System and method for treating a call for call processing

• US 6,470,019 B1
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1998
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/026,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 370/397, 370/352, 370/358, 370/356, 370/392, 370/395, 370/396, 370/398, 370/376, 370/401, 370/410, 370/467, 370/466, 370/351, 370/452, 370/402, 370/403, 370/389, 370/399, 370/465, 370/468, 370/469, 370/395.1, 370/395.31, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/395.7, 370/395.71, 370/524, 370/905, 370/522, 370/904, 370/395.6, 370/395.61, 370/395.65, 709/227, 709/224, 379/207, 379/209, 379/93.15, 379/93.31, 379/93.32, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.1, 379/221.14, 379/224, 379/225, 379/229, 379/231, 379/242, 379/15.02, 379/15.04, 379/207.16
• US Class Current: 370/397
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/06 using auxiliary connections for control or supervision , e.g. where the auxiliary connection is a signalling system number 7 link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

The invention comprises a telecommunications signaling processor that processes signaling system #7 telecommunications signaling messages to select asynchronous transfer mode virtual connections and to provide control messages indicating the selected virtual connections. The telecommunications signaling processor also processes non-call associated signaling messages for call maintenance.

Claims

1. A telecommunications signaling processor system that processes telecommunications signaling messages to select asynchronous transfer mode virtual connections and provide control messages indicating the selected asynchronous transfer mode virtual connections, the system 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 called number screening data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to a trigger detection point for a ported number query;

a local routing number data structure that is stored in the computer system and that contains information pertinent to routing requirements for a ported number;

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 signaling messages that relate to an originating circuit and to access the data structures in order to request a terminating asynchronous transfer mode virtual connection; and

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

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

3. The system 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 system 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.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second computer system having second data structures that are the same as data structures in the computer system and adapted to receive call-associated data, to organize the call-associated data into the second data structures, and to move the call-associated data to the data structures in the computer system.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a signaling interface adapted to receive call signaling, to isolate message information parameters from the call signaling, and to pass the message information parameters to the computer system to be processed to obtain the terminating asynchronous transfer mode virtual connection.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising call treatment logic that is stored in the computer system and that is operational to process information from messages for maintaining circuits connected to the system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the messages comprise non-signaling messages.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising call treatment logic that is stored in the computer system and that is operational to process information from messages that relate to obtaining the terminating asynchronous transfer mode virtual connection.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising call treatment logic that is stored in the computer system and that is operational to process information from messages for maintaining the originating circuit.