System and method for processing wireless voice and data/fax telecommunications data

Abstract

A method for processing telecommunications data is provided. The method includes receiving telecommunications data, such as at a component of a telecommunications switch. It is then determined whether the telecommunications data includes speech/voice data or data/fax data. Transcoder and rate adaption processing is performed on the telecommunications data with signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is speech/voice data. Otherwise, interworking function processing is performed on the telecommunications data with the signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for processing telecommunications data comprising: a first data processing system operable to process wireless speech/voice data and wireless data/fax data;   a second data processing system operable to process wireless speech/voice data; and   a switch coupled to the first data processing system and the second data processing system, the switch operable to transfer telecommunications data to the first data processing system if the telecommunications data comprises wireless data/fax data and to transfer telecommunications data to the second data processing system if the telecommunications data comprises speech/voice data.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch further comprises a data type detector operable to determine whether telecommunications data contains one of speech/voice data and data/fax data. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch further comprises a data type detector operable to receive a frame of telecommunications data and to determine whether a predetermined data field of the frame contains data that is indicative of one of speech/voice data and data/fax data. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch further comprises a call processor operable to determine whether telecommunications data contains one of speech/voice data and data/fax data. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a signaling agent operable to interface with the switch, the first data processing system, and the second data processing system, wherein the signaling agent can determine the availability status of the first data processing system and the second data processing system in response to a request for status from the switch, and can return the availability status of the first data processing system and the second data processing system to the switch. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch further comprises: a signaling system operable to receive telecommunications data and to extract signaling data from the telecommunications data that includes data indicative of whether the telecommunications data includes speech/voice data or data/fax data; and   a resource manager coupled to the signaling system, the resource manager operable to store data indicative of the availability status of the first data processing system and the second data processing system, the resource manager further operable to respond to a request for availability status of the first data processing system and the second data processing system from the signaling system.   
     
     
       7. A system for processing telecommunications data comprising: a call processor operable to determine whether the telecommunications data includes one of speech/voice data and data/fax data; and   a resource assembly coupled to the call processor, wherein the resource assembly further comprises: a first data processing system operable to process wireless speech/voice data and wireless data/fax data;   a second data processing system operable to process wireless speech/voice data; and   a switch coupled to the first data processing system and the second data processing system.     
     
     
       8. The system of claim 7 wherein the call processor further comprises: a signaling resource manager operable to process the telecommunications data to determine whether it is speech/voice data or data/fax data; and   a resource manager couple to the signaling resource manager, the resource manager operable to maintain data on the operational status of one or more resource modules that are required to establish a telecommunications channel.   
     
     
       9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a signaling object that is operable to be transferred between the signaling resource manager, the resource manager, and one or more of the resource modules, where the signaling object is configured to transfer data between the signaling resource manager, the resource manager, and one or more of the resource modules in predetermined data fields. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 7 wherein the first data processing system is implemented on a first circuit card, and the second data processing system is implemented on a second circuit card. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 7 wherein the first data processing system is implemented on a first digital signal processor integrated circuit, and the second data processing system is implemented on a second digital signal processor integrated circuit. 
     
     
       12. A method for processing telecommunications data comprising: receiving telecommunications data;   determining whether the telecommunications data includes speech/voice data or data/fax data;   performing transcoder and rate adaption processing on the telecommunications data with signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is speech/voice data; and   performing interworking function processing on the telecommunications data with the signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving telecommunications data comprises receiving telecommunications data at a switching module. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving telecommunications data comprises receiving telecommunications data at a call processor. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 12 wherein determining whether the telecommunications data includes speech/voice data or data/fax data comprises comparing the value of predetermined bits of a data format with a call processor to predetermined values of data that correspond to speech/voice data and data/fax data. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 12 wherein determining whether the telecommunications data includes speech/voice data or data/fax data comprises comparing the value of predetermined bits of a data format with a switching module to predetermined values of data that correspond to speech/voice data and data/fax data. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 12 wherein performing transcoder and rate adaption processing on the telecommunications data with signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is speech/voice data comprises: setting the mode of a signal processing module that is configured to operate in a transcoder and rate adaption mode and an interworking function mode to the transcoder and rate adaption mode; and   transferring the telecommunications data to the digital signal processing module.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 12 wherein performing interworking function processing on the telecommunications data with signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data comprises: setting the mode of a signal processing module that is configured to operate in a transcoder and rate adaption mode and an interworking function mode to the interworking function mode; and   transferring the telecommunications data to the digital signal processing module.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 12 wherein performing interworking function processing on the telecommunications data with signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data comprises: determining whether a signal processing module is available that is configured to operate in a transcoder and rate adaption mode and an interworking function mode; and   transferring the telecommunications data to the signal processing module if it is available.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19 further comprising generating a message indicative of non-availability of system components if the signal processing module is not available. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 12 wherein performing interworking function processing on the telecommunications data with the signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data further comprises switching the telecommunications data to predetermined digital signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 12 wherein performing interworking function processing on the telecommunications data with the signal processing circuitry if the telecommunications data is data/fax data further comprises: determining whether one or more channels of speech/voice data are associated with the data/fax data; and   transferring the one or more associated channels of speech/voice data to be processed by the data processing system that is processing the data/fax data.   
     
     
       23. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch is further operable to switch associated voice channels during switching from the first data processing system to the second data processing system during a GSM handover procedure.