SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A FAILED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SIGNAL TRANSFER POINTS WAS IN ERROR

• US 20110099434A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherng, Shu-Yi S., Sutterfield, Terri L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06

Abstract

An exemplary system includes a first signal transfer point configured to communicate with a second signal transfer point via a communication network. The first signal transfer point is configured to generate an error message in response to receiving an unauthorized signal from the second signal transfer point. A monitoring system is in communication with the first signal transfer point. An order system is in communication with the monitoring system and is configured to store orders authorizing communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point. The monitoring system is configured to receive the error message generated by the first signal transfer point and query the order system to determine whether an order authorizing the communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point exists.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first signal transfer point configured to communicate with a second signal transfer point via a communication network, wherein said first signal transfer point is configured to generate an error message in response to receiving an unauthorized signal from said second signal transfer point;

a monitoring system in communication with said first signal transfer point; and

an order system in communication with said monitoring system, wherein said order system is configured to store orders authorizing communication between said first signal transfer point and said second signal transfer point, and

wherein said monitoring system is configured to receive the error message generated by said first signal transfer point and query said order system to determine whether an order authorizing the communication between said first signal transfer point and said second signal transfer point exists.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first signal transfer point includes a first point code that is unique to said first signal transfer point.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said second signal transfer point includes a second point code that is unique to said second signal transfer point.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the error message generated by said first signal transfer point includes the first point code and the second point code.

5. A system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said monitoring system is configured to determine whether an order authorizing the communication between said first signal transfer point and said second signal transfer point by querying said order system for orders that include the first point code and the second point code.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first signal transfer point is configured to screen messages from said second signal transfer point to determine whether the message from said second signal transfer point is authorized.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said monitoring system is configured to receive the error message from said first signal transfer point in a hexadecimal format and convert the error message to a decimal format.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first signal transfer point is paired with a third signal transfer point in communication with the second signal transfer point over the communication network.

9. A system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said second signal transfer point is paired with a fourth signal transfer point in communication with said first signal transfer point and said third signal transfer point over the communication network.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a message at a first signal transfer point, the signal being transmitted from a second signal transfer point;

determining whether communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point is authorized;

generating an error message at the first signal transfer point if the communication with the second signal transfer point is unauthorized;

receiving the error message from the first signal transfer point; and

determining whether an order authorizing communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point is stored in an order system.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first signal transfer point includes a first point code and the second signal transfer point includes a second point code, and wherein determining whether an order authorizing communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point is stored in the order system includes querying the order system for orders that include the first point code and the second point code.

12. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein determining whether communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point is authorized includes screening the message transmitted from the second signal transfer point to the first signal transfer point.

13. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein receiving the error message from the first signal transfer point includes receiving the error message in a hexadecimal format.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising converting the error message to a decimal format.

15. A method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising authorizing the communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point if the order authorizing communication exists.

16. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions comprising:

receiving an error message generated by a first signal transfer point indicating unauthorized communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point; and

querying an order system for orders that correspond to the error message and authorize communication between the first signal transfer point and the second signal transfer point.

17. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 16, further comprising identifying a first point code corresponding to the first signal transfer point and a second point code corresponding to the second signal transfer point from the error message.

18. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 17, wherein querying the order system includes querying the order system for orders that include the first point code and the second point code.

19. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 16, further comprising converting the error message from a hexadecimal format to a decimal format.

20. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 16, further comprising updating the order system.