Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2002-09-24
Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S403000, C455S067150, C455S560000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06456845
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the monitoring of call signaling in a telecommunications network, and more particularly to methods and systems for observing, analyzing and correlating a sequence of call signaling messages associated with a particular mobile call whereby information contained in one monitored signaling message is used to locate another signaling message in the call trace sequence.
BACKGROUND ART
A typical wireless or cellular telecommunications network, generally indicated by the numeral
100
, is illustrated in FIG.
1
. More particularly, the wireless communication network
100
presented in
FIG. 1
is an example of simplified global system for mobile communication (GSM)-type network. Sample GSM network
100
includes a telecommunication terminal or telephone handset
102
, a base station system (BSS)
104
, a mobile switching center (MSC)
106
, a home location register (HLR)
108
, and an authentication center (AuC)
110
.
Mobile switching center (MSC)
106
is the functional entity that represents an automatic packet switching system within a wireless communication network. When such a packet switching system is implemented so as to serve as the interface for user traffic between the cellular network and other public switched networks, the corresponding node is often referred to as a Gateway MSC or GMSC. In general, MSC
106
provides basic switching functionality and coordinates the establishment of calls between wireless end users. An MSC is directly responsible for transmission facilities management, mobility management, and call processing functions. An MSC node is typically in communication with the air-interface components of a wireless network (i.e., base station systems) as well as with other voice and signaling related nodes in the wireless network. As such, an MSC incorporates switching functions, mobile application functions, and other service logic functions in a wireless communications network.
Home location register (HLR)
108
is the functional entity that represents the primary database repository of subscriber information used to provide control and intelligence in wireless communication networks. The term register denotes control and processing center functions as well as the database functions. An HLR is managed by the wireless service provider and represents the “home” database for subscribers who have subscribed to service in a particular geographic area. An HLR contains a record for each “home” subscriber that includes location information, subscriber status, subscribed features, and directory numbers. Supplementary services or features that are provided to a subscriber are ultimately controlled by an HLR. HLR nodes typically incorporate database functions, mobile application functions, as well as other service logic functions, and may service one or more MSCs.
Authentication center (AuC)
110
is the functional entity that represents the authentication functions used to verify and validate a mobile subscriber's identity. An AuC node manages and processes authentication information related to a particular mobile subscriber. Typically, this information consists of encryption and authentication keys as well as complex mathematical algorithms used to prevent fraudulent or unauthorized use of the wireless network. An AuC incorporates database functions used for the authentication keys and authentication algorithm functions.
Those skilled in the art of GSM communication networking will appreciate that the network elements described above represent only a few of the network entities that are commonly deployed in a GSM network. It will also be appreciated that such GSM-type network elements are communicatively coupled via a variety of communication link types, which in turn may employ a variety of signaling application and transport protocol suites. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, BSS
104
is communicatively coupled to GMSC node
106
, while GMSC node
106
is further coupled to both HLR node
108
and AuC node
110
.
The establishment and maintenance of a call to or from mobile handset
102
typically involves the use of a number of signaling messages that are communicated between various network entities that comprise the GSM network
100
. For instance, BSS
104
communicates with GMSC node
106
using both direct transfer application protocol (DTAP) and base station system management application protocol (BSSMAP) signaling protocol messages which may be transmitted over inter-connecting communication links using a transport protocol suite such as the signaling system
7
(SS7) message transfer part (MTP) protocol. GMSC
106
, in turn, communicates with HLR node
108
and AuC node
110
using mobile application part (MAP) signaling protocol messages which may also be transmitted over signaling links using an SS7 MTP transport protocol suite.
Also shown in
FIG. 1
is a network monitoring system that includes a central monitoring platform
112
which is connected to communication link probes
114
,
116
and
118
. More particularly, link probe
114
is adapted to monitor both DTAP and BSSMAP signaling messages communicated between BSS
104
and GMSC
106
, sending copies of the DTAP and BSSMAP messages to monitoring platform
112
for analysis and display. Link probe
116
is adapted to monitor the MAP signaling message traffic flowing between GMSC node
106
and HLR node
108
, and again sends copies of the monitored messages to platform
112
for analysis and display. In a similar manner, link probe
116
is adapted to monitor the MAP signaling message traffic flowing between GMSC node
106
and AuC node
110
, sending copies of the MAP messages to monitoring platform
112
for analysis and display.
As indicated in
FIG. 1
, the above described wireless network elements function together in concert to provide the intelligent network services typically associated with modern wireless telecommunication networks. As such, inter-communication between these network elements is a very important issue, and is facilitated at least in part by signaling communication links. Currently, the trend within the United States wireless telecommunications industry is towards a signaling infrastructure based on the SS7 and IS-41 protocols. In many countries outside of the United States, a signaling protocol known as global system for mobile communications (GSM) is often employed in wireless communication networks. These two signaling protocols are similar in many respects, and consequently discussions of signaling type communications in this disclosure will be limited to those based on the GSM protocol. It will be appreciated that the present invention, described herein, can be successfully deployed in GSM, Personal Communication Services (PCS) and IS-41-based signaling networks.
Signaling in a wireless or cellular network is employed to implement a number of call processing operations. The term call processing encompasses a wide variety of functions that establish, maintain, and tear down calls to and from mobile subscribers (where a call is defined as a temporary communication between end users for the purpose of exchanging information). Mobile calls include a sequence of events that allocate and assign the resources and signaling channels required to establish build a communication connection. In general terms, the act of call establishment or call setup in a wireless communications network comprises a set of discrete signaling operations that arrange for the allocation and engagement of network resources required for the connection of a mobile call.
In addition to providing the infrastructure for basic call setup and teardown operations as mentioned above, wireless signaling is also responsible for providing general mobility management services. Such services enable a communications network to maintain location and mobile subscriber status information so that end users can make and receive mobile-originated and mobile-terminated calls while moving or roaming from geographic location to another.
The establishment of a mobile call ma
Drum Michael John
Galizia Patrick Joseph
Marsico Peter Joseph
Hunter Daniel
Jenkins & Wilson, P.A.
Le Lana
Tekelec
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