Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Adaptive
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-01
2001-01-23
Marcelo, Melvin (Department: 2739)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Adaptive
C370S469000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178181
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radio telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to a mapping function and method of transmitting Signaling System 7 (SS7) telecommunications messages over data networks.
2. Description of Related Art
In existing radio telecommunications networks, there is sometimes a requirement to carry a large amount of data from one node in the network to another. For example, in a network in which there is a primary home location register (HLR) and a backup HLR, the primary HLR may lose its data. The data must then be transferred from the backup HLR to the primary HLR to restore the primary data. The data is sent as SS7 messages utilizing the SS7 Message Transfer Protocol (MTP) which, in the prior art, may be carried either by the SS7 signaling network, or according to Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) specification, by an X.25 data link network. The transfer of this much data, however, puts a large load on the X.25 data link network, and if the SS7 signaling network is utilized for the transfer, the operator incurrs increased cost, and there is less signaling bandwidth available for call-related SS7 signaling. Therefore, an alternate way to transfer the data from the backup HLR to the primary HLR is needed.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,237 to Shinohara et al. (Shinohara) and PCT Patent Application WO 96/00468 by Galloway (Galloway) discuss subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein. Shinohara discloses a data network system comprising a plurality of local area networks (LANs) connected to an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) via a plurality of routers. The routers are each capable of automatically creating a table for storing routing information. The invention in Shinohara relates strictly to data communication networks, and provides each router with routing address information relating to all the other routers in the data network system. Shinohara does not teach or suggest a method of mapping signaling messages in the SS7 Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) protocol to data messages in the IP protocol.
Galloway discloses a lightweight transport protocol which tunnels point-to-point protocol (PPP) data packets between one or more source nodes and a gateway node through an imperfect mesh network (IMN) without requiring the exchange of acknowledgement packets. The gateway node is in a network employing the IP protocol. The invention in Galloway relates strictly to data communication networks, and recognizes that acknowledgement packets are not required at the IP layer when data transport protocols at higher levels utilize acknowledgement packets to assure reliable communications. Galloway does not teach or suggest a method of mapping signaling messages in the SS7 SCCP protocol to data messages in the IP protocol.
Review of each of the foregoing references reveals no disclosure or suggestion of a system or method such as that described and claimed herein. It would be advantageous, therefore, to have a mapping function for mapping signaling messages in the SS7 SCCP protocol to data messages in the IP protocol. The present invention provides such a mapping function and method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is a method of modifying a signaling protocol stack to transmit a Signaling System 7 (SS7) telecommunications message over a data network from an origination node to a destination node. The signaling protocol stack includes a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) protocol layer on top of a Message Transfer Protocol (MTP) protocol layer. The method includes the steps of replacing the MTP protocol layer with an Internet Protocol (IP) protocol layer, adding a SCCP-IP mapping function between the SCCP protocol layer and the IP protocol layer, and mapping the SS7 signaling message from the SCCP protocol layer in the origination node into an IP message utilizing the SCCP-IP mapping function. The method continues by sending the IP message over the data network from the origination node to the destination node, and mapping the IP message from the IP protocol layer in the destination node into the SS7 signaling message utilizing the SCCP-IP mapping function.
In another aspect, the present invention is a mapping function for mapping a SS7 telecommunication signaling message from a SCCP protocol layer to an IP protocol layer in order to transmit the SS7 signaling message over a data network from an origination node to a destination node. The mapping function includes means for receiving the SS7 signaling message from the SCCP protocol layer by sending and receiving MTP primitives from the mapping function to the SCCP protocol layer, and means for mapping the received SS7 signaling message into an IP message. The mapping means includes means for mapping MTP primitives into IP primitives, a mapping table for mapping the SS7 message address into an IP message address, and a user interface for setting IP protocol parameters that cannot be transferred by the SCCP protocol layer. The mapping function also includes means for sending the mapped IP message to the IP protocol layer by sending and receiving IP primitives from the mapping function to the IP protocol layer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5351237 (1994-09-01), Shinohara et al.
patent: 5661790 (1997-08-01), Hsu
patent: 5737404 (1998-04-01), Segal
patent: 5774695 (1998-06-01), Autrey et al.
patent: 5793771 (1998-08-01), Darland et al.
patent: 5844896 (1998-12-01), Marks et al.
patent: 5870565 (1999-02-01), Glitho
patent: 5923659 (1999-07-01), Curry et al.
patent: WO 96/00468 (1996-01-01), None
Adrian E. Conway, Queuing Network Modeling of Signaling System No. 7, IEEE, pp. 0552-0558, 1990.
Bijan Jabbari, Routing and Congestion Control in Common Channel Signaling System No. 7, IEEE, pp. 607-614, 1992.
David McMillan and Michael Rumsewicz, Analysis of Congestion Control for SCCP Traffic & the Impact on Intelligent Network Services, IEEE, 1990.
Marcelo Melvin
Nguyen Phuongchau Ba
Smith ,Danamraj & Youst, P.C.
Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
LandOfFree
Mapping function and method of transmitting signaling system... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Mapping function and method of transmitting signaling system..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mapping function and method of transmitting signaling system... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2493432