Advanced intelligent network gateway

• US 6,229,819 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Darland, Timothy, Dickerman, Robert F., Tofanelli, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US08/967,339
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/373, 370/384, 370/401, 370/410, 370/426, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/377, 370/385, 379/220, 379/219, 379/221, 379/207, 379/111, 379/230, 379/113, 379/115
• US Class Current: 370/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An advanced intelligent network gateway that allows communication between telecommunications network component that use different protocols. In one embodiment, the advanced intelligent network gateway is used to communicate between a manual operator console that are processing a customer'"'"'s telephone call and a service data point which is a database containing information needed to process the customer'"'"'s telephone call. However, the advanced intelligent network gateway may also be used to receive and transmit messages between other telecommunications components. In addition, methods for protocol conversion are described. One method for protocol conversion is for the conversion of a transaction capabilities application part message from a user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation to a transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation or vice versa. Methods for receiving and transmitting transaction capabilities application part messages are also described.

Claims

1. A method for converting a protocol of a transaction capabilities application part message between a transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation and a user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the transaction capabilities application part message from a sender;

(b) determining the protocol of the transaction capabilities application part message;

(c) if in step (b) it is determined that the protocol of the transaction capabilities application part message is the transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation, pulling an internet protocol address off of a stack;

(d) determining whether an additional transaction capabilities application part message is within a transmission control protocol/internet protocol frame;

e converting the protocol of the transaction capabilities application part message between the user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation and the transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation; and

f sending the transaction capabilities application part message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

calling a software layer for conversion from the datagram protocol to the transmission control protocol/internet protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(i) if it is determined in step (d) that said additional transaction capabilities application part message is within said transmission control protocol/internet protocol frame, extracting the transaction capabilities application part message from said transmission control protocol/internet protocol frame;

(ii) determining whether the transaction capabilities application part message is fragmented; and

(iii) if in step ii it is determined that the transaction capabilities application part message not fragmented, calling a software layer for conversion from transmission control protocol/internet protocol to user datagram protocol/Internet protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a value of an operation code; and

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said operation code is UNKNOWN, logging an alarm invalid message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a value of an operation code; and

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said operation code is MSG_PICK, sending a PICK_RSP message to said sender.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a value of an operation code; and

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said operation code is MSG_INGW_REQ, finding a first array element;

(iii) storing a header of the transaction capabilities application part message;

(iv) decoding the transaction capabilities application part message; and

(v) determining a variable value of a choice variable.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(vi) if it is determined in step (vi) that said variable value of said choice variable is selected from the group consisting of END, ABORT, CONTINUE, UNKNOWN, and UNIDIRECTIONAL, logging an alarm invalid message;

(vii) creating an abort message; and

(viii) sending said abort message to said sender.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(vi) if it is determined in step (vi) that said variable value of said choice variable is BEGIN_CHOSEN, saving an originating transaction identifier in an array element;

(vii) setting a used/unused flag corresponding to said array element to used;

(viii) validating said originating transaction identifier;

(ix) extracting a server_key from said originating transaction identifier;

(x) converting said server_key from binary coded decimal format to integer format;

(xi) validating said server_key;

(xii) adding 0x1000000 to a dialog identifier corresponding to said array element to convert said dialog identifier to hexadecimal format;

(xiii) populating the transaction capabilities application part message with said dialog identifier;

(xiv) encoding the transaction capabilities application part message; and

(xv) setting a timer to record time for a response to the transaction capabilities application part message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

validating an internet protocol address;

returning a pointer to a service descriptor;

decoding the transaction capabilities application part message;

extracting a dialog identifier associated with an array element from the transaction capabilities application part message;

validating said dialog identifier;

retrieving an originating transaction identifier from said array element;

replacing a destination transaction identifier in the transaction capabilities application part message with said originating transaction identifier; and

encoding the transaction capabilities application part message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of canceling a timer that was set to record time for a response to said transaction capabilities application part message.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

clearing said array element; and

setting a used/unused flag corresponding to said array element to unused.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

searching one or more array elements of an array for an array element corresponding to a timer identifier;

constructing an abort header for the transaction capabilities application part message;

returning the transaction capabilities application part message; and

clearing a dialog array element corresponding to the transaction capabilities application part message identified by information in said one of one or more array elements corresponding to said timer identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a recipient of the transaction capabilities application part message;

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said recipient requires said transaction capabilities application part message in the transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation, pulling a server descriptor and a dialog identifier off of a stack;

(iii) rolling through a list of one or more internet protocol addresses;

(iv) finding an available connection; and

(v) sending the transaction capabilities application part message to an interprocess communications manager.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a recipient of the transaction capabilities application part message; and

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said recipient requires the transaction capabilities application part message in the user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation, determining a message type of the transaction capabilities application part message.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said message type is MSG_PICKRSP, building a PICKRSP message header; and

(iv) sending the transaction capabilities application part message to a NSPP interface module.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said message type is MSG_INGW_RSP, pulling a return code and dialog identifier off of a stack;

(iv) copying a header from an array element;

(v) building an INGWRSP message header; and

(vi) sending the transaction capabilities application part message to a NSPP interface module.

17. A method for performing protocol conversion of a transaction capabilities application part message, comprising:

receiving the transaction capabilities application part message;

maintaining an array having one or more array elements;

finding an available one of said one or more array elements;

retrieving data from the transaction capabilities application part message;

saving said data in said available one of said one or more array elements;

sending the transaction capabilities application part message;

receiving a response transaction capabilities application part message;

retrieving said data from said array element;

repopulating said data in said response transaction capabilities application part message; and

sending said response transaction capabilities application part message.

18. A computer system for performing protocol conversion of a transaction capabilities application message, comprising:

means for overseeing processing during protocol conversion;

means for interfacing with a received computer program;

means for interfacing with a sending computer program;

means for performing protocol conversion of the transaction capabilities application part message between a transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation and a user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation; and

means for initiating communication with said means for interfacing with a receiving computer program, wherein said means for initiating and said means for interfacing with a sending computer program further comprise;

means for reading and validating an advanced intelligent network application configuration file;

means for attaching to said means for interfacing with said receiving computer program;

means for attaching to said means for interfacing with said sending computer program;

means for initializing an array;

means for establishing communications; and

means for hibernating.

19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said means for overseeing processing during protocol conversion comprises:

means for reading a basic overseer service configuration file;

means for starting one or more computer program layers in said basic overseer service configuration file; and

means for monitoring said one or more computer program layers in said basic overseer service configuration file.

20. A computer system for performing protocol conversion of a transaction capabilities application message, comprising:

means for overseeing processing during protocol conversion;

means for interfacing with a received computer program;

means for interfacing with a sending computer program;

means for performing protocol conversion of the transaction capabilities application part message between a transmission control protocol/internet protocol implementation and a user datagram protocol/internet protocol implementation, said means for performing protocol conversion further comprising;

means for initiating communication with said means for interfacing with said receiving computer program and means for interfacing with said sending computer program;

means for receiving the transaction capabilities application part message;

means for performing protocol conversion of the transaction capabilities application part message; and

means for sending the transaction capabilities application part message, wherein said means for initiating communication with said means for interfacing with a receiving computer program and said means for interfacing with a sending computer program comprise;

means for reading and validating an advanced intelligent network application configuration file;

means for attaching to said means for interfacing with said receiving computer program;

means for attaching to said means for interfacing with said sending computer program;

means for initializing an array;

means for establishing communications; and

means for hibernating.