Transport mechanism for accounting messages within a telecommunications system
First Claim
1. A system for communicating accounting messages within a telecommunications network, said system comprising:
- a switch node connected to said telecommunications network, said node providing telecommunications services to a telecommunications subscriber for which formatted accounting data are generated, said switch node comprising;
a first subsystem for formatting said formatted accounting data in accordance with a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard;
a second subsystem fog processing TCAP signals, said TCAP signals comprising;
a first set of signals for establishing communication between said switch node and said administrative center node over said communications link; and
a second set of signals for carrying said first subsystem formatted accounting data; and
a third subsystem for transmitting said TCAP signals over said communications link to said administrative center node using a Message Transfer Part (MTP) level of Signaling System No. 7;
an administrative center node for collecting and analyzing formatted accounting data; and
a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) communication link connecting said switch node to said administrative center node and over which said formatted accounting data generated by said node are transmitted to said administrative center node using Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (337) Transactional Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals.
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Abstract
A telecommunications switch serving a roaming mobile station transports the resulting billing records by setting up a communication link with an administrative billing center connected to a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network by utilizing Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals. Once the connection is established between the telecommunication switch and the administrative billing center, Data Message handler (DMH) formatted data are stored into the SS7 TCAP Invoke signal by the telecommunication switch and transported to the administrative billing center via the SS7 telecommunications network.
93 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for communicating accounting messages within a telecommunications network, said system comprising:
a switch node connected to said telecommunications network, said node providing telecommunications services to a telecommunications subscriber for which formatted accounting data are generated, said switch node comprising; a first subsystem for formatting said formatted accounting data in accordance with a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard; a second subsystem fog processing TCAP signals, said TCAP signals comprising; a first set of signals for establishing communication between said switch node and said administrative center node over said communications link; and a second set of signals for carrying said first subsystem formatted accounting data; and a third subsystem for transmitting said TCAP signals over said communications link to said administrative center node using a Message Transfer Part (MTP) level of Signaling System No. 7; an administrative center node for collecting and analyzing formatted accounting data; and a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) communication link connecting said switch node to said administrative center node and over which said formatted accounting data generated by said node are transmitted to said administrative center node using Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (337) Transactional Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) network system for transporting accounting messages, said network system comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein certain ones of said nodes generate Data Message Handler (DMH) formatted accounting messages; a plurality of communications links interconnecting said plurality of nodes; a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) module within each of said nodes for handling said DMH formatted accounting messages; a Message Transfer Part (MTP) module within each of said nodes for transmitting or receiving said DMH formatted accounting messages over said communications links; and a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) module within each of said nodes for interfacing said DMH formatted accounting messages from said TCAP module to said MTP module. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of transporting accounting data from a first node to a second node wherein said first node and second node are connected within a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network, said method comprises the steps of:
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formatting said accounting data according to a common standard recognizable by said first node and said second node; initiating setup from said first node to said second node within said SS7 telecommunications network using SS7 Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals; transporting said formatted accounting data from said first node to said second node within said SS7 telecommunications network using SS7 TCAP signals; and disconnecting the connection-from said first node to said second node within said SS7 telecommunications network using SS7 TCAP signals. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for transporting accounting data from a first node to a second node within a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network, wherein said system comprising:
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means for collecting and formatting said accounting data according to a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard within said first node; means for initiating connection setup from said first node toward said second node using SS7 Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals; means for storing the contents of said DMH formatted data using SS7 TCAP signals; and means for transporting said DMH formatted data stored in said SS7 TCAP signals from said first node to said second node.
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15. A system for communicating accounting messages within a telecommunications network, said system comprising:
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a switch node connected to said telecommunications network, said node providing telecommunications services to a telecommunications subscriber for which formatted accounting data are generated; an administrative center node for collecting and analyzing formatted accounting data, said administrative center node comprising; a first subsystem for receiving said TCAP signals over said communications link from said switch node using a Message Transfer Part (MTP) level of Signaling System No. 7; a second subsystem for processing TCAP signals, said TCAP signals comprising; a first set of signals for establishing communication between said switch node and said administrative center node over said communications link; and a second set of signals for receiving said formatted accounting data; and a third subsystem for extracting said formatted accounting data from said second set of signals in accordance with a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard; and a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) communication link connecting said switch node to said administrative center node and over which said formatted accounting data generated by said node are transmitted to said administrative center node using Common Channel Signaling System No 7 (SS7) Transactional Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) signals. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification