a central set of messages that can be used to call any of the scales of the signaling procedures or "sequences", which may need to be performed by the ST 20. Once it has been determined the SIGPORT, with reference to message set 410, message to be transmitted to ST 20, then SIGPORT 400 generates that message and passes it to SIGMUX 420, which combines the message in the downlink signal to be transmitted from CT 10 to the ST 20. This downlink signal is then passed to the I / O port 430 to be transmitted over the wireless link 435 to the I / O port 440 in the ST. In preferred embodiments, the SIGPORT 400 is positioned to receive test events that can be issued by a test engineer to perform online test functions and the like. In preferred embodiments, the message set 410 also includes a central set of test messages used to represent these test events. When the SIGPORT 400 determines that a received event is a test event, for example, by reference to the attributes of the test event, then it references the message set 410 to determine the appropriate test message to represent that test event, generates that test message and passes it to the SIGMUX 420 to combine it into the downlink signal that will be transmitted from the CT 10 to the ST 20. As with the signaling messages, this downlink signal is then passed to the port of l / O 430 for transmission by the wireless link 435 to the port of I / O 440 in the ST. As already mentioned, by the use of orthogonal codes and the like, the I / O port 440 of the ST 20 will only recognize that portion of the downlink signal intended for the particular ST 20. Also at this stage, since the slave of the radio port 260 will have enabled the relay 450, then the relay 450 has the ability to transfer any signaling or test message received by the port of I / O 440 to the administrator of POTS 460 In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a POTS Line Signaling Processor (PLSIG) 480 is provided for each POTS line to an element of the telecommunication equipment connected to the ST 20. In addition, a Test Processor is provided. POTS line (PLTEST) 490 for each ST 20. The POTS administrator 460 has access to a set of messages 470, this set of preference messages contains an identical set of messages to the messages included in message set 410 of the central terminal 10. With reference to message set 470, the POTS 460 administrator has the ability to decode the received message to determine the signaling event or test represented by that message. In preferred embodiments, the message contains an attribute that identifies the ST line number to which the message relates. If the message represents a test event, then that event is only advanced to the PLTEST 490 processor. However, since there is preferably a PLSIG 480 processor for each line of the ST's POTS equipment, then for a signaling event the POTS 460 administrator uses the line number attribute to determine which particular PLSIG 480 processor the signaling event is addressing. Accordingly, having referred to message set 470 and information in the message such as the line number attribute, the POTS 460 administrator has the ability to determine whether the message represents a signaling event intended for a PLSIG processor. 480 or a test event intended for the PLTEST 490 processor, and, if the message represents a signaling event, for which PLSIG 480 processor the signaling event is intended. Therefore, the POTS 460 administrator is positioned to route signaling events to the appropriate PLSIG 480 processor, or to route test events to the PLTEST 490 processor.
Assuming that the message represents a signaling event, then the PLSIG 480 processor that corresponds to the particular POTS line to which the event is directed will receive that signaling event. Each PLSIG 480 processor contains "context" information that identifies the particular PLSIG processor, and also the status of the POTS line associated with the PLSIG processor. With the use of the context information, the PLSIG 480 processor is positioned to refer to a set of sequences 500 that contains a set of signaling sequences that can be executed in conjunction with the POTS line of the particular ST. This set of sequences 500 can be defined generally for any line within ST 20, or alternatively, the set of actual sequences 500 can be defined on a per line basis. In the latter case, each PLSIG 480 processor within the ST will be arranged to access a different sequence set 500. The set of sequences 500 preferably is a look-up table that lists a set of signaling events, and, for each event, identifies a signaling sequence that must be performed after receiving that event. However, in the preferred embodiments, the actual correspondence between the events and sequences may vary depending on the state information stored within the PLSIG 480 processor. Therefore, in effect the sequence set 500 may comprise a number of search tables , one for each different state that could be stored by the PLSIG 480 processor. In such cases, the PLSIG 480 processor is arranged to use the context information stored within it, and the signaling event received from the POTS 460 administrator, for which references the set of sequences 500, identifies the appropriate look-up table within the sequence set 500 and then retrieves a pointer for the sequence identified by the look-up table as corresponding to the signaling event. Once this procedure has been performed, the PLSIG 480 processor returns the current context information, and a pointer for the sequence identified by the PLSIG 480 processor, to the POTS 460 administrator. The POTS 460 administrator is arranged to have a macroprocessor 520, which has access to an instruction set 530 in order to execute any of the sequences stored within the sequence set 500. After receiving the sequence pointer and the context information from the PLSIG 480 processor, the administrator POTS 460 arranges to assign the macroprocessor 520 to the PLSIG 480 processor, and to pass the sequence pointer and the context information to the macroprocessor 520. The macroprocessor 520 then retrieves the particular identified sequence from the sequence set 500, and identifies the instructions set in that particular sequence. Then, the macroprocessor 520 executes the sequences by retrieving from the instruction set 530 the instructions forming the sequence, and executes these instructions in the appropriate order. Depending on the sequence involved, this may result in some signaling events being sent from the PLSIG 480 processor to the POTS 460 manager to cause a message to be generated that passes through the 450 relay and the 440 I / O port to transmit over the wireless link 435 to the central terminal. In addition to receiving events directly from the POTS administrator 460, each PLSIG 480 processor can also receive signaling events from one or more ST 550 hardware controllers that are connected to the particular items of the ST hardware 540. Therefore, ST 550 hardware controllers can detect conditions such as when the ST 540 hardware is disconnected, numbers that are being entered by a user of the ST 540 hardware, etc., and could respond to these events by generating signaling events to be transmitted to the PLSIG 480 processor. As before, these events will cause the PLSIG 480 processor to perform a search procedure within the sequence set 500 in order to recover a pointer for a particular sequence that needs to be executed within the subscriber terminal as a result of those events. This information will then be passed to the POTS administrator 460 which will assign the macroprocessor 520 to the PLSIG 480 processor, and then the particle sequence will be executed by the macroprocessor 520.
As mentioned above, the POTS 460 administrator can also receive test messages from the central terminal, these messages being used to induce particular test sequences, either on a periodic or random basis, so as to prove that the POTS lines are working correctly After receiving such messages, the POTS administrator 460 will reference the message set 470 in order to decode the message, and after determining that message represents a test event, it will pass the test event to the PLTEST 490 processor. mentioned above, in the preferred embodiments, there is only one PLTEST 490 processor provided for each subscriber terminal 20. However, those skilled in the art will understand that any number of PLTEST 490 processors may be provided, depending for example on the level of proof that is required within the system. When the PLTEST processor 490 receives a test event, it accesses the sequence set 510 in order to determine the sequence that should be executed as a result of that event. Unlike the sequence set 500 associated with each PLSIG 480 processor, the sequence set 510 typically does not depend on the state, and therefore the sequence set 510 can be implemented simply as a look-up table. As with the procedure performed by the PLSIG 480 processors, the PLTEST 490 processor is arranged to return to the POTS 460 administrator a pointer for the appropriate sequence that needs to be performed as a result of receiving the particular test event. Then, the POTS administrator 460 will assign the macroprocessor 520 to the PLTEST 490 processor and that test sequence will be executed with reference to the instructions in the instruction set 530. In addition, the PLTEST 490 processor can be connected to the 570 test hardware controllers , which in turn are connected to various items of the 560 test hardware. This provides an alternative route by which test events can be received by the PLTEST 490 processor. Even if the test events are received, these will result. that a sequence is recovered from the sequence set 510 and then executed by the macroprocessor 520, and this may result in some test result events being returned to the POTS 460 administrator to generate a message that is passed through the relay 450 and port I / O 440 to transmit it over the wireless link 435 to the central terminal 1 0. In the preferred embodiments, there is only one macroprocessor 520 for each ST being this microprocessor part of the POTS 460 administrator, and assigned to PLSIG 480 processors, or to the PLTEST 490 processor, as required. However, those skilled in the art will understand that there is no requirement to have only one macroprocessor 520, and if appropriate, more than one microprocessor could be provided in order to, for example, improve the processing speed. It should also be noted that, in accordance with the preferred embodiments, the macroprocessor 520 has access to an individual set of instructions 530, which contains a central set of instructions that can be used to define all the various signaling and test sequences within sequence assemblies 500 and 510. This central set of instructions is particularly adjusted to perform the signaling and testing procedures. By the method described above, both the set of messages defining the messages transferred between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal, and the set of instructions defining the instructions that can be executed by the macroprocessor 520, can be provided by a set relatively small messages and instructions, which are independent of any particular telecommunications protocol, and therefore are independent of the country. Then, the sequence sets 500 and 510 can be defined for each particular telecommunications protocol, and therefore for the requirements of each particular country, each sequence in the set of sequences still being defined using the basic central set of instructions, and still associated with a particular message within the message set. This method provides a particularly efficient way to handle and process the various signaling and testing procedures that need to be performed by the subscriber terminal 20. The following list illustrates the instructions included within set of instructions 530 in the preferred embodiments:
Common instructions for signaling and testing ALARM - Used to issue an alarm to an alarm manager and to end a sequence. CALL STATE - Stores the new status value in a call log of the signaling or test processor. END - Ends a sequence. EXIT - Ends a sequence, all results that passed through the buffer are sent to the CT. GOTO - Execute a Go To operation. LINEFEED - program the line feed information that happened in operand A. PUSH_RESULT_STACK - Stores in the result stack the value address by operand A STORE_DIGIT - Stores a digit in the next free location of the result buffer and the next free location of the stack of digits dialed. STOP_TIMEOUT- Stop the finished timer of the signaling processor or the test processor.
TEST_EQ - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator equal to. TEST_NEQ - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator not equal to. TEST_LE - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator less than or equal to. TESTJLT - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator less than. TEST_GE - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator greater than or equal to. TEST_GT - Compare the two values in operands A and B using the test operator greater than.
Instructions for testing the ABORT_TEST line - Immediately abort a line test sequence and execute the LINEFEED and RESET_RELAYS commands. ADD - Add the numbers X and Y, the source of X and Y being defined by the operand A. ADC - Add the numbers X and Y and add the state of a condition flag, the source of X and Y being defined by the operating A. ADC_READ - Initiates an analog to digital converter reading. RELAY - Activates or deactivates a line test relay.
RESET_RELAYS - Reinitializes all line test relays to their idle status. SUB - Subtract the number X from the number Y, the source of X and Y being defined by operand A. SBC - Subtract the number X from the number Y with carry, the source of X and Y being defined by operand A. TEST_DIAL_TONE - Sets the condition flag to the status of the dial tone detector. TEST_HOOK_SWITCH Sets the condition flag to the status of the connection switch. TIMER_READ - Stores in the result stack the current value stored in the selected timer. TIMER_START - Starts a timer that can be used to measure the length of time until the event occurs. TIME_TEST - Sets the condition flag if the timer is greater than or equal to the timer's test value. WAIT_MSEC - Suspends the execution of commands during a fixed interval. WAIT_SEC - Suspends the execution of commands during a fixed interval.
Instructions for ABORT signage - Terminate a script immediately.
CPE_TONE - Applies a single tone or a single combination of tones to the line. DIALLING_MODE - Modify the marking mode flag. RADIO_ACCESS - Issues normal or priority requests for radio access and a request to clear radio access. TEST_DIAL_MODE - Sets the condition flag to the state of the flag mode. TEST_PRIORITY_NUMBER - Sets the condition flag if a priority number complement exists. To illustrate how sequences are formed from these instructions, what follows is an example of a SETUP sequence executed during the establishment of a call:
The linefeed instruction is included so that if the ringer has to be active when the ringer pulse timer ends then the reverts instruction reverts from RINGING to the last recorded line feed. This SETUP sequence rests in the call set-up message (Cali Setup) that includes two parameters which are placed in the power stack. Param 1 = = Linefeed code Param 2 = = maximum duration of the ring pulse. Having discussed the elements provided within the subscriber terminal to handle the signaling and testing events in the preferred embodiments, the sequence of signaling events generated from the exchange port 210 of the access concentrator 100 to the signaling processor 480 of the subscriber terminal 20 to establish an incoming call with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8C will be discussed in detail. which are interaction diagrams that illustrate the interaction of the various elements within the access concentrator, the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. For the example illustrated in FIGS. 8A to 8C, the signaling processor 480 is considered to be an "IDLE" state prior to the establishment of the incoming call. Initially, for an incoming call, the exchange port 210 receives a SEIZE message through an E1 line from the exchange, indicating this SEIZE message the presence of an incoming call. In the preferred embodiments, this SEIZE message in fact takes the form of a repeated pattern of bits, and its position in the time slots E1 identifies the exchange bearer channel. As mentioned above when FIG. 5 was discussed, each subscriber terminal line has a dedicated bearer channel on a line E1, and therefore the exchange bearer channel identifies the subscriber terminal line to which the call is directed. incoming. Exchange port 210 responds to the SEIZE message by issuing a function call SetupReq () to a CONCCALL 610 object. A CONCCALL object is in fact provided at either end of the backplane connecting the XTU 1 10 and the CTU 120, terminating these objects CONCCALL 610, 615 a three-layer protocol used to communicate through the backplane. In the preferred embodiments, layer 2 of the protocol is based on the Q.921 standard, and layer 1 is a layer of "High-level data link control" (HDLC). To distinguish between the two CONCCALL objects one is known as the CONCCALL NET 610 object, where the CONCCALL object is closest to the telecommunications network with which the exchange port is communicated, while the other CONCCALL object is known as the object CONCCALL USR 615, this being the CONCCALL object on the subscriber or user system side. The function call SetupReq () includes attributes that identify the subscriber terminal line to which the incoming call is directed, and the modem shelves of the central terminal that the subscriber terminal can acquire, having been retrieved is information from the appropriate database 150 to which XTU 110 can access. For signaling purposes, a fixed common signaling channel is provided through the backplane, and through backward routing, and the signaling events are communicated through the channel of fixed signaling through messages, the same set of messages being defined by communication through both the backplane and backward routing. Therefore, after receiving the SetupReq () function call, the CONCCALL 610 object creates a DA_SETUP message used to transfer the information contained within the SetupReq () function call through the backplane to the CONCCALL USR 615 object. Here, the DA_SETUP message is decoded to generate an UsrSetuplnd () function call to be passed to a call manager call object (CMGRCALL) 620. The attributes of the UsrSetuplnd () function call are identical to the attributes of the call of function SetupReq () issued by the exchange port 210. The CMGRCALL 620 object is created by the call manager 220 to handle the signaling events of a particular call, and therefore there will be a CMGRCALL 620 object for each call that is present. being currently handled by the access concentrator 100. Each CMGRCALL object created is identified by an ST identifier and a corresponding line number. to the subscriber terminal line to which the incoming call is directed.
The CMGRCALL 620 object is fixed, after receiving the UsrSetuplnd () function call, to issue an "Allocate" function call to the radio administrator 230, instructing the radio administrator to assign a radio slot to the incoming call . To reduce the complexity of the figures, the actual procedure performed by the radio manager 230 is not illustrated in Figure 8A, having discussed it in greater detail above with reference to Figure 6. Once the radio administrator 230 has received a indication from a radio slave 240 that a radio slot is available to assign it to the incoming call, then the radio administrator arranges to issue an AllocateAck () function call to the CMGRCALL 620 object. At this time, the object CMGRCALL 620 sends a function call lnviteToAcquire () to the radio administrator 230, which then causes the radio administrator 230 to arrange for the subscriber terminal to be invited to acquire a wireless link in the given radio slot. Again, this procedure has been previously discussed with reference to Figure 6. Once the subscriber terminal has acquired the radio slot, the radio administrator 230 issues an AcquisitionAck () function call to the CMGRCALL 620 object to confirm that Wireless link has been established. In addition, the radio manager 230 is now arranged to allocate a backplane bearer channel through which the data of the incoming call can pass, and this information is also provided to the CMGRCALL 620 object. The backplane bearer channel assigned by the radio administrator to the backplane determines which bearer channel will be used for backward routing, there being in the preferred embodiments a fixed relation between the backplane and the bearer channels of the backward routing. The CMGRCALL object 620 is then arranged to issue a CallProcReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, the function call also including an indication of the backplane bearer channel allocated by the radio administrator. This function call causes the CONCCALL USR 615 object to generate a DA_CALL PROCEEDING message to transmit it through the backplane to the CONCCALL NET 610 object, this message also including the details of the backplane bearer channel that has been assigned for the incoming call . The CONCCALL NET 610 object then decodes the message
DA_CALL PROCEEDING, and generates a CallProclnd () function call to transmit it to the exchange port 210, and which identifies the assigned backplane carrier channel. The exchange port 210 responds to this function call by generating a ConnectBch function call to transmit it to a digital switch 600, this function call identifying the exchange bearer channel provided in the SEIZE message from the exchange, and the bearer channel of the exchange. backplane assigned by the radio administrator for the incoming call.
The digital switch 600 responds to this function call by connecting the identified exchange bearer channel to the assigned backplane carrier channel, thereby providing a route for the incoming call. As soon as the CMGRCALL 620 object issues the CallProcReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, it is also arranged to issue a function call SetupReq () to another CONCCALL NET 630 object, this CONCCALL NET object terminates a three layer interface that exists through backward routing between the CTU 120 of the access concentrator 100 and the DTU 130 of the central terminal 10. The object CMGRCALL 620 has been reproduced in Figure 8B to clearly illustrate that the call function function SetupReq () originates from the CMGRCALL 620 object and is intended for the CONCCALL NET 630 object. Figure 8B also shows the UserSetuplnd () function call that reaches the CMGRCALL 620 object, but, for reasons of simplicity, all intermediate function calls illustrated in Figure 8A have been omitted. As mentioned above, the same set of messages is used through backward routing as it is used through the backplane. Therefore, the CONCCALL NET 630 object responds to the SetupReq () function call by issuing a DA_SETUP message to a corresponding CONCCALL USR 635 object within the DTU 130 at the other end of the backward routing. The CONCCALL USR 635 object decodes this DA_SETUP message and generates a function call Setuplnd () to pass to the SIGPORT 400. As previously mentioned, in the preferred modalities there is a SIGPORT 400 for each subscriber terminal line, and since the The initial SetupReq () function call issued by exchange port 210 identifies a subscriber terminal line, the CONCCALL USR 635 object can ensure that the function call Setuplnd () that it issues is routed to the SIGPORT 400. As discussed above with reference to Figure 7, after receiving the signaling events, the SIGPORT 400 is arranged to access a message set 410 by defining the messages that can pass through the wireless link between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. It should be noted that this message set 410 is, in the preferred embodiments, different from the set of messages used for the backplane and backward routing. Therefore, in this case, the SIGPORT 400 responds to the reception of the function call Setuplnd () by accessing the message set 410 and determining that a SETUP message should be transmitted to the subscriber terminal. Therefore, the SIGPORT 400 generates the SETUP message and issues it to the SIGMUX 420, including this SETUP message as attributes the line number to which the signaling event is addressed, and two additional parameters P1 and P2. These two parameters are used when the signaling sequence determined by the relevant signal processor 480 is executed, and the information contained within these two parameters will vary depending on the status of the call process. However, considering that signaling processor 480 is in the IDLE state at the time at which the call is being established, then parameters P1 and P2 included within the SETUP message will identify a line power code, and a maximum duration of Ringer pulse for telecommunications equipment connected to the line, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 8C, the SIGMUX 420 then issues the SETUP message to transmit it over the wireless link to the subscriber terminal. This SETUP message is received by the POTS administrator 460 within the subscriber terminal, which then accesses message set 470 (identical to message set 410) to decode the SETUP message. The POTS administrator 460 also extracts the line number information from the SETUP message in order to determine the signaling processor 480 to which the setup signaling element is directed. This then issues a function call Setup () to the appropriate signaling processor 480 which includes as parameters the values P1 and P2. A three-layer protocol transport mechanism is used to communicate over the wireless link between the SIGPORT 400 and the signaling processor 480, with the SIGPORT 400 and the signaling processor 480 terminating the three-layer protocol. In the preferred modalities, layer 2 of the protocol is based on the Q.921 standard and layer 1 is a "High Level Data Link Control" (HDLC) layer. Layer 2 and layer 1 of the protocol are provided within ports I / O 430 and 440 in the preferred embodiments. The signaling processor 480 will respond to the Setup () function call by issuing the appropriate signals to the subscriber terminal hardware controllers 550 in such a manner as to cause the bell on the telecommunications equipment to turn on. Once this has been done, the signaling processor 480 will issue a SendlnfoReply () function call to the POTSMGR 460 requesting the POTSMGR to issue an INFOREPLY message. The INFOREPLY message is a generic type of message used in the uplink signaling communication between the subscriber terminal and the central terminal, a parameter of this INFOREPLY message being used to indicate the type of signaling event responsible for the issuance of the INFOREPLY message. By providing a unique predetermined signaling message, such as the INFOREPLY message, for uplink signaling communications between the subscriber terminal and the central terminal, savings in the necessary bandwidth for such signaling messages can be achieved, since they require fewer bits to define the message. In addition, the INFOREPLY message is arranged in such a way that it can have a number of parameters, each parameter identifying a different signaling event, thereby allowing a plurality of signaling events to be combined in a single signaling message INFOREPLY , which results in even greater savings in bandwidth. The SendInfoReply () function issued by the signaling processor includes a parameter that identifies an ALERTING signaling event, identifying this signaling event that the telecommunications equipment item has been alerted to the presence of an incoming call. After receiving this function call SendlnfoReply () the POTSMGR 460 refers to the set of messages 470 in order to construct the INFOREPLY message, which includes as parameters of that INFOREPLY message, the line number with which the signaling processor 480 is associated, and an indication that the signaling event represented by the INFOREPLY message is an ALERTING signaling event. After receiving the INFOREPLY message by the SIGMUX 420, the SIGMUX is arranged to reference the message set 410 to determine the line number information from the INFOREPLY message, so that it can determine which SIGPORT 400 will route the INFOREPLY message. Having done this, the SIGMUX 420 passes the INFOREPLY message to the SIGPORT 400 corresponding to the determined line number.
As shown in Figure 8B, the SIGPORT 400 then issues an AlertingReq () function call to the CONCCALL object
USR 635, to request that the CONCCALL USR 635 object issue a message
DA_ALERTING through backward routing to access concentrator 100. The DA_ALERTING message is then received by the CMGRCALL 630 object within CTU 120, and then encoded to generate a NetAlertinglnd () function call sent to the CMGRCALL 620 object. illustrated in Figure 8A, the CMGRCALL object 620 then issues an AlertingReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, causing the CONCCALL USR object to issue the DA_ALERTING message to the CONCCALL NET 610 object within the XTU 1 10. The CONCCALL NET 610 object then issues a function call Alertinglnd () to the exchange port 210, whereupon the exchange port 210 is notified that the item of telecommunications equipment connected to the identified line has been alerted to the presence of an incoming call In the preferred embodiments, the Setup function call issued to signaling processor 480 described above turns on the ringer. However, additional preferential messages are sent corresponding to each edge of the ring pulse, whereby the ringer is turned off and turned on at predetermined intervals. To accomplish this, exchange port 210 issues an InfoReq () function call to the CONCCALL NET 610 object, to cause a DAJNFOLINEFEED message to be sent to the CONCCALL USR 615 object. The CONCCALL USR 615 object then converts this to a function call lnfo (), which includes as parameters the line power code and the duration. The GMGRCALL 620 object receives this Info () function call, and then generates an InfoReq () function call to the CONCCALL NET 630 object to cause a DAJNFOLINEFEED message to be passed to the CONCCALL USR 635 object within the DTU 130. The CONCCALL object USR 635 decodes this message to generate a function call Info () to the SIGPORT 400 corresponding to the line, and then as illustrated in FIG. 8C, the SIGPORT 400 references the message set 410 in order to determine that a INFO JNEFEED message must be sent to the subscriber terminal. This then generates the message INFO_LINEFEED, which identifies as parameters the line number, and the parameters P1 and P2 that provide the line power code and the duration information. The SIGMUX 420 receives the INFOJJNEFEED message and then issues the INFOJJNEFEED message to the POTSMGR 460, decodes that message with reference to the message set 470, and passes an InfoLinefeed () function call to the appropriate signaling processor 480. The signaling processor 480 it then identifies the appropriate sequence to be performed by the macroprocessor 520, causing the operation of that sequence that the timbre of the telecommunications equipment item to turn on and off at predetermined intervals. This process of issuing the InfoReq () function calls from the exchange port 210 is repeated until an off-hook signaling event is generated by the telecommunications equipment item, or the person making the incoming call determines that the call does not It will be accepted, and therefore the call ends. Considering that the call is answered at the subscriber terminal, then the signaling processor 480 will receive an off-hook signaling event by the ST 550 hardware controllers, and will respond to this event by issuing a SendlnfoReply () function call to the POTSMGR 460, requesting POTSMGR to issue an INFOREPLY message. In this case, a parameter in the function call will identify that the signaling event to be represented by the INFOREPLY message is a CONNECT signaling event, which indicates that the call has been accepted. After POTSMGR 460 will generate the INFOREPLY message with reference to the message set 470, and transmits that INFOREPLY message to the SIGMUX 420, the parameters of the INFOREPLY message being used to identify the line number, and to include as an attribute an indication that the signaling event represented is a CONNECT signaling event. This will cause SIGMUX 420 to determine the line number information from the message and then pass the INFOREPLY message (minus the line number information) to the appropriate SIGPORT 400, which then issues a ConnectReq () function call to the object CONCCALL USR 635, requesting the CONCCALL USR 635 object to issue a DA_CONNECT message. This DA_CONNECT message is then sent through backward routing to the CONCCALL NET 630 object in the CTU, and this results in a Connectlnd () function call being issued to the CMGRCALL 620 object, then the CMGRCALL 620 object issuing a call from ConnectReq () function to the CONCCALL USR 615 object. The CONCCALL USR 615 object will issue a DA_CONNECT message to the CONCCALL NET 610 object through the backplane, and this will cause a Connectlnd () function call to be issued to the port. exchange 210. Exchange port 210 will then issue a off-hook message to the exchange to notify the exchange that the call has been received. Returning to the SIGPORT 400, in addition to issuing the ConnectReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 635 object, the SIGPORT 400 also issues a CONNECT_ACK message to the SIGMUX 420 in the preferred modes. The SIGMUX 420 then passes the CONNECT_ACK message to the POTSMGR to confirm that the connection event received by the signaling processor 480 has been transmitted to the exchange. Therefore, after receiving the CONNECT_ACK message, the POTSMGR 460 routes a Connect Ack () function call to the signaling processor 480, which then enters the ACTIVE state. At this time the call is connected, and data traffic can begin, such as dialogue data.
During an incoming call, the user can enter digits to induce complementary services. In such a situation, as illustrated in Figure 8C, a digital signaling event is received by the signaling processor 480 from the corresponding ST 540 hardware, and this causes signaling processor 480 to issue a function call SendlnfoReply () to the POTSMGR 460, which includes as an attribute of that function call the number entered by the user. The POTSMGR 460 then makes reference to the set of messages 470 to generate an INFOREPLY message that includes as parameter the line number of the telecommunications equipment responsible for the digital signaling event, and the digit entered by the user. In the preferred embodiments, a number of digits can be included separately in a single signaling event received by the signaling processor 480, in which case those digits will be combined in a single INFOREPLY message sent from the POTSMGR 460 to SIGMUX 420. The SIGMUX 420 then determines the line number information from the INFOREPLY message and passes the INFOREPLY message to the appropriate SIGPORT 400. The SIGPORT 400 receives the INFOREPLY message and generates an InfoReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 635 object, which includes as a parameter the digit (s) specified within the function call Rcvlnfo (). This causes the CONCCALL USR 635 object to generate a DA_DIGIT message to pass it to the CONCCALL NET 630 object within the CTU 120, which then decodes that message to generate a function call Rcvlnfo () to pass it to the CMGRCALL 620 object. The CMGRCALL object 620. then generates an InfoReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, which causes a DA_DIGIT message to be sent through the backplane to the CONCCALL NET 610 object. Here the CONCCALL NET 610 object decodes the DA_DIGIT message, to generate a function call Rcvlnfo () to pass it to the exchange port 210. At this time, the digit (s) can be provided from the exchange port through the appropriate E1 connection to the exchange. Having discussed the sequence of signaling events generated during the establishment of an incoming call, the sequence of generated signaling events to establish an outgoing call will be described below with reference to Figures 9A to 9C. Considering that the signaling processor 480 for a particular telecommunication line is in an "idle" state, and that the article of telecommunications equipment connected to that line is then disconnected to initiate an outgoing call, then the signaling processor 480 will respond to the off-hook signaling event received from the corresponding hardware controller 550 by issuing an EstablishReq () function call to the POTSMGR 460. Signaling processor 480 will then enter an "AWAITING RADIO ACCESS" status (awaiting radio access). The POSTMGR 460 then contacts the radio port slave 260 to cause the process described above and with reference to FIG. 6 to be used in order to acquire a radio slot in the wireless link for the outgoing call. Once the wireless link has been established, then the POSTMGR 460 is arranged to issue an Establishlnd () function call to the signaling processor 480. This then causes the signaling processor 480 to issue a SendlnfoReply () function call to the signaling processor 480. POSTMGR to request the POSTMGR to issue an INFOREPLY message through the wireless link, identifying a parameter of the function call that the INFOREPLY message should be used to represent a Setup signaling event. Once the function call
SendlnfoReply has been issued by the signaling processor 480, it introduces the status OUTGOING CALL INITIATED "(outgoing call initiated) The message INFOREPLY issued subsequently by the POSTMGR 460 will indicate as parameters the line number associated with the signaling processor 480, and an indication that the INFOREPLY message represents a Setup signaling event, the SIGMUX 420 determining the line number information from this INFOREPLY message, and then routing the INFOREPLY message to the SIGPORT 400 associated with the particular telecommunications line . As indicated in Figure 9B, the SIGPORT 400 will respond to the INFOREPLY message by issuing a SetupReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 635 object, thereby requesting the CONCCALL USR 635 object to issue a DA_SETUP message through BACKHAUL towards the CTU 120 in the access concentrator 100. The CONCCALL NET 630 object in the CTU 120 decodes this message, to generate a function call Setuplnd () to the object CMGRCALL 620. At this time, the CMGRCALL 620 object uses the administrator of radio 230 to allocate a backplane carrier channel to be used to carry the data traffic associated with this outgoing call. This is achieved when the CMGRCALL 620 object issues an AllocateBearer () function call to the 230 radio manager, which then provides within a Bearerlnd function call, returned to the CMGRCALL 620 object, an indication that the channel backplane carrier has been assigned. The CMGRCALL object 620 then issues a SetupReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, to cause a DA_SETUP message to be transferred through the backplane to the CONCCALL NET 610 object within the appropriate XTU 110. This DA_SETUP message includes an indication of the bearer channel of the backplane as assigned by the radio manager 230. The CONCCALL NET 610 object then decodes this DA_SETUP message to generate a function Setuplnd () to the EXCHPORT 210, including an indication of the bearer channel of backplane that has been assigned. At this time, the EXCHPORT is arranged to issue a ConnectBchQ function call to the digital switch 600, to cause the digital switch to connect to the Exch bearer channel associated with the telecommunications line with the backplane bearer channel allocated by the radio manager 230, and notifying EXCHPORT 210 through the function call Setuplnd (). In addition, the exchange port issues an OFF-HOOK signal to the exchange through the appropriate E1 line to indicate that a call is being made. Returning to Figure 9A, it can be seen that the SIGPORT 400 not only issues the function call SetupReq () after receiving the message INFOREPLY (SETUP), but also returns a SETUP_ACK message to the SIGMUX, which includes as a parameter the number line of the telecommunications line associated with the SIGPORT 400. This causes SIGMUX 420 to route a SETUP_ACK message to the POTSMGR 460, which then decodes that message to generate a function call. SetupAck () which is sent to the signal processor 480. After receiving the function call SetupAck () the signaling processor 480 enters the status OUTGOING OVERLAP SENDING "(sending output overlap) Once in the state" OUTGOING OVERLAP SENDING ", signaling processor 480 is arranged to receive digital signaling events that identify a digit, or digits, of the telephone number of the equipment to which the call is directed, each time a signaling event is received in the signaling processor 480, it issues a SendlnfoReply () function call to the POTSMGR 460, which includes as the attributes of the function call the digit or digits entered by the user.The POTSMGR 460 then references the message set 470 to generate a message INFOREPLY which includes as parameters the line number of the telecommunications equipment responsible for the digital signaling event, and the digit (s) introduced by the user In the preferred embodiments, as mentioned above with reference to Figures 8A to 8C, a number of digits can be combined as a single INFOREPLY message. After receiving the INFOREPLY message, the SIGMUX 420 is arranged to determine the line number information, and to pass the INFOREPLY message to the appropriate SIGPORT 400. The SIGPORT 400 receives the INFOREPLY message and generates an lnfoReq () function call that passes to the CONCCALL USR 635 object, which identifies the digit (s) included within the INFOREPLY message. This causes the CONCCALL USR 635 object to issue a DA_DIGIT message to the CONCCALL NET 630 object, which then decodes that message to generate a function call Rcvlnfo () which is transmitted to the CMGRCALL 620, which includes as a parameter the digit ( s) identified in the DA_DIGIT message. The CMGRCALL 620 object then issues an lnfoReq () function call to the CONCCALL USR 615 object, which then generates a DA_DIGIT message to transmit it to the CONCCALL NET 610 object, causing the CONCCALL NET 610 object to issue a Revlnfo function call ( ) to the EXCHPORT 210 that identifies the digit (s). This digital information is then emitted through the appropriate E1 line to the exchange. When the destination of the telecommunications equipment answers the call, the exchange will issue a SEIZE message to the EXCHPORT 210. This will cause the EXCHPORT 210 to issue a ConnectReq () function call to the CONCCALL NET 610 object, to cause a message to be sent. DA_CONNECT via BACKPLANE to the CONCCALL USR 615 object. Here, the message will be decoded to generate a Connectlnd () function call to transmit it to the CMGRCALL 620 object, which then generates a ConnectReq () function call to send it to the object CONCCALL NET 630. Here, the function call is converted to a DA_CONNECT message that will be sent through BACKHAUL to the CONCCALL 635 object, which then issues a SetupConfirm () function call to the SIGPORT 400 confirming that the installation procedure has been completed. The SIGPORT 400 then takes the set of messages 410 as a reference to determine that a CONNECT message must be sent to the subscriber terminal and therefore issues the CONNECT message to the SIGMUX 420, which identifies as a parameter the line number of the equipment of the subscriber. telecommunications to which the connect signaling event is directed. As shown in Figure 9A, the SIGMUX 420 then routes the CONNECT message over the wireless link to the POTSMGR 460, which then generates a Connect () function call to the signaling processor 480. In the preferred embodiments, the Signaling processor 480 is then arranged to issue a SendlnfoReply () function call to the POTSMGR 460, indicating as a function call parameter that the INFOREPLY message must be used to represent a CONNECT_ACK signaling event. Accordingly, the POTSMGR 460 generates an INFOREPLY message, including as parameters the line number, and an indication of the signaling event CONNECT_ACK. The SIGPORT 400 then determines the line number information and passes the INFOREPLY message to the appropriate SIGPORT 400 to confirm to the SIGPORT 400 that the signaling processor 480 has received the CONNECT signaling event. At this time, the outgoing call is connected. To complete, Table 1 is a table listing the messages contained within message sets 410 and 470 in the preferred embodiments to represent the various signaling events communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. The prefix STPOTS_SIG in the box identifies that messages are signaling messages as opposed to test messages. The table also indicates the parameters that can be included within each message, as previously mentioned the values associated with the parameters P1 and P2 depending on the state of the calling process. further, the table provides a brief description of each message, and the address to which it is sent.
TABLE I List of messages contained within the message set used in the preferred embodiments to represent signaling events communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal
As mentioned above with reference to Figure 7, the message sets 410 and 470 of the preferred embodiments also contain messages relating to the test procedures performed within the subscriber terminal. These test procedures can be invoked in a number of ways. For example, an engineer can issue test commands from an element manager to a shelf controller, such as the shelf controller in an XTU 1 10. A pseudo call can then be established from the exchange port 210 to the subscriber terminal , using for example the signaling sequences discussed above with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C. In the preferred embodiments, the same messages are used through the backplane and the backward routing in the same way as they are used for signaling, but containing embedded information that identifies the test event generated by the engineer. The SIGPORT is then arranged to access the message set 410 to determine that the test message is sent through the wireless link to the subscriber terminal to represent a test event. Table 2 is a table listing the messages contained within the message sets 410 and 470 in preferred embodiments to represent the various test events communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal. The prefix STPOTS_LT in the box identifies that the messages are line test messages as opposed to signaling messages. As in Table 1, the table also indicates the parameters that can be included within each message, provides a brief description of each message and indicates the address in which it is sent.
TABLE 2 List of messages contained within the message set used in the preferred embodiments to represent test events communicated between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal
Although a particular embodiment has been described in the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto and that various modifications and additions may be made thereto within the scope of the claims.
Claims (20)
1. - A telecommunications system comprising an interface mechanism for passing signaling events between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal within the telecommunications system, the interface mechanism comprising: a signaling element within the central terminal for receiving a first signaling element for transmitting it to the subscriber terminal and for referring to a stored set of messages for determining a first signaling message for encoding the first signaling element to be transmitted to the subscriber terminal; a signaling manager within the subscriber terminal for receiving the first signaling message from the central terminal, and for referring to said stored set of messages for decoding the first signaling message to determine the first signaling event; the signaling manager being arranged to receive a second signaling event to be transmitted to the central terminal and to decode the second signaling event as a predetermined signaling message from said stored set of messages, a message parameter being arranged Default signaling to contain information that identifies the type of the second signaling event; and the signaling element for decoding being arranged by reference to the stored set of messages, the predetermined signaling message received from the subscriber terminal in order to determine the second signaling event.
2. A telecommunications system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the predetermined signaling message used to decode the second signaling event has a plurality of parameter fields, and the signaling manager is arranged to use the plurality of signaling fields. parameter fields to represent a plurality of said second signaling events within the predetermined signaling message.
3. A telecommunications system according to claim 1 or claim 2, further characterized in that the signaling element comprises: a signaling port arranged to receive the first signaling element, and with reference to the stored message set, for generate the first signaling message; and a signaling multiplexer arranged to cause the first signaling message to be transmitted to the subscriber terminal.
4. A telecommunications system according to claim 3, further characterized in that: a plurality of subscriber terminals are associated with the central terminal, each of the subscriber terminals being arranged to provide one or more telecommunication lines to connect items of telecommunications equipment with the subscriber terminal; the central terminal includes a signaling multiplexer for each subscriber terminal associated with the central terminal; and each signaling multiplexer is associated with a signaling port for each telecommunications line that can be supported by the corresponding subscriber terminal.
5. A telecommunications system according to claim 4, further characterized in that for an incoming call to a particular telecommunications line of a subscriber terminal, the corresponding signaling port is arranged to receive a preparation signaling event, and to generate a preparation message that includes as a parameter an identifier of the telecommunications line to which the incoming call is directed, the signaling manager being arranged to decode the preparation message to determine the preparation signaling event, and which processes the preparation signaling event within the subscriber terminal to cause the telecommunications equipment connected to the particular telecommunications line to generate an incoming call communication.
6. A telecommunications system according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that when an incoming call is accepted at the subscriber terminal, an off-hook signaling event indicating that the incoming call is connected is generated, and the The signaling manager is responsible for the off-hook signaling event to produce the predetermined signaling message with a parameter of the predetermined signaling message that identifies that the incoming call is connected.
7. A telecommunications system according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that it comprises: one or more telecommunication lines provided by the subscriber terminal to connect items of telecommunications equipment to the subscriber terminal; a signaling processor within the subscriber terminal for each telecommunications line supported by the subscriber terminal; the administrator being arranged, signaling to determine from a parameter of the first signaling message the telecommunications line to which the first signaling event is addressed and to pass the first decoded signaling event to the corresponding signaling processor.
8. A telecommunications system according to claim 7, further characterized in that the parameter of the first signaling message is a line number that identifies the telecommunications line to which the first signaling event is directed.
9. A telecommunications system according to any of claims 1 to 4, further characterized in that for an outgoing call coming from the subscriber terminal, the signaling manager is arranged to generate the predetermined signaling message with a message parameter. of predetermined signaling indicating a preparation signaling event, the signaling element being arranged to decode the predetermined signaling message by reference to said message stored set to generate a signaling event that is processed by the central terminal.
10. A telecommunications system according to claim 9, further characterized in that when the outgoing call is accepted at the central terminal, a preparation confirmation signaling event indicating that the outgoing call is connected is received by the sending element. signaling, and the signaling element is responsible for the signaling event confirming the preparation to produce a connect message to represent the preparation confirmation signaling event, the signaling manager having been arranged to decode the connect message to produce a signaling event. signage confirming that the outgoing call is connected.
11. A telecommunications system according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the signaling element is arranged to receive a first event of * test to transmit it to the subscriber terminal and is arranged to take as reference the stored set of messages to determine a first test message to encode the first test event to transmit it to the subscriber terminal.
12. - A telecommunications system according to claim 1 1 further characterized in that the signaling manager within the subscriber terminal is arranged to receive the first test message and to refer to said stored set of messages to decode the first message of test to determine the first test event.
13. A telecommunications system according to claim 1 or claim 12, further characterized in that the signaling manager is arranged to receive a second test event to transmit it to the central terminal and to encode the second test event as a predetermined test message from said stored set of messages, a parameter of the predetermined test message being arranged to contain information identifying the type of the second test event.
14. A telecommunication system according to claim 13, further characterized in that the predetermined test message used to encode the second test event has a plurality of parameter fields, and the signaling manager is arranged to use the plurality of parameter fields to represent a plurality of said second test events within the predetermined test message.
15. A telecommunications system according to any of claims 12 to 14, further comprising a test processor within the subscriber terminal to which the signaling administrator is arranged to pass the first test event for processing. by the test processor.
16. A telecommunications system according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the central terminal and the subscriber terminal are connected by a wireless link, and the central terminal and the subscriber terminal comprise link connection mechanisms for establish the wireless link for incoming and outgoing calls.
17. A central terminal for a telecommunications system according to any of the preceding claims, in which the signaling events are passed between the central terminal and a subscriber terminal, the central terminal comprising a signaling element for receiving a signal. first signaling event to transmit it to the subscriber terminal and to take as reference a stored set of messages to determine a signaling message encoding the first signaling event to transmit it to the subscriber terminal, the signaling element being further arranged for decoding, taking as reference the stored set of messages, the signaling messages received from the subscriber terminal in order to generate signaling events to be processed by the central terminal. 18.- A subscriber terminal for a telecommunications system according to any of claims 1 to 16, in which the signaling events are passed between the subscriber terminal and a central terminal, the subscriber terminal comprising: an administrator signaling to receive a first signaling message from the central terminal, and to take as reference a stored set of messages for decoding the first signaling message to determine a first signaling event that is processed by the subscriber terminal; the signaling manager also being arranged to receive a second signaling event to transmit it to the central terminal and to encode the second signaling event as a predetermined signaling message from said stored set of messages, a parameter of the predetermined signaling message being arranged to contain information identifying the type of signaling event. 19. A method for handling signaling events that pass between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal of a telecommunications system, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a signaling element within the central terminal to respond to reception of a first signaling event to transmit it to the subscriber terminal that takes as reference a stored set of messages to determine a first signaling message; coding in the signaling element the first signaling event as said first signaling message; transmitting the first signaling message to the subscriber terminal; arranging a signaling manager within the subscriber terminal to receive the first signaling message from the central terminal, and taking as reference said stored set of messages, decoding the first signaling message to determine the first signaling event; receiving in the signaling manager a second signaling event to transmit it to the central terminal; coding in the signaling manager the second signaling event as a predetermined signaling message from said stored set of messages, and providing as a parameter of the predetermined signaling message the information identifying the type of the second signaling event; and decoding in the signaling element, taking as reference the stored set of messages, the predetermined signaling message received from the subscriber terminal in order to determine the second signaling event. 20. A method according to claim 19, further characterized in that the predetermined signaling message used to encode the second signaling event has a plurality of parameter fields, and the method comprises the step of: using the plurality of signaling fields; parameter to represent a plurality of said second signaling events within the predetermined signaling message.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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GB9726620.9 | 1997-12-16 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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MXPA00005936A true MXPA00005936A (en) | 2001-12-13 |
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