Port policy management for calls in a centralized call control packet network

• US 20040071131A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Synnestvedt, Robert Glenn, Harikrishnan, Sahadevan P., Iyer, Ashok V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A network device is disclosed. The network device comprises a port to allow reception of a TCAP query. A processor translates the TCAP query into a dial access request and a port allows transmission of the dial access request and to receive a call disposition message.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a port to allow reception of a TCAP query;

a processor to translate the TCAP query into an access request; and

a port to allow transmission of the access request and to receive a call disposition message.

2. The network device of claim 1 wherein the response further comprises an error message.

3. The network device of claim 1 wherein the network device further comprises a memory.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein the memory includes a lookup table that provides a translation between TCAP messages and access request messages.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is a media gateway controller.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is a policy processor.

7. A method of enforcing policy management on a Softswitch based network, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction capability application part (TCAP) query;

translating the TCAP query to an access request;

transmitting the access request to a policy management system;

receiving a call disposition message from the policy management system; and

translating the call disposition message to a TCAP query response.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the TCAP query further comprises:

deconstructing the query; and

locating originator information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein translating the TCAP query to an access request further comprises:

constructing an access request using originator information located inside the TCAP query; and

transmitting the access request to a policy system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the TCAP response further comprises a TCAP error code.

11. A network device, comprising:

a means for allowing reception of a TCAP query;

a means for translating the TCAP query into an access request; and

a means for allowing transmission of the access request and to receive a call disposition message.

12. The network device of claim 11 wherein the response further comprises an error message.

13. The network device of claim 11 wherein the network device further comprises a means for storing data.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the means for storing data further comprises a lookup table that provides a translation between TCAP messages and access request messages.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device is a media gateway controller.

16. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device is a policy processor.

17. An article containing machine-executable code that, when executed, causes the machine to:

receive a translation capability application part (TCAP) query;

translate the TCAP query to an access request;

transmit the access request to a policy management system;

receive a call disposition message from the policy management system; and

translate the call disposition message to a TCAP query response.

18. The article of claim 17 wherein the code causing the machine to receive the TCAP query further causes the machine to:

deconstruct the query; and

locate originator information.

19. The article of claim 17 wherein the code causing the machine to translate the TCAP query further causes the machine to:

construct an access request using originator information located inside the TCAP query; and

transmit the access request to a policy system.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein the machine is a protocol converter.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the machine is a media gateway controller.

22. The article of claim 17, wherein the machine is a policy processor.