Abstract: Aggregating physical connections from customers for presentation to an access router and de-aggregating traffic from a shared link(s) from the access router. Ports of an aggregation unit may be configured such that each has a unique identifier in the place of information (e.g., the layer 2 address) originally in the layer 2 header. The layer 2 (e.g., MAC) address of the customer device connected with the port can be associated with, and therefore determined from, the IP address of the attached device. When a packet is received from a customer, information in the layer 2 header is changed to a unique identifier assigned to a logical port or interface associated with the physical port. When a packet is received from the access router, it is placed on the port assigned to the logical port associated with the destination layer 2 address (or associated with other bits of the unique bit string and at least some of those bits are replaced with the destination layer 2 address of the device associated with the port.

Abstract: A localized wireless gateway system provides wireless telephone communication and provides access to a public packet data network, such as the Internet, for at least voice telephone type communications. The wireless gateway system includes a number of base stations, essentially built around computers with digital transceiver circuitry, which provide an air interface to a number of digital terminal devices. The terminal devices communicate audio information in a standard digitized and compressed data format. The base stations provide two-way communications of the audio data over a public packet switched data network, either directly or via a local area network and a server coupled to the public data network. A server and local area network provide local voice and data communications as well as voice and data communication access to the public packet data network.

Abstract: The quality of service existing in a data packet network during the course of communication of a voice call through a data network, such as the Internet, is monitored. A minimum acceptable level of service may be predefined with a threshold quality level stored in the user's Call Processing Record (CPR) in the AIN Integrated Services Control Point (ISCP). If the monitored quality is maintained in excess of the stored threshold, communication of the call continues through the established course of transmission. If the measured quality of service on the data network is not satisfactory, the routing of the call is changed to communication solely through a voice telephone network connection, which may include an Interexchange Carrier link, without terminating the call. The packet data network is thereby bypassed to obtain voice grade quality while maintaining the call.

Abstract: The quality of service existing in a data packet network during the course of communication of a voice call through a data network, such as the Internet, is monitored. A minimum acceptable level of service may be predefined with a threshold quality level stored in the user's Call Processing Record (CPR) in the AIN Integrated Services Control Point (ISCP). If the monitored quality is maintained in excess of the stored threshold, communication of the call continues through the established course of transmission. If the measured quality of service on the data network is not satisfactory, the routing of the call is changed to communication solely through a voice telephone network connection, which may include an Interexchange Carrier link, without terminating the call. The packet data network is thereby bypassed to obtain voice grade quality while maintaining the call.

Abstract: A system and method using enhanced processing, responsive to domain name translation requests, to provide selective routing services through a public packet switched data network. The name processing applies to translation of a domain name into a group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and to providing routing information for a packet data network such as the Internet. Following name translation into a group of addresses communication is automatically established between a calling terminal and a terminal designated by one of the addresses and determined through processing which effects linkage with the first terminal to respond. The selective routing is particularly advantageous for processing of voice telephone communications through the Internet packet data network based on domain name translations.

Abstract: An internetwork (such as the Internet) telephony system and method incorporating architecture and methodology which facilitates a high degree of scalability. The scalability provides improvement dealing with usage recording, usage pricing, billing account management, and fraud control. The scalability is achieved primarily by bundling of usage recording, pricing, authorization and billing practices in one logical database object which may be physically distributed. A predefined set of network elements are provided access to the database object to obtain authorization for a call along with limitations on the maximum cost or duration of the call for the particular account involved. The database object records usage statistics relating to the completed call, including pricing, and this data is available for virtually immediate billing. The database object provides to customers on a virtual real time basis the customer's usage statistics, including statistics for a call in progress.

Abstract: Offering vertical services to subscribers and service providers is an avenue to immediately improve the competitiveness of digital subscriber line access service, for example of the type offered by a local exchange carrier. To deliver high-quality vertical services, however, the underlying ADSL Data Network (ADN) or the like needs to establish Quality of Service (QoS) as a core characteristic and offer an efficient mechanism for insertion of the vertical services. The inventive network architecture introduces QoS into the ADN, in a manner that enables the delivery of sophisticated and demanding IP-based services to subscribers, does not affect existing Internet tiers of service, and is cost-effective in terms of initial costs, build-out, and ongoing operations.

Abstract: Offering vertical services to subscribers and service providers is an avenue to immediately improve the competitiveness of digital subscriber line access service, for example of the type offered by a local exchange carrier. To deliver high-quality vertical services, however, the underlying ADSL Data Network (ADN) or the like needs to establish Quality of Service (QoS) as a core characteristic and offer an efficient mechanism for insertion of the vertical services. The inventive network architecture introduces QoS into the ADN, in a manner that enables the delivery of sophisticated and demanding IP-based services to subscribers, does not affect existing Internet tiers of service, and is cost-effective in terms of initial costs, build-out, and ongoing operations.

Abstract: Simple peering is provided in a novel network in which transport technology is independent of network access technology. An out-of-band network may be used to carry advertisements to an update facility. The update facility may use layer 3 destination address information and at least a part of context information (to identify customers uniquely) to determine a layer 3 address of an edge device of the transport network associated with an addressed customer device. Virtual private networks are supported, as context information is used to distinguish different customers with overlapping layer 3 addresses.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for implementing initiation of establishment of a communication path between called and called terminals from a telephone terminal. The architecture and methodology facilitates communication across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for handling resource allocation across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers. A first provider of packet switched services controls a directory of addresses of gateways between the packet switched and data switched networks, and an authentication database of account data. A second provider of packet switched services controls a multiplicity of the gateways and a database of addresses of authentication databases.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for implementing initiation of establishment of a communication path between called and called terminals from a telephone terminal. The architecture and methodology facilitates communication across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers.

Abstract: An enhanced name translation server, for use on a packet data network such as the Internet, executes a conditional analysis in response to at least some queries or requests for name translations. For example, the server may return a different destination address at different times or in response to translation requests from different terminals. The server also can query a primary destination terminal device, and condition the response to the calling terminal on the status of the primary terminal. For example, if the primary terminal is ‘live’ the server forwards the address of that terminal to the calling terminal device to set up communications. Otherwise, the server returns alternate destination address information. The server also supports a wide variety of different types of translations, including domain name to address, domain name to telephone number, and telephone number to address.

Abstract: A system and method using enhanced processing, responsive to domain name translation requests, to provide selective routing services through a public packet switched data network. The name processing applies to translation of a domain name into a group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and to providing routing information for a packet data network such as the Internet. Following name translation into a group of addresses communication is automatically established between a calling terminal and a terminal designated by one of the addresses and determined through processing which effects linkage with the first terminal to respond. The selective routing is particularly advantageous for processing of voice telephone communications through the Internet packet data network based on domain name translations.

Abstract: A system and method using enhanced processing, responsive to domain name translation requests, to provide selective routing services through a public packet switched data network. The name processing applies to translation of a domain name into a group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and to providing routing information for a packet data network such as the Internet. Following name translation into a group of addresses communication is automatically established between a calling terminal and a terminal designated by one of the addresses and determined through processing which effects linkage with the first terminal to respond. The selective routing is particularly advantageous for processing of voice telephone communications through the Internet packet data network based on domain name translations.

Abstract: A system and method using enhanced processing, responsive to domain name translation requests, to provide selective routing services through a public packet switched data network. The name processing applies to translation of a domain name into a group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and to providing routing information for a packet data network such as the Internet. Following name translation into a group of addresses communication is automatically established between a calling terminal and a terminal designated by one of the addresses and determined through processing which effects linkage with the first terminal to respond. The selective routing is particularly advantageous for processing of voice telephone communications through the Internet packet data network based on domain name translations.

Abstract: An Internet telecommunication system in accord with the invention combines the capabilities of the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) with those of the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Functions associated with the Internet Domain Name Server system are enhanced using AIN data and processing. Voice grade telephone calls from a fixed position Internet PC to a roaming wireless personal communication system are enabled. Home Location Register data from the control point of the AIN is forwarded into the Internet Domain Name Server for conditioning the IP lookup and addressing to determine the ultimate call routing. Internet calls may also be automatically completed by the system to addresses other than the ones entered by the caller.

Abstract: Territorial boundaries and the assignment of responsive telephone numbers are prescribed for a virtual telephone number. Telephone calls placed to that number, even though the territories are within a metropolitan or other relatively local area, are automatically routed to actual telephone numbers so that the responding telephone in each case depends on the territory from which the call is placed. For call processing, a switch receiving a call to a virtual telephone number momentarily suspends call processing and a first database is queried by entry of the calling station identity (ANI). The first database relates the calling station to a geographic location, preferably by postal zip code. Using the zip code, a second database, dedicated to the virtual number and relating zip codes to actual telephone numbers, is consulted. The telephone number assigned to the calling station's zip code is then returned to the switch. The switch resumes processing of the call to route it to that number.

Abstract: A number of gateway objects interconnect circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as the telephone network and the Internet, for example to enable telephony communication across the combined networks. A directory object coupled to the packet network provides address translation capability, and the directory object polls or communicates with the gateways to provide an intelligent selection of one of the gateway objects, typically for egress to the telephone network. The system also includes an authorization control object. After gateway selection, a calling terminal attempts communication through the gateway object. The gateway object then queries the authorization control object, which instructs the gateway object to proceed only if the requested communication between the calling terminal and the destination terminal is authorized.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes a directory object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an interface between the directory object and the gateways. The directory object is preferably provided in hierarchical architecture as a unitary logical object having distributed instances. In addition to the customary address translation capability the directory object polls or communicates with the gateways through the additional interface and provides an intelligent routing function. The directory object is of an enhanced type with access to a storage of customer routing and handling selections.