Patents by Inventor Bruce W. Baker
Bruce W. Baker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8693347Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Publication number: 20130070757Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 8270421Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2011Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Publication number: 20120177195Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2011Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 8089958Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers. The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol to request the set-up and tear-down of calls.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2007Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 8085761Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers. The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol to request the set-up and tear-down of calls.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2007Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 8036214Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on- network and off-network callers. The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol to request the set-up and tear-down of calls.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2007Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Richard Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Raymond E. Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 7564840Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites to request the set-up and tear-down of calls. The gateway sites originate and terminate calls between calling parties and called parties through the data network. The provisioning and network event component collects call events recorded at the soft switch sites. The network management component includes a network operations center (NOC) for centralized network management.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2003Date of Patent: July 21, 2009Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Publication number: 20040022237Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2003Publication date: February 5, 2004Applicant: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 6614781Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers. The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol to request the set-up and tear-down of calls.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1998Date of Patent: September 2, 2003Assignee: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: Isaac K. Elliott, Steven P. Higgins, Andrew John Dugan, Jon Peterson, Robert L. Hernandez, Rick D. Steele, Bruce W. Baker, Rich Terpstra, Jonathan S. Mitchell, Jin-Gen Wang, Harold Stearns, Eric Zimmerer, Ray Waibel, Kraig Owen, Shawn M. Lewis
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Patent number: 4477080Abstract: A multi-tier board game arrangement is disclosed including a game board with a playing surface having a center and a perimeter, the playing surface including a plurality of segmented endless paths and interconnecting paths therebetween. Each of the segmented endless paths is generally concentric with the center of the playing surface, with the endless paths spaced radially therefrom and preferably in a regular geometric shape, such as a regular hexagon with the paths being generally centered one with another. A plurality of interconnecting or transverse paths interconnect adjacent endless paths, with a plurality of segmented home bases adjacent the center of the playing surface and connected to the endless path nearest the center. A plurality of sets of playing pieces are also included in the game board arrangement, such playing pieces each having a designated permitted movement, such as movement only in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction, or in both directions.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1982Date of Patent: October 16, 1984Inventor: Bruce W. Baker