Method for detecting improper delivery of parameters, in an initial address message, from an interconnecting switch

• US 5,912,946 A
• Filed: 09/19/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Michelson, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US08/933,778
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/2, 379/9, 379/10, 379/12, 379/14-15, 379/18, 379/22, 379/23, 379/25-26, 379/34, 379/229, 379/230, 379/231-232, 379/242, 379/243-247, 379/258, 379/127, 379/120 , 379/142
• US Class Current: 379/15.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A method for detecting improper delivery of parameters in an initial address message (IAM), such as a calling party number (CPN), for calls set up to a switch over SS7 trunk groups connected to other carriers is described. When a call originates from a switch other than the local switch serving a caller ID customer, the CPN should be passed, as a parameter in a call setup message called an Initial Address Message (IAM), from the originating switch to any intermediate switches, and from those intermediate switches to the customer'"'"'s terminating switch. The method allows a switch to reliably and proactively identify when an IAM parameter, such as CPN, is not being received (and should be), from an interconnecting switch, for calls over specific TSGs connecting two switches.

Claims

1. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, from an interconnecting switch under test, connected to a testing switch, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a collection period of time;

identifying the interconnecting switch under test and an SS7 trunk subgroup (TSG) connecting the testing switch to the interconnecting switch under test; and

obtaining data indicating if an IAM parameter under test is present in an IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for a call originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time.

2. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 1, wherein, if an indication is obtained that the IAM parameter under test is present in any IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for calls originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, no additional monitoring of IAMs for the SS7 TSG occurs during the collection period of time.

3. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 1, wherein, if an indication is obtained that the IAM parameter under test is not present in all IAMs received from the interconnecting switch under test for calls originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, additional data is obtained indicating if MF interworking has been encountered.

4. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 3, further wherein if an indication is obtained that MF interworking has not been encountered on any IAM received, information identifying the testing switch, SS7 TSG, and the interconnecting switch under test is generated.

5. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 4, the method further comprising the step of transmitting the generated information to a designated channel.

6. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of identifying the parameter under test at the testing switch.

7. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 6, wherein the parameter under test is the calling party number (CPN) parameter.

8. A method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, according to claim 1, wherein the testing switch is a 4ESS™

switch.

9. In a telecommunications system, a method of detecting improper delivery of an initial address message (IAM) parameter, from an interconnecting switch under test, connected to a testing switch, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a collection period of time;

identifying the interconnecting switch under test and an SS7 trunk subgroup (TSG) connecting the testing switch to the interconnecting switch under test; and

obtaining data indicating if an IAM parameter under test is present in an IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for a call originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time,

wherein, if an indication is obtained that the IAM parameter under test is present in any IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for calls originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, no additional monitoring of IAMs for the SS7 TSG occurs during the collection period of time,

wherein, if an indication is obtained that the IAM parameter under test is not present in all IAMs received from the interconnecting switch under test for calls originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, additional data is obtained indicating if MF interworking has been encountered, and

further wherein if an indication is obtained that MF interworking has not been encountered on any IAM received, information identifying the testing switch, SS7 TSG, and the interconnecting switch under test is generated and transmitted to a designated channel.

10. A method of detecting improper delivery of the CPN initial address message (IAM) parameter, from an interconnecting switch under test, connected to a testing switch, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a collection period of time;

identifying the interconnecting switch under test and an SS7 trunk subgroup (TSG) connecting the testing switch to the interconnecting switch under test;

maintaining data by using two Boolean indicators, a first indicator indicating if a CPN was correctly received during the collection period of time for the SS7 TSG, and a second indicator indicating if the first indicator is valid at a given point in time, said data indicating if the CPN IAM parameter is correctly received from the interconnecting switch under test for a call originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time,

resetting the two Boolean indicators to FALSE at the beginning of the collection period of time,

wherein, if an indication is obtained that the CPN IAM parameter is present in an IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for a call originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, the first and second Boolean indicators are both set to TRUE,

wherein, if an indication is obtained that the CPN IAM parameter is not present in any IAM received from the interconnecting switch under test for a call originating over the SS7 TSG within the collection period of time, additional data is obtained indicating if MF interworking has been encountered,

wherein if an indication is obtained that MF interworking has not been encountered, the second Boolean indicator is set to TRUE and the first Boolean indicator is unchanged, and

further wherein if the collection period of time has expired and the first Boolean indicator is set to FALSE and the second Boolean indicator is set to TRUE, information identifying the testing switch, SS7 TSG, and the interconnecting switch under test is generated and transmitted to a designated channel.