Method for encapsulating a signaling system seven (SS7) user part message in an internet protocol (IP) packet for transmission over an IP network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for transmitting signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 signaling points comprising:
- (a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), a first SS7 user part message from a first SS7 signaling point;
(b) encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first internet protocol (IP) packet; and
(c) transmitting the first IP packet to a second SS7 signaling point over an IP network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for transmitting user part messages between signaling system seven (SS7) signaling points over an internet protocol (IP) network include receiving, at a signal transfer point, a first SS7 user part message. The first SS7 user part message can be received from a first SS7 signaling point, such as a service switching point (SSP). The first SS7 signaling point is encapsulated in a first IP packet. The first IP packet is transmitted to a second SS7 signaling point over an IP network.
129 Citations
78 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 signaling points comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), a first SS7 user part message from a first SS7 signaling point;
(b) encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first internet protocol (IP) packet; and
(c) transmitting the first IP packet to a second SS7 signaling point over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for encapsulating a signaling system seven (SS7) user part message in an internet protocol (IP) packet for transmission over an IP network, the method comprising:
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(a) extracting at least a portion of SS7 layer 3 and layer 4 information from an SS7 message signaling unit (MSU), the extracted portion including SS7 routing information and user part information;
(b) encapsulating the extracted portion in a transport adapter layer interface packet including an application-level sequence number; and
(c) adding an IP header including an IP address to the transport adapter layer interface packet to produce an IP packet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for processing an internet protocol (IP) encapsulated signaling system seven (SS7) user part message utilizing a signal transfer point (STP), the method comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first STP, an IP-encapsulated SS7 user part message transmitted from a first SS7 signaling point over an IP network;
(b) removing an IP header from the message;
(c) reading at least message transfer part (MTP) layer 3 information from the message; and
(d) routing the message based on at least the MTP layer 3 information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for reliably recovering signaling system seven (SS7) user part message packets in response to a socket failure, the method comprising:
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(a) transmitting IP-encapsulated SS7 messages from a first node to a second node over the first and second sockets, the messages each including an application-level sequence number for sequencing messages received by the first and second nodes; and
(b) in response to failure of the first socket, transmitting, over the second socket, a first recovery packet from the first node to the second node, the first recovery packet including an application-level sequence number indicating the last message received by the first node. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A data structure embodied in a computer readable medium for communicating signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 nodes, the data structure comprising:
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(a) a service field for storing message transfer part (MTP) layer 3 information and user part information;
(b) an application-level sequence number field for storing an application-level sequence number; and
(c) an internet protocol (IP) header field for storing IP information including an IP address. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A signal transfer point (STP) comprising:
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(a) means for receiving an incoming signaling system seven (SS7) message transmitted from a first SS7 node and for determining whether the message is destined for an external node; and
(b) a signaling system seven/internet protocol (SS7/IP) user part message communicator for, in response to a determination that the message is destined for an external node, for adding an internet protocol (IP) header to the message and transmitting the message to a second SS7 node over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A signaling system seven/internet protocol (SS7/IP) user part message communicator comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), a first SS7 user part message from a first SS7 signaling point;
(b) encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet; and
(c) transmitting the first IP packet to a second SS7 signaling point over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A signaling system seven/internet protocol (SS7/IP) user part message communicator comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) extracting at least a portion of SS7 layer 3 and layer 4 information from an SS7 message signaling unit (MSU), the extracted portion including SS7 routing information for the MSU and user part information for the MSU;
(b) encapsulating the extracted portion in a transport adapter layer interface packet including an application-level sequence number; and
(c) adding an IP header including an IP address to the transport adapter layer interface packet to produce an IP packet. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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62. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), an internet protocol (IP) encapsulated signaling system seven (SS7) user part message transmitted from a first SS7 signaling point over an IP network;
(b) removing an IP header from the message;
(c) reading at least message transfer part (MTP) layer 3 information from the message; and
(d) routing the message based on at least the MTP layer 3 information. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A signaling system seven (SS7) message recovery routine comprising a computer-product including computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) transmitting internet protocol (IP) encapsulated SS7 messages from a first node to a second node over the first and second sockets, the messages each including an application-level sequence number for sequencing messages received by the first and second nodes; and
(b) in response to failure of the first socket, transmitting, over the second socket, a first recovery packet from the first node to the second node, the first recovery packet including an application-level sequence number indicating the last message received by the first node. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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Specification