Abstract: A system for providing lifeline telecommunication service includes a gateway, an analog signal service module, and an integrated access device. The gateway receives telecommunication information from a telecommunication switch and generates data packets for communicating the telecommunication information. The analog signal service module is remotely coupled to the gateway. The analog signal service module may receive the data packets from the gateway and generate a first analog telephone signal for communicating the telecommunication information over a local loop circuit. Coupled to the local loop circuit, the integrated access device may receive the first analog telephone signal from the analog signal service module and communicate the first analog telephone signal to a subscriber line in a first mode of operation.

Abstract: A voice gateway (64) includes an input port (70) that receives a voice signal from an unbundled analog line (62) coupled to a Class 5 switch (52). The voice signal is converted to a digital format by an analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converting unit (76). The voice signal is placed into a compressed format by a compressing/de-compressing unit (80) using a selected one of a plurality of compression ratios. The voice signal is placed into a transport frame by a packetizing/de-packetizing unit (84) according to a selected packet format. The voice signal is multiplexed with other voice signals by an output port (88). The output port (88) places the voice signal onto a selected one of a plurality of output lines in order to transport the voice signal in its transport frame to one of an office customer premises (12) and a residence customer premises (14).

Abstract: A method for testing a voice gateway includes the operation of transmitting a first series of network packets containing test data from test equipment to a network interface of the voice gateway. After the test data has been converted by the voice gateway from a network format to a telephony format and then converted back to a network format, the test equipment receives a second series of network packets containing the test data. The test equipment then analyzes the test data in the second series of network packets to determine performance characteristics of the voice gateway. The operation of analyzing the test data may include the operation of identifying bytes from the test data with byte values that represent idle insertion by a telephony interface and/or the operations of determining elapsed time between transmission and reception of the test data by the test equipment.

Abstract: A method reliably communicates content for multiple subscriber lines via a single physical transmission medium between a telecommunication gateway and equipment at a customer location. In that method, content for two or more subscriber lines of the customer location is received and converted into packetized data for network communications and/or multiplexed to form an added-main-line (AML) signal that includes power. The packetized data or the AML signal is communicated between the customer location and the telecommunication gateway via the single physical transmission medium. External power can be used to extract the content for the two or more subscriber lines from the packetized data in a primary mode of operation, and the power from the AML signal can be used to extract the content for the two or more subscriber lines from the AML signal in a backup mode of operation.

Abstract: A voice gateway (18) in a telecommunications network (1) includes a plurality of telephony port modules (102). Each telephony port module (102) receives telephony voice signals from a public switched telephony network (13). Each telephony port module (102) includes one or more digital signal processors (110) that perform one or more processing functions on the telephony voice signals. A particular telephony port module (102) may receive a telephony voice signal and use its associated digital signal processor (110) to process the received telephony voice signal or transfer the received telephony voice signal for processing to any digital signal processor (110) on any telephony port module (102). Telephony signals may also be transferred for processing to digital signal processors (110) on another voice gateway (18) in a voice gateway system.

Abstract: A backplane (11) of a telecommunications chassis includes a pair of controller slots that can receive respective controller modules. The backplane (11) also has a plurality of module slots that can receive respective telephony modules. Each of the pair of controller slots is connected by a plurality of buses to each of the plurality of module slots. The backplane (11) provides the ability to place any module type into any of the plurality of module slots.

Abstract: A telecommunications network (10) includes a gateway (18) that receives signaling information in a message based signaling format from a Class 5 softswitch (26). The gateway (18) also receives voice traffic over an inter-machine trunk from a public switched telephone network (12). The gateway (18) places the voice traffic into data packets. The gateway (18) transfers the data packets and the signaling information to an Internet Protocol network (30). The data packets and the signaling information may be transferred over a common physical link and over separate logical links.

Abstract: A gateway for communicating telecommunication information between a telecommunication network and customer premises equipment, includes a telecommunication interface, a management module, compression modules, and packetization modules. The telecommunication interface receives telecommunication information from the telecommunication network for communication to the customer premises equipment. The management module determines a bandwidth available to communicate the telecommunication information to the customer premises equipment and selects a compression algorithm according to the available bandwidth. The compression modules compress the telecommunication information using the selected compression algorithm, and the packetization modules generate data packets for communicating the telecommunication information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, an insertion/extraction apparatus for circuit cards includes a card cage having at least one card guide and at least one channel, at least one circuit card engaged with the card guide, and at least one ejector pivotally coupled to the circuit card. The ejector has protrusions proximate a first end that are operable to engage the channel and a fastener disposed through an aperture in the ejector.

Abstract: A gateway for communicating telecommunication information between a telecommunication network and customer premises equipment includes a telecommunication interface and a packetization module. The telecommunication interface receives first telecommunication information for a first subscriber and second telecommunication information for a second subscriber.

Abstract: An apparatus for communicating telecommunication information between customer premises equipment and network equipment includes a subscriber line interface, a processing module, and a bypass switch. The interface receives an analog telephone signal communicating telecommunication information from a subscriber line. The processing module receives the analog telephone signal and processes the analog telephone signal to generate data packets for communicating the telecommunication information over a local loop circuit in a first mode of operation. The bypass switch communicates the analog telephone signal from the interface to the processing module in the first mode of operation and communicates the analog telephone signal from the interface over the local loop circuit to the network equipment in a second mode of operation.

Abstract: A voice gateway (64) includes an input port (70) that receives a voice signal from an unbundled analog line (62) coupled to a Class 5 switch (52). The voice signal is converted to a digital format by an analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converting unit (76). The voice signal is placed into a compressed format by a compressing/decompressing unit (80) using a selected one of a plurality of compression ratios. The voice signal is placed into a transport frame by a packetizing/depacketizing unit (84) according to a selected packet format. The voice signal is multiplexed with other voice signals by an output port (88). The output port (88) places the voice signal onto a selected one of a plurality of output lines in order to transport the voice signal in its transport frame to one of an office customer premises (12) and a residence customer premises (14).

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for converting a telecommunication chassis includes providing a telecommunication chassis that includes a housing having a front and a rear, a backplane coupled to the housing, and a cable interface board having an inside surface and an outside surface coupled to the housing adjacent the rear of the housing, the outside surface facing the same general direction as the rear of the housing, and rotating the cable interface board such that the outside surface of the cable interface board faces the same general direction as the front of the housing.

Abstract: A system for communicating telecommunication information between a telecommunication switch and customer premises equipment includes a gateway, a processing module, and a bypass switch. The gateway receives telecommunication information from the telecommunication switch. The gateway generates data packets for communicating the telecommunication information over a local loop circuit in a first mode of operation or generates a first analog signal for communicating the telecommunication information over the local loop circuit in a second mode of operation. The processing module receives the data packets from the local loop circuit and processes the data packets to generate a second analog telephone signal communicating the telecommunication information in the first mode of operation.

Abstract: A system for communicating telecommunication information between a telecommunication switch and multiple local loop circuits includes a telecommunication interface, a data packet service module, an analog service module, and a cross connect. The telecommunication interface receives telecommunication information from a telecommunication switch. The data packet service module receives the telecommunication information from the telecommunication interface and generates data packets for communicating the telecommunication information in a first mode of operation. The analog signal service module receives the telecommunication information from the telecommunication interface and generates an analog telephone signal for communicating the telecommunication information in a second mode of operation. The cross connect communicates the analog telephone signal to a selected one of the local loop circuits.

Abstract: A system for housing telecommunications equipment includes a plurality of vertically disposed chassis, each chassis having a top that is substantially closed, two sides, two ends, and a base, wherein the top of each chassis is adapted to receive the base of an adjacent chassis. At least one vent is formed in each chassis adjacent the base for allowing air to enter the chassis, and at least one of the ends and one of the sides of the chassis are formed such that air may exit the chassis. The vent is disposed between the base and a portion of the chassis selected from the group consisting of either of the ends and either of the sides, and the vent is nonplanar in relation to that portion. More specifically, the chassis may be vertically disposed with substantially zero gap, and the vent member may be either an angled vent member or a notched vent member.