Method and system for providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line

Abstract

A system ( 500 ) that provides facsimile service over a digital subscriber line ( 502 ) has a facsimile machine ( 504 ) coupled to an ATM switch ( 506 ). The ATM switch ( 506 ) is coupled to the digital subscriber line ( 502 ), wherein the digital subscriber line ( 502 ) includes a first virtual circuit and a second virtual circuit. An interworking unit ( 508 ) is coupled to the second virtual circuit. The second virtual circuit is connected to the facsimile machine ( 512 ). A public switched telephone network ( 510 ) is connected to the interworking unit ( 508 ). A facsimile machine ( 512 ) is connected to the public switched telephone network ( 510 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a telephone number associated with a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) setting up a circuit switched connection to an internet service provider;    (c) sending a plurality of facsimile data to the internet service provider;    (d) converting the plurality of facsimile data to an internet protocol to form a plurality of internet facsimile data; and    (e) routing the internet facsimile data over the digital subscriber line.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the steps of: 
 (f) receiving the internet facsimile data at a local area network hub;    (g) routing the internet facsimile data to the facsimile machine.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein step (g) further includes the step of: 
 (g1) formatting the internet facsimile data in a local area network protocol.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) further includes the step of: 
 (c1) emulating an analog facsimile data standard at the internet service provider.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of routing the internet facsimile data to the facsimile machine includes providing a digital facsimile machine.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein step (g) further includes the steps of: 
 (g1) receiving the internet facsimile data at a subscriber unit;    (g2) converting the internet facsimile data to the analog facsimile data by the subscriber unit.    
     
     
         7 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a telephone number at a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) transmitting a plurality of facsimile data over a local area network to a local area network hub;    (c) formatting the plurality of facsimile data for transmission over the digital subscriber line to an internet service provider;    (d) establishing an internet telephone call, by the internet service provider, to a facsimile machine associated with the telephone number; and    (f) transmitting the plurality of facsimile data over the internet telephone call to the facsimile machine associated with the telephone number.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (a) further includes the steps of: 
 (a1) receiving the telephone number at a subscriber unit;    (a2) emulating an analog telephone line by the subscriber unit;    (a3) receiving the plurality of facsimile data at the subscriber unit;    (a4) converting the plurality of facsimile data to a plurality of digital data.    
     
     
         9 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a telephone number associated with a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) triggering on the telephone number at a service switching point;    (c) sending a routing query to a switching control point;    (d) routing a facsimile call to an interworking unit;    (e) converting a plurality of analog facsimile data to a plurality of digital facsimile data; and    (f) routing the plurality of digital facsimile data to the digital subscriber line.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including the steps of: 
 (g) receiving the plurality of digital facsimile data at a local area network hub;    (h) routing the plurality of digital facsimile data to the facsimile machine.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein step (h) further includes the step of: 
 (h1) converting the plurality of digital facsimile data into a local area network protocol to form a LAN data.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the steps of: 
 (h2) receiving the LAN data at a subscriber unit;    (h3) converting the LAN data to a plurality of analog data;    (h4) sending the plurality of analog data to the facsimile machine.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (d) further including the steps of: 
 (d1) transmitting a routing response from the switching control point to the service switching point;    (d2) connecting the facsimile call to the interworking unit;    (d3) transmitting the plurality of analog facsimile data to the interworking unit.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including the step of: 
 (d4) emulating an analog facsimile data standard by the interworking unit.    
     
     
         15 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a telephone number at a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) transmitting a plurality of facsimile data over a local area network to a local area network hub;    (c) routing the plurality of facsimile data over the digital subscriber line to an internet service provider;    (d) routing the plurality of facsimile data to an interworking unit;    (e) converting the plurality of facsimile data to a circuit switched data protocol to form a circuit switched facsimile data; and    (f) transmitting the circuit switched facsimile data to a facsimile machine associated with the telephone number.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (a) further includes the steps of: 
 (a1) receiving the telephone number at a subscriber unit;    (a2) emulating an analog telephone line by the subscriber unit;    (a3) receiving the plurality of facsimile data at the subscriber unit;    (a4) converting the plurality of facsimile data to a plurality of digital data.    
     
     
         17 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a telephone number at a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) transmitting a plurality of facsimile data over an asynchronous transmission mode local area network to an asynchronous transmission mode switch;    (c) routing the plurality of facsimile data over the digital subscriber line to a network asynchronous transmission mode switch using a virtual circuit;    (d) transmitting the plurality of facsimile data over the virtual circuit to an interworking unit;    (e) converting the plurality of facsimile data to a circuit switched data protocol to form a circuit switched facsimile data; and    (f) transmitting the circuit switched facsimile data to a facsimile machine associated with the telephone number.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further includes the step of: 
 (c1) transmitting a plurality of other data over a second virtual circuit to the asynchronous transmission mode switch.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further includes the steps of: 
 (c1) transmitting a request for a switched virtual circuit to the network asynchronous transmission mode switch;    (c2) receiving a response including a virtual channel identifier.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further includes the step of: 
 (c1) determining a virtual path identifier and a virtual circuit identifier associated with the virtual circuit;    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second virtual circuit and the virtual circuit share the bandwidth of the digital subscriber line.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the virtual circuit is transmitted over a separate frequency band from the second virtual circuit.  
     
     
         23 . A method of providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) dialing a phone number of a facsimile machine connected to the digital subscriber line;    (b) routing the call to an interworking unit;    (c) transmitting a plurality of circuit switched facsimile data to the interworking unit;    (d) converting the plurality of circuit switched facsimile data to a plurality of ATM data; and    (f) routing the ATM data over a virtual circuit to the digital subscriber line.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further including the steps of: 
 (g) routing the ATM data over the digital subscriber line to an ATM switch;    (h) routing the ATM data to the facsimile machine.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein step (h) further includes the steps of: 
 (h1) receiving the ATM data at a subscriber unit;    (h2) converting the ATM data to a plurality of analog data;    (h3) transmitting the plurality of analog data to the facsimile machine.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein step (b) further includes the steps of: 
 (b1) receiving the telephone number at a service switching point;    (b2) triggering on the telephone number;    (b3) sending a routing query to a service control point;    (b4) receiving a routing response including a routing instructions to the interworking unit.    
     
     
         27 . A system for providing facsimile service over a digital subscriber line, comprising the steps of: 
 a facsimile machine coupled to an ATM switch;    the ATM switch coupled to the digital subscriber line, wherein the digital subscriber line includes a first virtual circuit and a second virtual circuit;    an interworking unit coupled to the second virtual circuit, the second virtual circuit connected to the facsimile machine;    a public switch telephone network connected to the interworking unit; and    a facsimile machine connected to the public switched telephone network.