DE19855988B4 - Low-cost online access - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for exchanging information between terminals and access and database computers online services over
• a digital telecommunications network as an access network containing local and trunk exchanges (16, 17), which communicate with each other, and
• high performance transmission lines between the online service and the access network,
wherein in the signaling channel layer 2 frames with fixed predetermined SAPI and TEI values from the terminals (1) or the respective online service (5) to the digital access network (4) are transmitted and
wherein on the basis of these SAPI and TEI values supplemented by further assignment characteristics, the local (16) and / or toll-switching centers (17) establish a connection between a respective terminal (1) and an online service (5) via the high-performance lines (18) .
characterized,
that information transmissions of online services, which are pure data sources and are not interoperable, are switched on or off by commands transmitted by the terminals (1) via the signaling channel.

Description

The The invention relates to a method for access to online services according to the preamble of claim 1.

In Lately, the online services like T-Online or American Online are very much gaining user approval and are out of the daily Life is indispensable The reason for this is that by means of These services are very fast information available and that it also for The information provider is very simple, their services or information to spread widely. Next to that is the communication behavior changed, because in almost every household a personal computer is available; these usually have a connection to the telephone network and, as whose operation is familiar to everyone and has been simplified, repressed this increasingly the simple phone.

Next the positive sides of the changed communication behavior disturbs many User that the Telephone costs rise very high, because not yet the different ones options exploited the tariff structures of the telecommunications network operators can be. This is where the invention starts. It is known, terminals for use the online services over to connect normal telephone network with the standard rates. This is e.g. in the book "Telecommunications" Volume 3 by Heinz Schulte Interest Verlag described.

From the EP 0 869 651 A1 For example, a method and a system are known according to which the data exchange between the terminals of the users of online services and the access systems and other units of the online services takes place in such a way that particularly trustworthy data is separated from the remaining data via the D channel of the ISDN network are transmitted. The exchange of confidential data takes place via layer 2 frames with fixed SAPI and TEI values. If, however, one wishes to handle the entire data exchange via the D channel using this principle, this could lead to an overload if non-interactive online services, which work as pure data sources and transmit or send information permanently, such as stock tickers or weather reports lead the D-channel.

outgoing from a method as described in the prior art Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a method for Connection to Provide online services that are simple, fast and cost effective and at the same time the inclusion of non-interoperable services without the danger an overload of the D-channel.

These The object is achieved by a method having the features of the claim 1 solved.

advantageous Embodiments of the method are given in the dependent claims. The embodiment according to claim 3 is therefore particularly useful because for each Port in the switch the SAPI and TEI values for one Online service or similar Use can be freely set.

The The invention is exemplified in the description.

in this connection demonstrate:

1 : schematic representation of a network structure for online services,

2 : Connection options of data terminals to a digital telecommunications network and

3 : schematic representation of the structure of the digital telecommunications network.

1 schematically shows an example of the network structure of online services. Here are with 1 Subscriber or user of online services. These are either with an analog connection 2 or a digital connection 3 to a digital telephone network 4 eg the ISDN of Deutsche Telekom AG connected. This digital telephone network 4 - hereinafter referred to as ISDN - is the connection to the online network 5 which is also known as the core network. This core network 5 consists of a large number of switching nodes 7 that have a control center 6 to be controlled. The switching nodes 7 consist of one or more access and database computers. To the core network 5 and thus to the switching nodes 7 are either via leased lines 8th or a Datex P network external computer (ER) 9 connected. These calculators 9 form the main part of the online service, because in them the information provided by the participants 1 can be retrieved, stored by the external information providers and constantly renewed. So that the access times are not too long, are in the switching node 7 This data is also stored in the database computers. But there is a restriction, because only the frequently accessed information is stored here. If information is not retrieved as often, it will be replaced by another one; but it is still in the external computer 9 stored by the information provider, so that it is transmitted in a query thereof to the database computers and the subscriber 1 is available. This will take a little longer.

3 schematically shows the structure of the ISDN. As a rule, the data entry devices 1 , as in 2 presented to digital local exchanges 16 - hereinafter abbreviated to OVST - connected. These are in turn with digital toll desks 17 hereafter abbreviated as FVST - connected to the online network 5 accomplish. This online network 5 is over high power lines 18 with the ISDN 4 connected.

In the 1 are the digital telephone network 4 and the online network 5 shown as separate networks. In practice, however, it is usually so realized that both networks are superimposed, ie the switching nodes 7 are locally in the Ortsvermittlungs- (abbreviated OVST) 16 or in remote switching centers (abbreviated FVST) 17 accommodated. The transition between both networks already takes place at these points.

The participants 1 usually use personal computers to query the various online information. The ISDN 4 serves as an access platform to the actual online network 5 , With the ISDN 4 are the participants or personal computers either via a modem analog 2 or via a digital connection (ISDN connection) 3 connected. The following is based on the 2 the digital connection, in particular the ISDN connection, are described. As a rule, data terminals or personal computers have a serial V.24 interface for data communication, which is also used for connection to the ISDN. However, an interface adaptation is necessary for this. In the connection variant 10 the adaptation is carried out in an ISDN telephone, in which the necessary hardware and software is provided. In the variant 11 the adaptation is accommodated in an external device, a so-called terminal adapter (TA Y.24). In the third variant, reference number 12 , is made by a modem (M) an adaptation to a possible analog telephone network, the signals of which are then adapted by a terminal adapter (TA a / b) to the ISDN. In the possibility with the reference numeral 13 the V.24 adaptation is simulated on an ISDN card in the PC; ie the data is in turn made available to the V.24 interface. In the variant 15 on the other hand, the modem and the TA a / b functions are simulated in the ISDN card. With the possibility 14 On the other hand, there is an ISDN card that already makes the ISDN adaptation within the PC.

Below is the operation of the ISDN 4 or the OVST 16 be explained. Here, only the processes in the signaling channel, the D channel, described in detail, this being done in close accordance with the known OSI layer model. Volume 1 of the book given in the introduction to the description clearly describes the structure and operation of a digital telecommunications network, including the operations in the transmission and signaling channels. From a terminal 1 should be established a connection to an online service. The OVST 16 recognizes this at the address field of the data you receive from the terminal 1 sent. This address field consists on the one hand of the SAPI identifier (SAPI: service access point identifier is part of an address field in layer 2 of the OSI layer model, data carries such address fields and services are defined by the SAPI identifier) and on the other hand, from the TEI identifier (terminal endpoint identifier identifier). These identifiers are defined by standards, whereby the TEI identifier can only be specified in a rough framework and largely freely assigned. For example, for PBXs a TEI value of 0, for the function "broadcasting" a TEI value of 127, for a TEI automatically to be assigned by the OVST the values 64-126 and for a non-automatic assignment the TEI values 1-63 are provided. The fact that the address field can be chosen largely freely, is exploited in the invention to very quickly forwarding on the OVST 16 and the FVST 17 to the online network 5 to realize.

Of course you have to an additional address extension is added to the forwarded data, thus an address-appropriate return required data can be made by the online service computer.

The operator of the ISDN 4 now put in the OVST 16 firmly that from the participant 1 incoming data with the SAPI value 17 and a specific TEI value is to be interpreted as a request for a fixed forwarding, for example to online services. This in the OVST 16 Fixed assignments are also made to the subscriber 1 communicated this in his terminal 1 must also set. For example, he is informed that the OVST 16 Data having an SAPI value 17 and a TEI value 6 directly to the service provider T-Online, data having an SAPI value 16 and a TEI value 11 directly to the service provider Compuserve and data having the SAPI value 116 and a TEI Value 23 are forwarded directly to another information provider for weather forecasts or for stock quotes, vacancies, etc. Data packets with such identifier values are provided by the OVST 16 and the FVST 17 directly to the transition to the online network 5 forwarded without any other processing or verification. Within the online services, the known further processing of the request data then takes place by means of the transmitted data packets. In the information providers mentioned above is now distinguished that there are information providers, the di are alogfahig and which are not interoperable. For example, information providers for foreign exchange rates or weather reports are usually not interoperable, as they only send information continuously. They are thus pure data sources. In order for such connected information providers not to cause a blocking of the data transmission (overloading of the D channel to the user), it is now provided to switch off or end this continuous information transmission via the access computers by directly entering a stop command. Such a stop command can be, for example, the DISC or RNR command (DISC abbreviation for "Disconnect", RNR abbreviation for "Receive Not Ready") in the D channel protocol. Conversely, it is also possible to resume the connection in the D-channel protocol by means of an RR or a SABME command (RR abbreviation for "Receive Ready", SABME abbreviation for "Set Asynchronous Balanced Mode Extended"). It is also conceivable to achieve this switching on and off by commands in a higher layer.

1

Attendees

2

analog Connection

3

digital Connection

4

telephone network

5

core network

6

control center

7

Network nodes, access computer

8th

leased lines

9

HE. External calculator

10

connection variant 1

11

connection variant 2

12

connection variant 3

13

connection variant 4

14

connection variant 5

15

connection variant 6

16

Local exchange, OVSt

17

Trunk exchange, FVST

18

High-performance data transmission lines

Claims (3)

Method for the exchange of information between terminals and access and database computers having online services via • a digital telecommunications network as access network, the local and trunk exchanges ( 16 . 17 ), which are connected to each other, and • high-performance transmission lines between the online service and the access network, wherein in the signaling channel layer 2 frames with fixed SAPI and TEI values from the terminals ( 1 ) or the respective online service ( 5 ) to the digital access network ( 4 ) and where based on these SAPI and TEI values supplemented by further assignment characteristics, the location ( 16 ) and / or trunk exchanges ( 17 ) a connection between a respective terminal ( 1 ) and an online service ( 5 ) via the high-performance lines ( 18 ), characterized in that information transmissions of online services, which are pure data sources and not interoperable, are transmitted by the terminals ( 1 ) are switched on or off via the signaling channel transmitted commands. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that that for switching on and off the information transmissions commands the Layer 2 of the OSI model transmit the signaling channel become. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the SAPI and the TEI values of the access network operator have predetermined values which can be found both in the local exchange ( 16 ) as well as in the respective terminal ( 1 ) are fixed.