Method, system and apparatus for telecommunications control
First Claim
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1. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
- receiving a telecommunications signaling message from a telecommunications user into a signaling processor that is located externally to any network elements that are switches;
processing the telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor to select at least one characteristic for a communications path for the telecommunications user;
generating a new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the at least one selected characteristic; and
transmitting the new telecommunications signaling message to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element has not received and did not generate the telecommunications signaling message received into the signaling processor.
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Abstract
The present invention includes a method, system, and apparatus for providing communication control. The invention includes a method in which signaling is processed externally to a switch before it is applied by the network elements. The processor is able to select network characteristics and signal the network elements based the selections. A network employing the processing method is also included, as well as a signaling system that employs the processing method.
299 Citations
115 Claims
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1. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
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receiving a telecommunications signaling message from a telecommunications user into a signaling processor that is located externally to any network elements that are switches; processing the telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor to select at least one characteristic for a communications path for the telecommunications user; generating a new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the at least one selected characteristic; and transmitting the new telecommunications signaling message to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element has not received and did not generate the telecommunications signaling message received into the signaling processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
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receiving a telecommunications signaling message from a telecommunications user into a signaling processor that is not directly coupled to a switch matrix in any network elements; processing the telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor to select a connection for a communications path for the telecommunications user; generating a new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the selected connection; and transmitting the new telecommunications signaling message to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element did not generate the telecommunications signaling message received into the signaling processor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
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receiving a telecommunications signaling message from a telecommunications user into a signaling processor that is not directly coupled to a switch matrix in any network elements; processing the telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor to select a network element for a communications path for the telecommunications user; generating a new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the selected network element; and transmitting the new telecommunications signaling message to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element has not received and did not generate the telecommunications signaling message received into the signaling processor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
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receiving a Signaling System #7 (SS7 ) Initial Address Message (IAM) into a signaling processor that communicates with network elements on a communications path only through telecommunications signaling; processing the SS7 IAM in the signaling processor to select at least one characteristic for the communications path for a telecommunications user; generating a new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on at least one selected characteristic; and transmitting the new telecommunications signaling message to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element has not received and did not generate the telecommunications signaling message received into the signaling processor.
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28. A method for controlling communications in a telecommunications network that is comprised of a signaling processor, a first switch, and a second switch that are operational to establish communications paths in response to telecommunications signaling, wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a first signaling message into the signaling processor from outside of the telecommunications network wherein the signaling processor is located externally to any switch; processing the first signaling message in the signaling processor to select characteristics for a communications path for a telecommunications user; generating a second signaling message and a third signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and transmitting the second signaling message to the first switch and transmitting the third signaling message to the second switch; establishing a communications path through the first switch and the second switch in response to the second signaling message and the third signaling message. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A telecommunications processor that comprises:
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a processor that is external to any network elements that are telecommunications switches and that is operational to process a first telecommunications signaling message to produce information used to establish a communication path, wherein the processor is further operational to generate a second telecommunications signaling message based on the information, and wherein the second telecommunications signaling message is for transmission to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element did not receive and did not generate the first signaling message; and a signaling interface that is directly coupled to the processor and that is operational to receive the first telecommunications signaling message and to transmit the second telecommunications signaling message to the one network element on the communications path.
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33. A telecommunications processor that comprises:
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a processor that is external to any network elements that are telecommunications switches and that is operational to process a first telecommunications signaling message to select a connection used to establish a communication path, wherein the processor is further operational to generate a second telecommunications signaling message based on the selected connection, and wherein the second telecommunications signaling message is for transmission to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element did not receive and did not generate the first signaling message; and a signaling interface that is directly coupled to the processor and that is operational to receive the first telecommunications signaling message and to transmit the second telecommunications signaling message to the one network element on the communications path.
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34. A telecommunications processor that comprises:
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a processor that is external to any network elements that are telecommunications switches and that is operational to process a first telecommunications signaling message to select a network element used to establish a communication path, wherein the processor is further operational to generate a second telecommunications signaling message based on the selected connection, and wherein the second telecommunications signaling message is for transmission to one of the network elements on the communications path wherein the one network element did not receive and did not generate the first signaling message; and a signaling interface that is directly coupled to the processor and that is operational to receive the first telecommunications signaling message and to transmit the second telecommunications signaling message to the one network element on the communications path.
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35. A method of processing telecommunications signaling to extend a first communications path that is between a first network element and a second network element, the method comprising:
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receiving a first telecommunications signaling message into a telecommunications signaling processor, wherein the first telecommunications signaling message requests extension of the first communications path, and wherein the telecommunications signaling processor is located externally to the first network element and the second network element; processing the first telecommunications signaling message in the telecommunications signaling processor to select a characteristic for extending the first communications path; generating a second message in the telecommunications signaling processor wherein the second message identifies the selected characteristic; and transmitting the second message from the telecommunications signaling processor to the second telecommunications network element wherein the second telecommunications network element did not generate and did not receive the first telecommunications signaling message. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of processing telecommunications signaling to extend a first communications path that is between a telecommunications user and a network element, the method comprising:
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receiving a first telecommunications signaling message into a telecommunications signaling processor, wherein the first telecommunications signaling message requests extension of the first communications path, and wherein the telecommunications signaling processor is located externally to the telecommunications user and the network element; processing the first telecommunications signaling message in the telecommunications signaling processor to select a characteristic for extending the first communications path; generating a second message in the telecommunications signaling processor wherein the second message identifies the selected characteristic; and transmitting the second message from the telecommunications signaling processor to the network element wherein the network element did not generate and did not receive the first telecommunications signaling message. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. A method for processing telecommunications signaling that comprises:
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receiving a telecommunications signaling message into a signaling processor that is not directly coupled to a switch matrix; processing the telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor to select a first characteristic for a first communications path and to select a second characteristic for a second communications path; generating a first new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the first selected characteristic and generating a second new telecommunications signaling message in the signaling processor that is based at least in part on the second selected characteristic; and transmitting the first new telecommunications signaling message and the second new telecommunications signaling message, wherein the first new telecommunications signaling message is used to establish the first communications path and the second new telecommunications signaling message is used to establish the second communications path. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115)
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Specification