SS7 Link failover communications over existing cellular networks

• US 20070093249A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khoshaba, Shadi, Marathe, Nikhil
• Application Number:
  US11/255,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method of providing a telecommunication system, including transferring data over a standard link between a first and a second telecommunication device in a telecommunication network and establishing a wireless cellular link to transfer the data between the first and second telecommunication devices when the data transfer over the standard communication link is impaired. The first device may be a Service Switching Point (SSP), and the second device may be a Signal Transfer Point (STP). The standard link may include a hardwire or an optical link. In the wireless cellular link, data is typically transferred using a Signaling System 7 protocol over a cellular network and a Public Switched Telephone Network. The wireless cellular link may be established in response to a failure detected in the standard link. Signals provided by the first device may be converted to and from a format for transmission over the wireless cellular link.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telecommunication, comprising:

transferring data over a standard communication link between a first and a second telecommunication device in a telecommunication network; and

establishing a wireless cellular link to transfer the data between the first and second telecommunication devices when the data transfer over the standard communication link is impaired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises transmitting data from the first device to the second device via a cellular network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises transferring data to a Public Switched Telephone Network from the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring data further comprises utilizes a Signaling System 7 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a Service Switching Point (SSP) and the second device is a Signal Transfer Point (STP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring data over the standard communication link further comprises transferring data over one of (i) a hardwire, and (ii) an optical link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises:

detecting a failure in the standard communication link; and

automatically establishing the wireless cellular link in response to detecting the failure in the standard communication link.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises converting signals provided by the first telecommunication device in a first format to signals in a second format for transmission over the wireless cellular link.

9. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a standard communication link for transferring data between a first and a second telecommunication device in a telecommunication network; and

a wireless cellular link established for transferring the data between the first and second telecommunication devices when the data transfer over the standard communication link is impaired.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless cellular link further comprises a cellular network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless cellular link further comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein transferring data further comprises utilizing a Signaling System 7 protocol.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first device is a Service Switching Point (SSP) and the second device is a Signal Transfer Point (STP).

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the standard link further comprises one of (i) a hardwire, and (ii) an optical link.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises:

detecting a failure in the standard communication link; and

automatically establishing the wireless cellular link in response to detecting the failure in the standard communication link.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing the wireless cellular link further comprises converting signals provided by the first telecommunication device in a first format to signals in a second format for transmission over the wireless cellular link.

17. A system for providing a backup connection to a Signaling System 7 (SS7) communication network, comprising:

at least one Service Switching Point (SSP) for converting between signals from a voice switch and an SS7 signal;

at least one Signal Transfer Point (STP) for routing SS7 signals through the SS7 communication network that is connected to the at least one SSP via at least one standard link; and

a wireless cellular communication link that is activated to transfer information between the at least one SSP and the at least one STP when a failure is detected in the at least one standard communication link.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one SSP further comprises a plurality of SSPs.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one STP further comprises a plurality of STPs.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one standard communication link further comprises a plurality of standard communication links.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless cellular communication link further comprises:

a cellular network;

a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); and

a mediation device for converting between a signal transmittable over the at least one standard communication link and a signal transmittable over the cellular network.

22. The method of claim 21, where the mediation device further converts SS7 data bits into a format and speed acceptable to the cellular network while being transparent to the at least one SSP and the at least one STP.

23. A method of providing a backup signaling system for a Signaling System 7 (SS7) communication network, comprising:

detecting a failure of at least one standard SS7 link between at least one Service Switching Point (SSP) that converts between signals from a voice switch and an SS7 signal and at least one Signal Transfer Point (STP) that routes the SS7 signal through the SS7 network; and

establishing a wireless cellular communication link between the at least one SSP and at least one STP that provides a backup signaling system to the SS7 network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one SSP further comprises a plurality of SSPs.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one STP further comprises a plurality of STPs.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one standard link further comprises a plurality of standard links.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising converting between a signal transmittable over the at least one standard link and a signal transmittable over the wireless cellular communication link, and transmitting the converted signal over a cellular network and a PSTN.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the wireless cellular communication link is provided over a cellular network.