Intelligent signal transfer point (ISTP)

• US 5,586,177 A
• Filed: 09/06/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Farris, Robert D., Bartholomew, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/524,306
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 379/94, 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/230, 379/224, 379/229, 370/58.1, 370/60.1, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 379/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13517 SLEE - service logic execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13545 monitoring of signaling messages, intelligent network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An intelligent network, such as might provide telephone services or the like, comprises local communication links, one or more trunk circuits and a number of separately located central office switching systems. The network selectively provides switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links. The switching systems also exchange signaling messages via an interoffice signaling network, as part of the procedures for establishing call connections. The interoffice signaling network includes an Intelligent Signaling Transfer Point (ISTP) which communicates with the switching offices via signaling links that are separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit(s). In accord with the present invention, the ISTP includes a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems. The ISTP also includes a program controlled processor. The processor recognizes a predetermined condition or trigger regarding the call and retrieves call processing information from the database. The ISTP may route the message to a distant network element to provide the necessary response, or the ISTP may formulate and transmit a response message, based on the call processing information and specific conditions relating to the call and/or the signaling message. The response message goes back through the ISTP and one of the signaling links to the central office switching system, to control subsequent processing of the call.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

local communication links;

a trunk circuit;

at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links;

a signaling transfer point for routing signaling messages; and

signaling links coupling the signaling transfer point to the central office switching systems, said signaling links being separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit;

wherein the signaling transfer point comprises;

(1) a data switch for switching messages between the signaling links,

(2) a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems, and

(3) a program controlled processor;

(A) recognizing that a call satisfies a predetermined condition in response to at least one call related signaling message from one of the central office switching systems which is processing the call, and obtaining call processing information from the database, and transmitting a signaling message containing the call processing information to the one central office switching system to control subsequent processing of the call, and (B) controlling the data switch to route a further signaling message relating to a call not meeting the predetermined condition from one signaling link to another signaling link.

2. A network as in claim 1, wherein:

the communication links are telephone links; and

the central office switching system are telephone switches.

3. A network as in claim 2, wherein a plurality of the telephone links are telephone lines.

4. A network as in claim 1, wherein the signaling transfer point is adapted for sending and receiving signaling system 7 (SS7) compliant signaling messages.

5. A network as in claim 1, wherein the data switch comprises a packet data switching fabric.

6. A network as in claim 1, wherein:

the network further comprises a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems and coupled to the signaling transfer point via a signaling link, said service control point comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems; and

the program controlled processor recognizes that the predetermined condition is not met with regard to another call related signaling message, and in response thereto the signaling transfer point routes said another signaling message to the service control point.

7. An intelligent signaling transfer point comprising:

interface modules for providing two-way data communications to a plurality of common channel interoffice signaling links coupled to switching offices of a communication network;

a data switch for switching messages between the interface modules;

a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of local communication links of the communication network for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems; and

a program controlled processor;

(A) recognizing a predetermined condition regarding at least one call related signaling message from one of the central office switching systems which is processing a call, in response thereto obtaining call processing information from the database, and transmitting a signaling message containing the call processing information to the one central office switching system to control subsequent processing of the call, and (B) controlling the data switch to route a further signaling message not meeting the predetermined condition from one signaling link to another signaling link.

8. An intelligent signaling transfer point as in claim 7, wherein the data switch comprises a packet data switching fabric.

9. An intelligent signaling transfer point as in claim 7, wherein the interface modules and the data switch are adapted for sending and receiving signaling system 7 (SS7) compliant signaling messages.

10. A network comprising:

local communication links;

a trunk circuit;

at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links;

a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems, comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems;

a signaling transfer point for routing signaling messages; and

signaling links coupling the signaling transfer point to the central office switching systems and to the service control point, said signaling links being separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit;

wherein the signaling transfer point comprises;

(1) a data switch for switching signaling messages between the signaling links

(2) a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of routing of signaling messages related to services provided to the plurality of the local communication links through the data switch; and

(3) a program controlled processor controlling the data switch to route at least some incoming signaling messages from signaling links through to other signaling links, and in response to at least some other signaling messages meeting predetermined criteria, formulating responsive messages in accord with call processing data stored in the database and sending the responsive messages through signaling links.

11. A network as in claim 10, wherein:

the communication links are telephone links; and

the central office switching systems are telephone switches.

12. A network as in claim 11, wherein a plurality of the telephone links are telephone lines.

13. A network as in claim 10, wherein the signaling transfer point is adapted for sending and receiving signaling system 7 (SS7) complaint signaling messages.

14. A network as in claim 10, wherein the data switch comprises a packet data switching fabric.

15. A network comprising:

local communication links;

a trunk circuit;

at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links;

signaling links coupled to the central office switching systems and carrying interoffice signalling messages, said signaling links being separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit; and

a signaling transfer point comprising a message routing fabric and a database, for receiving the signaling messages over the signaling links, transmitting signaling messages meeting at least one first predetermined condition from a signaling link coupled to one of the central office switching systems to a signaling link coupled to another of the central office switching systems; and

in response to a signaling message from one of the central office switching systems meeting at least one second predetermined condition formulating a response message based on information from the database and transmitting the response message over a signaling link to the one central office switching system.

16. A network as in claim 15, wherein:

the communication links are telephone links; and

the central office switching systems are telephone switches.

17. A network as in claim 16, wherein a plurality of the telephone links are telephone lines.

18. A network as in claim 15, wherein the signaling transfer point is adapted for sending and receiving signaling system 7 (SS7) compliant signaling messages.

19. A network as in claim 15, wherein the data switch comprises a packet data switching fabric.

20. A network as in claim 15, further comprising a services control point, separate from the central office switching systems and coupled to the signaling transfer point via a signaling link, said services control point comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links and providing information for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems in response to at least some of the signaling messages meeting at least one first predetermined condition.

21. In a network comprising:

local communication links;

a trunk circuit;

at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links;

a signaling transfer point for routing signaling messages; and

signaling links coupling the signaling transfer point to the central office switching systems, said signaling links being separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit,

a method of processing a call comprising;

receiving the call over one of the local communication links at one of the central office switching system;

transmitting a query message containing information relating to the call and address information over one of the signaling links to the signaling transfer point;

accessing a database in the signaling transfer point based on at least a portion of the information contained in the query message to retrieve call processing information;

based on the call processing information, if a condition is met, then routing the query message based on the address information; and

based on the call processing information, if the condition is not met, then formulating a response in the signaling transfer point and sending the response over one of the signaling links to the one central office switching system.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein the network comprises a telephone network.

23. A method as in claim 21, wherein said at least a portion of the information contained in the query message relates to a calling party.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the condition is an outgoing call screening criteria selected by the calling party.

25. A method as in claim 21, wherein said at least a portion of the information contained in the query message relates to a called party.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the condition is an incoming call screening criteria selected by the called party.

27. A method as in claim 21, wherein the address information relates to a remote database containing call processing information.

28. In a network comprising:

local communication links;

a trunk circuit;

at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links;

a signaling transfer point for routing signaling messages; and

signaling links coupling the signaling transfer point to the central office switching systems, said signaling links being separate from the local communication links being separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit,

a method of processing calls comprising;

receiving a first call over one of the local communication links at one of the central office switching system;

recognizing a predetermined condition of the first call as a trigger;

in response to recognition of the trigger, transmitting a query message containing information relating to the first call over one of the signaling links to the signal transfer point;

accessing a database in the signaling transfer point based on at least a portion of the information contained in the query message to retrieve call processing information;

formulating a response in the signaling transfer point based on the call processing information;

sending the response over one of the signaling links to the one central office switching system;

processing the first call in accord with the response; and

processing a second call that does not meet the predetermined condition without accessing the database.

29. A method as in claim 28, wherein the network comprises a telephone network.

30. A method as in claim 28, wherein said at least a portion of the information contained in the query message relates to a calling party.

31. A method as in claim 28, wherein said at least a portion of the information contained in the query message relates to a called party.

32. A method comprising:

receiving a signaling message at a transfer point from a first node of a signaling network, said signaling message comprising content information relating to processing of a call through a communication network and routing information;

analyzing said content information;

if the analyzed content information satisfies a first predetermined condition, transmitting the signaling message including said content information from the transfer point through the signaling network to a second node of the signaling network in accord with the routing information; and

if the analyzed content information satisfies a second predetermined condition, accessing call processing data stored in a database in the transfer point to formulate a response message, and transmitting the response message from the transfer point through the signaling network to the first node of the signaling network.

33. A method as in claim 32, wherein the signaling message is a data packet in signaling system 7 protocol format.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the second predetermined condition relates to predetermined Transaction Capabilities Applications Protocol content information in the signaling message.

35. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first predetermined condition relates to predetermined Integrated Services Digital Network User Part content information in the signaling message.

36. A method as in claim 35, wherein the second predetermined condition relates to predetermined Integrated Services Digital Network User Part content information in the signaling message.

37. A method as in claim 33, wherein the second predetermined condition relates to predetermined Integrated Services Digital Network User Part content information in the signaling message.

38. In a communication network having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems at different locations, each of said central office switching systems connected through a plurality of local subscriber lines to subscriber stations, a voice network portion comprising voice communication paths for interconnecting two of said subscriber stations through at least one of said central office switching systems, a common channel signaling network portion comprising signaling paths interconnecting said central office switching systems through at least one signaling transfer point (STP) and a services control point (SCP) including a data base, a method for controlling call completion to one of said subscriber stations comprising the steps of:

in response to each call to a number associated with the one subscriber station, launching a query message addressed to the SCP through the common channel signaling network portion;

receiving each query message at the STP and in response thereto incrementing a call count value;

for each query message, comparing the call count value to a predetermined value stored in the STP;

only when receipt of one query message results in the call count value equaling the predetermined value, forwarding the one query message to the SCP;

in response to the one query message, accessing call processing information stored in the SCP;

transmitting a response message containing the call processing information to one of the central office switching systems to complete a call corresponding to the one query message to the one subscriber station.

39. A method as in claim 38, further comprising:

for each query message wherein the call count value does not equal the predetermined value, formulating in the STP a response message indicating a call station busy status and transmitting the response message indicating a call station busy status to one of the central office switching systems to supply a busy signal to a caller.