Apparatus and method for providing existing telephone switching equipment with the capability of using the SS7 protocol
First Claim
1. Apparatus for upgrading existing telephone switching equipment, that normally connects a calling subscriber to a receiving subscriber through a switching system having a switching matrix and non-SS7 trunk circuits, with the capability of controlling the connection, management and disconnection of incoming and outgoing telephone calls on SS7 trunk circuits using an SS7 link and the SS7 protocol comprising:
- a subscriber line interface coupled between a plurality of calling subscribers and the switching system for detecting a status condition of any subscriber, generating a signal identifying a calling subscriber port for a specific call, and coupling dialed called number digits and the calling subscriber port identifying signal to the switching system;
a receiver module coupled to the switching system for receiving the dialed called number digits and calling subscriber port identifying signal, generating a first signal identifying the specific call and the type of trunk circuit required as SS7 or non-SS7, and generating a second signal representing the called number associated with the specific call, the first signal being coupled to said switching matrix for routing a calling subscriber line to the identified trunk circuit;
a trunk circuit interface coupled to predetermined ones of said SS7 trunk circuits and to said switching system for receiving the first signal generated by the receiver module and generating a trunk circuit identification signal related to the specific call, said trunk circuit interface coupling the calling subscriber line to a SS7 trunk circuit selected in accordance with the first signal of said receiver module; and
processor means coupled (1) to said subscriber line interface for receiving the signal representing said calling subscriber port associated with the specific call and generating the calling number for the specific call, (2) to said receiver module for receiving the second signal representing the called number associated with the specific call, and (3) to said trunk circuit interface for receiving the trunk circuit identification signal for the specific call and transmitting the calling number, the called number, and the trunk circuit identification signal on the SS7 link to switching equipment coupled to the receiving subscriber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to upgrading existing telephone central offices which utilize electromechanical or electronic switching equipment incapable of using the SS7 protocol. In particular, it relates to providing the switching equipment with the capability of controlling the connection, management, and disconnection of telephone circuits using Signaling System Number 7, a national and international standard set of protocols for providing such circuit control and providing and receiving information via the SS7 protocol for enabling enhanced service in the switching equipment.
101 Citations
31 Claims
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1. Apparatus for upgrading existing telephone switching equipment, that normally connects a calling subscriber to a receiving subscriber through a switching system having a switching matrix and non-SS7 trunk circuits, with the capability of controlling the connection, management and disconnection of incoming and outgoing telephone calls on SS7 trunk circuits using an SS7 link and the SS7 protocol comprising:
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a subscriber line interface coupled between a plurality of calling subscribers and the switching system for detecting a status condition of any subscriber, generating a signal identifying a calling subscriber port for a specific call, and coupling dialed called number digits and the calling subscriber port identifying signal to the switching system; a receiver module coupled to the switching system for receiving the dialed called number digits and calling subscriber port identifying signal, generating a first signal identifying the specific call and the type of trunk circuit required as SS7 or non-SS7, and generating a second signal representing the called number associated with the specific call, the first signal being coupled to said switching matrix for routing a calling subscriber line to the identified trunk circuit; a trunk circuit interface coupled to predetermined ones of said SS7 trunk circuits and to said switching system for receiving the first signal generated by the receiver module and generating a trunk circuit identification signal related to the specific call, said trunk circuit interface coupling the calling subscriber line to a SS7 trunk circuit selected in accordance with the first signal of said receiver module; and processor means coupled (1) to said subscriber line interface for receiving the signal representing said calling subscriber port associated with the specific call and generating the calling number for the specific call, (2) to said receiver module for receiving the second signal representing the called number associated with the specific call, and (3) to said trunk circuit interface for receiving the trunk circuit identification signal for the specific call and transmitting the calling number, the called number, and the trunk circuit identification signal on the SS7 link to switching equipment coupled to the receiving subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of providing existing telephone switching equipment, that normally connects a calling subscriber to a receiving subscriber through a switching system having a switching matrix and non-SS7 trunk circuits, with the capability of controlling the connection, management and disconnection of incoming and outgoing telephone calls on SS7 trunk circuits using an SS7 link and the SS7 protocol comprising the steps of:
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detecting by a subscriber line interface coupled to a plurality of calling subscribers a status condition of any calling subscriber, generating a signal identifying a calling subscriber port for a specific call, and coupling a dialed called number and the calling subscriber port identifying signal to the switching system; receiving in a receiver module coupled to the switching system the dialed called number and the calling subscriber identifying port signal and generating a first signal identifying the specific call and the type of trunk circuit required as SS7 or non-SS7 and generating a second signal representing the called number and the specific call; coupling the first signal from the receiver module to the switching system for routing a calling subscriber line to the identified trunk circuit; receiving a trunk circuit interface coupled to predetermined ones of the SS7 trunk circuits and to the switching system the first signal generated by the receiver module and generating a trunk circuit identification signal related to the specific call and coupling the calling subscriber line to a SS7 trunk circuit selected in accordance with the first signal of the receiver module; and receiving in a processor means coupled to the subscriber line interface the calling subscriber port signal for the specific call and generating the calling number for the specific call, receiving from the receiver module coupled to the processor means the second signal representing the called number for the specific call, receiving from the trunk circuit interface coupled to the processor means the trunk circuit identification signal for the specific call, and transmitting the calling number, the called number and the trunk circuit indentification signal on the SS7 link to the switching equipment coupled to the receiving subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus for controlling the connection, management and disconnection of incoming and outgoing telephone calls on SS7 trunk circuits using an SS7 link and the SS7 protocol comprising:
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means for generating a first signal identifying a specific call and the type of trunk circuit required as SS7 or non-SS7, for routing an incoming telephone call to the identified trunk circuit; interface means coupled to predetermined ones of said SS7 trunk circuits for receiving the first signal from said means for generating and generating a trunk circuit identification signal related to the specific call, said interface means coupling the incoming telephone call to a SS7 trunk circuit selected in accordance with the first signal; and processor means coupled to said means for generating and said interface means for generating a called number for the specific call and for receiving the trunk circuit identification signal for the specific call and transmitting the called number and the trunk circuit identification signal on the SS7 link to switching equipment coupled to the receiving subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of controlling the connection, management and disconnection of incoming and outgoing telephone calls on SS7 trunk circuits using an SS7 link and the SS7 protocol comprising the steps of:
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receiving a called number and generating a first signal identifying the specific call and the type of trunk circuit required as SS7 or non-SS7 and generating a second signal representing the called number and the specific call; in response to the first signal, routing a calling subscriber line to the identified trunk circuit and generating a trunk circuit identification signal related to the specific call; coupling an incoming telephone circuit to a SS7 trunk circuit selected in accordance with the first signal; and in processor means, generating the calling number for the specific call, receiving the second signal representing the called number for the specific call, receiving the trunk circuit indentification signal for the specific call, and transmitting the calling number, the called number and the trunk circuit identification signal on the SS7 link to switching equipment coupled to the receiving subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification