Telecommunications network

• US 6,330,250 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Farris, Robert D., Curry, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/584,691
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/408, 370/466, 370/467, 370/351, 370/352, 379/93.15
• US Class Current: 370/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1302 Relay switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1304 Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13333 Earth satellites
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• 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

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.

Claims

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 messages to and from the first program controlled switching systems for control of selective establishment of call connections to or from the first customer terminals via the first trunks in an interoffice signaling protocol;

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 signaling messages to and from the second program controlled switching systems for controlling selective establishment of call connections to or from the second customer terminals via the second trunks in the interoffice signaling protocol;

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, coupled to the first common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up signaling messages in the interoffice signaling protocol to and from the first common channel signaling system over the internetwork in TCP/IP; and

a second interface, coupled to the second common channel signaling system and the internetwork, for communicating call set-up signaling messages in the interoffice signaling protocol 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 messages in the interoffice signaling protocol 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.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the established communication connection between the first and second customer terminals utilizes switched telecommunication circuits independent from the internetwork.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein interoffice signaling protocol comprises signaling system 7, and each of the call set-up messages comprises a message of ISDN users part of the signaling system 7 protocol.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein the internetwork comprises the INTERNET.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein the established communication connection between the first and second customer terminals extends between the first and second switched telecommunications networks at least partially over a wireless link.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein the first and second interfaces transmit and receive call set-up messages over the internetwork as TCP/IP packets encapsulating interoffice signaling messages created by the first and second switched telecommunications networks.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the call set-up signaling message exchanged via the first and second interfaces includes an identification number of a calling customer terminal in one of the first and second switched telecommunications networks and an identification number of a called customer terminal in the other of the first and second switched telecommunications networks.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein the program controlled switching systems in the first switched telecommunications network include service switching points (SSPs), and the common channel signaling network in the first switched telecommunications network includes a signal transfer point (STP).

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the first interface connects to the STP.

10. A system as in claim 8, wherein the first interface connects to one of the SSPs.