Signal-processing module for a telecommunications switching platform

Abstract

Described is a system and method for transcoding and rate-adapting between information channels having a first rate and signal-encoding scheme and information channels having a second rate and second signal-encoding scheme. Further described is a system and method for determining when a signal-processing module has failed or been removed or inserted into an operating telecommunications switching platform. Also described is a system and method for efficient power-up, to allow for more efficient system power-up, the signal-processing modules of the present invention preferably have their operating systems stored in a nonvolatile memory that can be reprogrammed without removing it from the system. A switching module is further capable of responding to heartbeat messages and identifying itself as operational over one bus or both buses of a redundant-pair control bus. The module also has a reprogrammable, nonvolatile memory associated with it from which the module can run its operating system. The module can also transfer the operating system into another memory, allowing it to make updates to the operating system stored in the nonvolatile memory without interrupting its execution of its run-time operating code.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A signal-processing module for use in a telecommunications switching platform, said telecommunications switching platform operable to receive from a transmit traffic channels at a first data rate and receive from and transmit to traffic channels at a second data rate, said signal-processing module comprising: a bus interface operable to receive from and transmit to a data signal carrying at least one of said traffic channels at said first data rate and at least one of said traffic channels at said second data rate; and   a processor connected to said bus interface, said processor operable to rate-adapt between said at least one first data rate traffic channel and said at least one second data rate traffic channel, whereby said first data rate traffic channel and said second data rate traffic channel are logically connected to form a single mixed-rate traffic channel operating at a first data rate at one end of said traffic channel and a second data rate at a second end of said traffic channel.   
     
     
       2. The signal-processing module of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said traffic channels at said first data rate is carrying LPC-encoded speech data and said at least one of said traffic channels at said second data rate is carrying PCM-encoded data, and wherein said processor, in addition to being operable to rate-adapt between said first and second data rates, is further operable to transcode between said LPC-encoded speech data and said PCM-encoded speech data. 
     
     
       3. The signal-processing module of claim 1 wherein said data signal carries a plurality of traffic channels at said first data rate and a plurality of traffic channels at said second data rate, and wherein said processor is operable to rate-adapt between said first data rate traffic channels and said second data rate traffic channels, thereby forming a plurality of mixed-rate traffic channels operating at said first data rate at one end and at a second data rate at a second end of each of said plurality of traffic channels. 
     
     
       4. The signal-processing module of claim 3 wherein said processor is a plurality of digital signal processors and wherein said signal-processing module further comprises a multiplexer operable to receive said data signal carrying said plurality of first data rate traffic channels and said second data rate traffic channels and to direct one subset of said plurality of first and second data rate traffic channels to one of said plurality of digital signal processors and a second subset of said first and second data rate traffic signals to another of said plurality of digital signal processors. 
     
     
       5. The signal-processing module of claim 4 wherein said digital signal processors are mounted on daughter boards and wherein said daughter boards are mounted on a mother board along with said multiplexer. 
     
     
       6. The signal-processing module of claim 4 wherein each of said Digital Signal Processors are operable to rate-adapt between a plurality of first data rate traffic channels and second data rate traffic channels. 
     
     
       7. The signal-processing module of claim 3 wherein said processor is further operable to transcode between a plurality of LPC-encoded traffic channels at said first data rate and a plurality of PCM-encoded traffic channels at said second data rate, whereby said plurality of mixed-rate traffic channels also are mixed-coding traffic channels, LPC-encoded at said first end and PCM-encoded at said second end. 
     
     
       8. The signal-processing module of claim 1 wherein said signal-processing module is operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through a bus and wherein said telecommunications switching platform is further operable to send primary heartbeat messages over said local bus, said signal-processing module further comprising: a local bus interface connected to said local bus; and   a local communications controller connected to said local bus interface and operable to receive said heartbeat messages and send primary heartbeat response to at least one of said primary heartbeat messages, whereby said telecommunications switching platform can determine whether said signal-processing module is operational.   
     
     
       9. The signal-processing module of claim 8 wherein said primary heartbeat of response comprises a header sufficient to identify said signal-processing module. 
     
     
       10. The signal-processing module of claim 8 wherein said local bus is a redundant control bus having a primary control bus and a secondary control bus and wherein said local bus interface is connected to both said primary control bus and said secondary control bus and wherein said primary control bus is operable to carry said primary heartbeat messages and said primary heartbeat responses and wherein said secondary control bus is operable to carry secondary heartbeat messages and wherein said local communications controller is operable to send secondary heartbeat responses to said secondary heartbeat messages over said secondary control bus via said interface controller. 
     
     
       11. The signal-processing module of claim 1 and further comprising: a controller connected to said processor, said controller operable to supervise the operation of the signal-processing module in providing the functions for which it is responsible;   a nonvolatile memory connected to said controller, said nonvolatile memory having operating instructions for said controller; and   a memory connected to said controller whereby said controller can operate from instructions stored in said memory without reference to said nonvolatile memory.   
     
     
       12. The signal-processing module of claim 11 wherein said controller is further operable to transfer said operating instructions from said nonvolatile memory to said memory. 
     
     
       13. The signal-processing module of claim 12 wherein said controller is further operable to download new operating instructions from other elements in the telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       14. The signal-processing module of claim 13 wherein said controller is further operable to load said new operating instructions into said nonvolatile memory thereby reprogramming said nonvolatile memory such that said new operating instructions will be fixedly stored in said nonvolatile memory until said nonvolatile memory is again reprogrammed. 
     
     
       15. The signal-processing module of claim 14 wherein said controller is further operable to load said new operating instructions into said memory. 
     
     
       16. A signal-processing module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to telecommunications switching platform, said signal-processing module comprising: a control bus interface connected to a control bus within said telecommunications switching platform;   a controller connected to said control bus interface, said controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through said control bus interface, said controller further operable to receive a primary heartbeat message as a part of said communication with said other elements and to transmit a primary heartbeat response upon receipt of said primary heartbeat message.   
     
     
       17. The signal-processing module of claim 16 wherein said signal-processing module comprises at least one circuit operable to perform a signal-processing function. 
     
     
       18. The signal-processing module of claim 17 wherein said signal-processing function is a function selected from the group consisting of transcoding and rate adaption. 
     
     
       19. The signal-processing module of claim 17 wherein said circuit is a digital signal processor. 
     
     
       20. The signal-processing module of claim 16 wherein said primary heartbeat response includes data sufficient to identify said signal-processing module such that said telecommunications switching platform can compare said data to a table of known resources to determine whether the existence of said signal-processing module had previously been detected by said telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       21. The signal-processing module of claim 16 wherein said control bus is a pair of redundant control buses comprising a primary control bus and a secondary control bus. 
     
     
       22. The signal-processing module of claim 21 wherein said signal-processing module is further operable to receive through said control bus interface a secondary heartbeat message, which is received by said control bus interface from said secondary control bus. 
     
     
       23. The signal-processing module of claim 22 wherein said signal-processing module is one of a plurality of resources in the telecommunications switching platform, and wherein a first group of said plurality of resources is operable to use one of the redundant control buses as a primary bus and a second group of said plurality of resources is operable to use the other of the redundant control buses as a primary bus, and wherein said signal-processing module is operable to determine which of said primary heartbeat messages are intended for said signal-processing module. 
     
     
       24. The signal-processing module of claim 23 wherein said control bus interface is operable to determine within said signal-processing module which of said primary heartbeat messages are intended for the group to which said signal-processing module belongs. 
     
     
       25. The signal-processing module of claim 24 wherein said controller is operable to determine within said signal-processing module which of said primary heartbeat messages are intended for the group to which said signal-processing module belongs. 
     
     
       26. The signal-processing module of claim 22 wherein said secondary heartbeat message is addressed to only one signal-processing module. 
     
     
       27. The signal-processing module of claim 26 wherein said control bus interface is operable to determine whether said secondary heartbeat message is addressed to said signal-processing module. 
     
     
       28. The signal-processing module of claim 26 wherein said controller is operable to determine whether said secondary heartbeat message is addressed to said signal-processing module. 
     
     
       29. A signal-processing module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to said telecommunications switching platform, said signal-processing module comprising: a control bus interface connected to a redundant pair of control buses within said telecommunications switching platform, said redundant pair of control buses comprising a primary control bus and a secondary control bus; and   a module controller connected to said control bus interface, said module controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through said control bus interface, said module controller further operable: to receive a primary heartbeat message, which was received by said control bus interface from said primary control bus; to transmit a primary heartbeat response upon receipt of said primary heartbeat message; to receive a secondary heartbeat message, which was received by said control bus interface from said secondary control bus; and to transmit a secondary heartbeat response upon receipt of said secondary heartbeat message.   
     
     
       30. The signal-processing module of claim 29 wherein each of said primary heartbeat response and said secondary heartbeat response is sufficient to identify said telephony-module such that said telecommunications switching platform can compare said data to a table of known resources to determine whether the existence of said signal-processing module had previously been detected by said telecommunications switching platform. 
     
     
       31. The signal-processing module of claim 29 wherein said signal-processing module comprises at least one circuit operable to perform a signal-processing function. 
     
     
       32. The signal-processing module of claim 31 wherein said signal-processing function is a function selected from the group consisting of transcoding and rate adaption. 
     
     
       33. The signal-processing module of claim 31 wherein said circuit is a digital signal processor. 
     
     
       34. A signal-processing module for use in a telecommunications switching platform for switching information channels borne on telecommunications signals connected to said signal-processing module, said signal-processing module comprising: a nonvolatile memory;   another memory;   a local communications controller operable to communicate with other elements in said telecommunications switching platform through a control bus; and   a module controller connected to said nonvolatile memory, said another memory, and said local communications controller, said module controller operable to control the operation of said signal-processing module, said module controller further operable: to perform operations according to instructions stored in said nonvolatile memory; to effect the transfer of instructions from said nonvolatile memory to said another memory; to perform other operations according to instructions stored in said another memory; and to effect the loading of new operating instructions from the telecommunication switching platform's higher-level applications into said nonvolatile memory through said local communications controller.   
     
     
       35. The signal-processing module of claim 34 wherein said signal-processing module comprises at least one circuit operable to perform a signal-processing function. 
     
     
       36. The signal-processing module of claim 35 wherein said signal-processing function is a function selected from the group consisting of transcoding and rate adaption. 
     
     
       37. The signal-processing module of claim 35 wherein said circuit is a digital signal processor. 
     
     
       38. The signal-processing module of claim 34 wherein said module controller is operable to effect said loading of new operating instructions at substantially the same time as said module controller is performing said other operations according to instructions stored in said another memory. 
     
     
       39. The signal-processing module of claim 38 wherein said module controller is operable to effect said loading of new operating instructions substantially without interruption of its operation according to instruction stored in said another memory. 
     
     
       40. The switching module of claim 39 wherein said new operating instructions are downloaded from higher-level elements in the telecommunications switching platform and wherein said operating instructions are uniquely identified by the format of the download of said operating instructions. 
     
     
       41. The switching module of claim 40 wherein said download of said operating instructions includes a header identifying the module and process within the telecommunications switching platform on which said operating instructions are to run. 
     
     
       42. A signal-processing module for use in a telecommunications switching platform, said telecommunications switching platform operable to receive from a transmit traffic channels at a first data rate and receive from and transmit to traffic channels at a second data rate, said signal-processing module comprising: a bus interface operable to receive from and transmit to a data signal carrying at least one of said traffic channels at said first data rate and at least one of said traffic channels at said second data rate;   a processor connected to said bus interface, said processor operable to rate-adapt between said at least one first data rate traffic channel and said at least one second data rate traffic channel, whereby said first data rate traffic channel and said second data rate traffic channel are logically connected to form a single mixed-rate traffic channel operating at a first data rate at one end of said traffic channel and a second data rate at a second end of said traffic channel; and   a controller for supervision of said signal-processing module, said controller operable to initiate a heartbeat message to said processor and to receive a heartbeat response from said processor.   
     
     
       43. The signal-processing module of claim 42 wherein said processor is further operable to detect when said processor has failed to respond within a determinate period. 
     
     
       44. The signal processing module of claim 43 wherein said processor is further operable to notify another element within the telecommunications switching platform of said processor's failure to response. 
     
     
       45. The signal processing module of claim 44 wherein said telecommunications switching platform is operable to remap information channels being handled by said telecommunications switching platform so that a different processor can take over the task being handled by the non-operational processor. 
     
     
       46. The signal-processing module of claim 4 wherein said processor is mounted on a daughter board removably connected to said signal-processing module.