Mediation of open advanced intelligent network interface for public switched telephone network

• US 5,438,568 A
• Filed: 09/06/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weisser, Frank J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/300,981
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/94.1, 370/110.1, 379/201, 379/113, 379/207, 379/211, 379/67, 379/93, 379/94, 379/96, 379/142, 379/265, 379/89, 379/210, 379/214, 379/212, 379/112, 379/221, 379/242, 379/230
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13515 authentication, authorisation - fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13522 traffic management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13526 resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13533 multivendor and hybrid, e.g. public/private, networks, inc. international
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13561 congestion - inc. overflow
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13566 mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A method of mediating message traffic across interfaces open to third parties in an Advanced Intelligent Network for a switched telephone system is disclosed. Network utilization is monitored by maintaining message counts at the open interfaces and rejecting messages or terminating access via the interface when an excessive rate of traffic is detected. Access to data bases stored in service control points is used to determine if the sender identified in the contents of the message is the same as the entity authorized to use the physical port upon which the message was received. Also, customer records in the service control point are tested to determine if the sender of the message is authorized to affect the call progress of an affected customer directory number identified in the message. Upon termination of the message traffic across a port, a default application is activated so that other network elements do not have to rely on timeouts to continue processing of calls.

Claims

1. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records;

detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface;

comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface;

rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier;

detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number;

reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and

rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

2. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a destination address for each said in-bound packet from said interface; and

rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said destination address is for a network element with which said service provider service control point is not allowed to communicate.

3. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider source of said packet messages, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mediated service control point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider source of said packet messages;

determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider source of said packet messages;

determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount;

if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount;

blocking said packet messages from said service provider source of said packet messages, and

causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider source of said packet messages.

4. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider service control point;

determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider service control point;

determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount;

if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount;

sending a message from said mediated service control point to said signal transfer point for causing said signal transfer point to block said packet messages from said service provider service control point, and

causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider service control point.

5. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages as recited in claim 4 wherein said message from said mediated service control point to said signal transfer point for causing said signal transfer point to block said packet messages from said service provider service control point also causes said signal transfer point to subsequently redirect said network messages addressed to said service provider service control point to said mediated service control point.

6. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface between a service node and a service switching point at one of said plurality of central offices comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records;

detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface;

comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface;

rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier;

detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number;

reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and

rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

7. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages as recited in claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a destination address for each said in-bound packet from said interface; and

rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said destination address is for a network element with which said service node is not allowed to communicate.

8. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, an interface between a service node and a service switching point associated with one of said plurality of central offices, said service switching point being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service node;

determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service node;

determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount;

if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount;

causing said service switching point to block said packet messages from said service node, and

causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service node.

9. A method of mediating traffic in packet messages as recited in claim 8 wherein said signal transfer point subsequently redirects said network messages addressed to said service node to said mediated service control point if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount.