Telecommunications system

• US 6,031,840 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Howell, Royal Dean, Christie, executor, by Joseph S., Christie, executrix, by Jean M., Wiley, William Lyle, Christie, deceased, Joseph Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S.
• Application Number:
  US08/754,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/395-397, 370/400, 370/398, 370/399, 370/409, 370/410, 370/426, 370/522, 370/524, 370/384, 370/904, 370/905, 379/230
• US Class Current: 370/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/125 One of the channel pulses or the synchronisation pulse is also used for transmitting monitoring or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/247 ATM or packet multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5621 Virtual private network [VPN]; Private-network - network-interface (P-NNI)
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5672 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/20 Support for services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/253 using establishment or release of connections between ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13104 Central control, computer control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1338 Inter-exchange connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/905 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ASN

Abstract

The invention comprises a telecommunications signaling processor that processes Signaling System #7 (SS7) telecommunications signaling messages to select Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) virtual connections and provide control messages indicating the selected ATM virtual connections.

Claims

1. A telecommunications signaling processor that processes Signaling System #7 (SS7) telecommunications signaling messages to select Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) virtual connections and provide control messages indicating the selected ATM virtual connections, the signaling processor comprising:

a computer system that is operational to store data structures and execute stored logic;

a call control data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to individual calls;

a circuit data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to telecommunications connections;

an exception data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to call route exceptions;

a caller number data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to caller numbers;

a called number data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to called numbers;

a routing data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to call route selections;

originating process logic that is stored in the computer system and that is operational to process information from SS7 signaling messages that relates to an originating circuit and to access the data structures in order to request a terminating ATM virtual connection; and

terminating process logic that is stored in the computer system and that is operational to process information from SS7 signaling messages to select the terminating ATM virtual connection in response to the request from the originating process.

2. The signaling processor of claim 1 wherein the computer system is external to any telecommunications switch.

3. The signaling processor of claim 1 further comprising a treatment data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to call treatment for calls that are not routed.

4. The signaling processor of claim 1 further comprising a query data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to queries for additional call processing.