Telecommunications network
First Claim
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1. A telecommunications system, comprising:
- a first switched telecommunications network comprising;
first program controlled switching systems serving first customer terminals connected by local links to the first program controlled switching systems, first trunks interconnecting the first program controlled switching systems for carrying interoffice communications to and from customer terminals, and a first common channel signaling system interconnecting the first program controlled switching systems for carrying call set-up signaling protocol messages for control of selective establishment of call connections to or from the first customer terminals via the first trunks;
a second switched telecommunications network comprising;
second program controlled switching systems serving second customer terminals connected by local links to the second program controlled switching systems, second trunks interconnecting the second program controlled switching systems for carrying interoffice communications to and from customer terminals, and a second common channel signaling system interconnecting the second program controlled switching systems for carrying call set-up protocol signaling messages for controlling selective establishment of call connections to or from the second customer terminals via the second trunks;
an open-access, non-proprietary internetwork connecting spaced dissimilar networks and using transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) to link the dissimilar networks;
a first interface having routing capabilities, coupled to the first common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up protocol signaling messages to and from the first common channel signaling system over the internetwork in TCP/IP; and
a second interface having routing capabilities, coupled to the second common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up protocol signaling messages to and from the second common channel signaling system over the internetwork in TCP/IP, whereinthe first and second interfaces enable exchange of call set-up signaling protocol messages over the internetwork between the first and second common channel signaling systems, to enable selective establishment of a communication connection between a first customer terminal in one of the switched communications networks and a second customer terminal in the other of the switched telecommunications networks at least partially over trunks.
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Abstract
A system and method for controlling on a worldwide basis two or more telecommunications networks which are themselves capable of exercising a form of common channel signaling network control. The system uses an architecture in which a destination telecommunications network having common channel signaling control is connected to an originating telecommunications network having common signaling control through a call set up and control methodology which provides ad hoc connection between the two spaced telecommunication networks and common channel signaling networks via an unrelated world wide data network which preferably constitutes the Internet.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A telecommunications system, comprising:
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a first switched telecommunications network comprising;
first program controlled switching systems serving first customer terminals connected by local links to the first program controlled switching systems, first trunks interconnecting the first program controlled switching systems for carrying interoffice communications to and from customer terminals, and a first common channel signaling system interconnecting the first program controlled switching systems for carrying call set-up signaling protocol messages for control of selective establishment of call connections to or from the first customer terminals via the first trunks;a second switched telecommunications network comprising;
second program controlled switching systems serving second customer terminals connected by local links to the second program controlled switching systems, second trunks interconnecting the second program controlled switching systems for carrying interoffice communications to and from customer terminals, and a second common channel signaling system interconnecting the second program controlled switching systems for carrying call set-up protocol signaling messages for controlling selective establishment of call connections to or from the second customer terminals via the second trunks;an open-access, non-proprietary internetwork connecting spaced dissimilar networks and using transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) to link the dissimilar networks; a first interface having routing capabilities, coupled to the first common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up protocol signaling messages to and from the first common channel signaling system over the internetwork in TCP/IP; and a second interface having routing capabilities, coupled to the second common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up protocol signaling messages to and from the second common channel signaling system over the internetwork in TCP/IP, wherein the first and second interfaces enable exchange of call set-up signaling protocol messages over the internetwork between the first and second common channel signaling systems, to enable selective establishment of a communication connection between a first customer terminal in one of the switched communications networks and a second customer terminal in the other of the switched telecommunications networks at least partially over trunks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of setting up a call between a first terminal coupled by a local link to a program controlled switching system in a first switched telecommunications network and a second terminal coupled by a local link to a program controlled switching system in a second switched telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
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detecting dialing of a number by the first terminal, the dialed number corresponding to the second terminal; in response to the detection, creating a first signaling packet identifying the dialed number, the first signaling packet being in a first protocol, the first protocol being a common channel interoffice signaling protocol; transmitting the first signaling packet to a first interface coupled to an open-access, non-proprietary internetwork connecting spaced dissimilar networks, the internetwork being separate from the first and second switched telecommunications networks; encapsulating the first signaling packet of the common channel interoffice signaling protocol in a packet of a second protocol compatible with the internetwork; transmitting the packet of the second protocol via the internetwork to a second interface between the internetwork and the second switched telecommunications network; responsive to the receipt of the packet of the second protocol via in the second switched telecommunications network, determining whether the second terminal is busy; and responsive to determining that the second terminal is not busy, establishing a communication path between the first and second terminals via the local links and trunks between the program controlled switching systems in the first and second switched telecommunications networks. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification