Call and circuit state machine for a transaction control layer of a communications signaling gateway

• US 6,418,205 B2
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Trousdale, Shannan E., Capers, James A., Macedo, John, Phelps, David
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/073,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 379/33-35, 379/111-115, 379/229-230, 370/464-467
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A transaction control layer for a signaling gateway that encapsulates multiple signaling systems into a single signaling interface for use by an advanced service node deployed in a telecommunications network. The transaction control layer performs call and resource state management functions for the advanced service node. The single state machine process has the capability of tracking different types of states for both calls and network resources (i.e., circuits) while using industry standards for call processing.

Claims

1. A transaction control layer system for a signaling gateway that encapsulates multiple signaling systems into a single signaling interface for use by a next generation service node (NGSN) deployed in a telecommunications network, comprising:

means for receiving incoming messages;

first performing means for performing initial processing of said incoming messages;

first sending means for sending response messages based on said initial processing;

second performing means for performing state-dependent processing of said incoming messages for calls and resources to produce result messages, said second performing means comprises;

means for retrieving state data of said calls and of said resources on the NGSN,

means for translating between a first resource identifier, specified by a switch on the telecommunications network in said incoming messages, to a second resource identifier, specified by the NGSN,

means for allocating resources on the NGSN, specified by said second identifier, to said calls, and

means for storing said state data of said calls and said resources on the NGSN; and

second sending means for sending said result messages based on said state-dependent processing,

wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive services for said calls.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for receiving comprises:

means for receiving incoming messages from at least one of;

(i) an application engine located on the NGSN wherein said incoming messages are in a proprietary signaling protocol (PSP) used by the NGSN;

(ii) a switch located on the telecommunications network wherein said messages are in a standard signaling protocol used by the telecommunications network; and

(iii) a maintenance user via a graphical user interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first performing means comprises:

means for checking the validity of said incoming messages;

means for logging statistics about said incoming messages; and

means for generating alarms for invalid ones of said incoming messages.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said first sending means comprises:

a further first sending means for sending response messages to the NGSN in said PSP; and

a further second sending means for sending response messages to said switch located on the telecommunications network in said standard signaling protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said second sending means comprises:

means for sending said result messages to at least one of;

(i) an application engine located on the NGSN wherein said result messages are in a PSP; and

(ii) a switch located on the telecommunications network wherein said result messages are in a standard signaling protocol used by the telecommunications network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive voice response services for said calls.

6. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that provides a transaction control layer system for a signaling gateway that encapsulates multiple signaling systems into a single signaling interface for use by a next generation service node (NGSN) deployed in a telecommunications network, said computer readable program code means comprising:

a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive incoming messages;

a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to perform initial processing of said incoming messages;

a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to send response messages based on said initial processing;

a fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to perform state-dependent processing of said incoming messages for calls and resources to produce result messages, said fourth computer readable program code means comprises;

a sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to retrieve state data of said calls and of said resources on the NGSN,

a seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to translate between a first resource identifier, specified by a switch on the telecommunications network in said incoming messages, to a second resource identifier, specified by the NGSN,

an eighth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to allocate resources on the NGSN, specified by said second identifier, to said calls, and

a ninth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store said state data of said calls and said resources on the NGSN; and

a fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to send said result messages based on said state dependent processing,

wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive services for said calls.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said second computer readable program code means comprises:

a tenth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to check the validity of said incoming messages;

an eleventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to log statistics about said incoming messages; and

a twelfth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate alarms for invalid ones of said incoming messages.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said third computer readable program code means comprises:

a tenth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to send response messages to the NGSN in a proprietary signaling protocol; and

an eleventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to send response messages to said switch located on the telecommunications network in a standard signaling protocol.

14. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive voice response services for said calls.

9. A method for a signaling gateway transaction control layer that encapsulates multiple signaling systems into a single signaling interface for use by a next generation service node (NGSN) deployed in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving incoming messages;

(2) performing initial processing of said incoming messages;

(3) sending response messages based on said initial processing;

(4) performing state-dependent processing of said incoming messages for calls and resources to produce result messages, including

retrieving state data of said calls and of said resources on the NGSN,

translating between a first resource identifier, specified by a switch on the telecommunications network in said incoming messages, to a second resource identifier, specified by the NGSN,

allocating resources on the NGSN, specified by said second identifier, to said calls, and

storing said state data of said calls and said resources on the NGSN; and

(5) sending said result messages based on said state-dependent processing,

wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive services for said calls.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (2) comprises the steps of:

(a) checking the validity of said incoming messages;

(b) logging statistics about said incoming messages; and

(c) generating alarms for invalid ones of said incoming messages.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (3) comprises the steps of:

(a) sending response messages to the NGSN in a proprietary signaling protocol; and

(b) sending response messages to said switch located on the telecommunications network in a standard signaling protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein steps (1)-(5) are performed for at least one of:

(i) processing incoming call states based on said incoming messages originating from said switch to the NGSN;

(ii) processing outgoing call states based on said incoming messages originating from the NGSN to said switch;

(iii) processing circuit blocking for local maintenance by the NGSN;

(iv) processing circuit blocking for remote maintenance by said switch; and

(v) processing circuit use states.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said NGSN is configured to provide interactive voice response services for said calls.

16. A system, comprising:

a switch network;

a service node configured to provide interactive services for incoming calls from the switch network; and

a signaling gateway coupled between the switch network and the service node, the signaling gateway including a transaction control layer that provides message translation between a plurality of signaling interfaces that may be used by the switch network and a single signaling interface that is used by the service node, the transaction control layer including;

a state machine process that tracks states of both calls and circuits between the switch network and the service node and that processes incoming calls to, and outgoing calls from, the service node, and

a call and circuit state data store configured to store current states of the calls and circuits and configured to operate in conjunction with the single state machine.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the service node is configured to, in the course of providing interactive voice response services to an incoming call, transfer the incoming call to one of a plurality of call centers that are coupled to the switch network.