Object-oriented encapsulation of a telecommunications service protocol interface

• US 6,553,427 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Chen-Huei, Patterson, James Edward, Schultz, Paul Thomas, Stilborn, Richard Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): VOELTZ, EMANUEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/122,130
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 709/314, 709/315
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

The present invention provides an abstract, object-oriented encapsulation of the communications interface between intermediary, lower-level protocol handlers, such as TCAP server programs, and service providers, such as service application programs, that run on transaction server computers within an enhanced services platform, such as a network intelligent platform of a telecommunications carrier. The TCAP server programs exchange INAP messages with network switches through the SS7 protocol interface, forwarding the INAP messages received from network switches to service application programs, and receiving response messages from service application programs to be sent back to the network switches. The specialized INAP protocol handling software previously developed specifically for each different service application program is abstracted by the object-oriented communications interface into a set of library routines that can be shared in common by all service application programs and TCAP servers. These library routines handle routing of INAP messages to service application programs and TCAP server programs, assigning INAP messages to the context of a dialogue between a service application program and a network switch, formatting INAP messages, encoding and decoding the data contained in the INAP messages, and maintaining configuration information about the network intelligent platform.

Claims

1. A method for sending a request intelligent network application protocol message from an originating switch in a telephone network to a service application program running on a transaction server computer using an object-oriented communications interface, the transaction server computer running a transactions capability applications part server, the request intelligent network application protocol message having a request type and including request data, the object-oriented communications interface having a number of interface objects, the method comprising:

constructing the request intelligent network application protocol message by the originating switch;

sending the request intelligent network application protocol message by the originating switch via a lower-level communications protocol interface to the transaction server computer;

receiving the request intelligent network application protocol message by the transactions capability applications part server running on the transaction server computer;

encapsulating by the transactions capability applications part server the request type and request data extracted from the request intelligent network application protocol message into a message encapsulation interface object;

passing the message encapsulation interface object by the transactions capability applications part server to the service application program by calling method of an object transfer interface object within the transactions capability applications part server;

receiving the message encapsulation interface object by calling a method of an object transfer interface object within the service application program; and

calling methods of the received message encapsulation interface object by the service application program to obtain the request type and request data of the request intelligent network application protocol message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein request message encapsulation further includes storing into the message encapsulation interface object an indication of the type of the request intelligent network application protocol message and a reference to a data encapsulation object that contains the request data of the request intelligent network application protocol message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein request message encapsulation further includes storing into the message encapsulation interface object a reference to a context interface object that contains information about the originating switch that sent the request intelligent network application protocol message and the transactions capability applications part server that encapsulated the request intelligent network application protocol message into the message encapsulation interface object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a SS7 protocol interface is used for the lower-level communications protocol interface between the originating switch and the transaction server computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the service application program sends a response intelligent network application protocol message back to the originating switch following receipt by the service application program of the message encapsulation interface object, the method further comprising:

constructing the response intelligent network application protocol message by the service application program by instantiating a second message encapsulation interface object to represent the response intelligent network application protocol message;

passing by the service application program the second message encapsulation interface object from the service application program to the transactions capability applications part server by calling the send method of the object transfer interface object within the service application program;

receiving the second message encapsulation interface object by the transactions capability applications part server by calling a get method of the object transfer interface object within the transactions capability applications part server;

calling methods of the received second message encapsulation interface object by the transactions capability applications part server to obtain the response intelligent network application protocol message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object; and

sending the response intelligent network application protocol message by the transactions capability applications part server back to the originating switch via the lower-level communications protocol interface.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein instantiating the second message encapsulation interface object further includes storing into the second message encapsulation interface object a reference to a context interface object that contains information about the originating switch that sent the request intelligent network application protocol message and the transactions capability applications part server that encapsulated the request intelligent network application protocol message into the message encapsulation interface object, the information contained in the context interface object used by the send method of the object transfer interface object within the service application program to pass the second message encapsulation interface object back to the transactions capability applications part server that sent the encapsulated request intelligent network application protocol message to the service application program and further used by the transactions capability applications part server to send the response intelligent network application protocol message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object via the lower-level communications protocol interface back to the originating switch that sent the request intelligent network application protocol message to the transactions capability applications part server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a communications server computer receives the request intelligent network application protocol message sent by the originating switch via a lower-level communications protocol interface, extracts the request intelligent network application protocol message embedded within a transactions capability applications part message from the lower-level communications protocol interface, and sends the request intelligent network application protocol message embedded within the transactions capability applications part message to the transaction server computer via a local area network, and wherein the transactions capability applications part server running on the transaction server computer receives the transactions capability applications part message from the communications server computer and extracts from the transactions capability applications part message the request intelligent network application protocol message.

8. A computer system for executing a request for enhanced telecommunications services, the computer system comprising:

a memory for storing programs, including;

an intermediary protocol handling program that receives a request message from an originating switch in a telephone network according to an intelligent network application protocol (INAP), the request message being embedded within the transfer message, wherein the intermediary protocol handling program extracts the request message from the transfer message,

a service provider program to which the intermediary protocol handling program passes the extracted request message and which executes the request for enhanced telecommunications services represented by the request message, and

an object-oriented communications interface having a message encapsulation interface object that is used by the intermediary protocol handling program to encapsulate the extracted request message and used by the service provider program to extract the request type and request data from the encapsulated request message, the object-oriented communications interface additionally having an object transfer interface object that provides a transfer method for the intermediary protocol handling program to pass the message encapsulation interface object to the service provider program and provides a receive method for the service provider program to receive the message encapsulation interface object from the protocol handling program; and

a processor for executing the programs stored in memory.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the transactions capability applications part protocol within the SS7 protocol is used as the lower-level transfer protocol.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the object-oriented communications interface further includes a context interface object that contains an indication of the identity of the service provider program and that is referenced by the message encapsulation interface object.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the object-oriented communications interface further includes a data encapsulation interface object that contains the request data of the extracted request message and that is referenced by the message encapsulation interface object.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the transfer method of the object transfer interface object called by the intermediary protocol handling program to pass the message encapsulation interface object to the service provider program passes sufficient information to the service provider program so that, when the service provider program calls the receive method of the object transfer interface object, the receive method is able to instantiate within the service provider program the message encapsulation interface object as well as the context interface object and the data encapsulation interface object referenced by the message encapsulation interface object.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the service provider program, after executing the request for enhanced telecommunications services, encapsulates a response message into a second message encapsulation interface object that references the context interface object and calls the transfer method of the object transfer interface object to pass the second message encapsulation interface object back to the intermediary protocol handling program, the transfer method of the object transfer interface object using the context interface object referenced by the second message encapsulation interface object to determine how to pass the second message encapsulation interface object back to the intermediary protocol handling program.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein a connection is established between the originating switch and wherein the service provider program and the object transfer interface object has an additional method that is called by the intermediary protocol handling program to indicate to the service provider program that the connection between the originating switch and the service provider program will be terminated by the intermediary protocol handling program.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the object transfer interface object has an additional method that is called by the service provider program to indicate to the intermediary protocol handling program that the service provider program is ready to receive message encapsulation interface objects from the intermediary protocol handling program.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the object transfer interface object has an additional method that is called by the service provider program to indicate to the intermediary protocol handling program that the service provider program is no longer ready to receive message encapsulation interface objects from the intermediary protocol handling program.

17. A method for processing a request message for enhanced telecommunication services, the method comprising:

constructing a request message by an originating switch according to an intelligent network application protocol (INAP) for transmission to a service provider program running on a transaction server computer using an object-oriented communications interface, the transaction server computer running an intermediary protocol handling program, the request message having a request type and including request data, the object-oriented communications interface having a number of interface objects;

sending the request message by the originating switch via a lower-level communications protocol interface to the transaction server computer;

receiving the request message by the intermediary protocol handling program running on the transaction server computer;

encapsulating by the intermediary protocol handling program the request message into a message encapsulation interface object;

passing the message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program to the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object within the intermediary protocol handling program;

receiving the message encapsulation interface object by the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object within the destination program; and

calling methods of the received message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to obtain the request type and request data of the request message.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein request message encapsulation further includes storing into the message encapsulation interface object an indication of the request type of the request message and a reference to a data encapsulation object that contains the request data of the request message.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein request message encapsulation further includes storing into the message encapsulation interface object a reference to a context interface object that contains information about the originating switch that sent the request message and the intermediary protocol handling program that encapsulated the request message into the message encapsulation interface object.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein a SS7 protocol interface is used for the lower-level communications protocol interface between the originating switch and the transaction server computer.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the destination program sends a response message back to the originating switch following receipt by the destination program of the message encapsulation interface object, the method further comprising:

constructing the response message by the destination program by instantiating a second message encapsulation interface object to represent the response message;

passing the second message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to the intermediary protocol handling program by calling a method of the object transfer interface object within the destination program;

receiving the second message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program by calling a method of the object transfer interface object within the intermediary protocol handling program;

calling methods of the received second message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program to obtain the response message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object; and

sending the response message by the intermediary protocol handling program back to the originating switch via the lower-level protocol communications interface.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein instantiating the second message encapsulation interface object further includes storing in the second message encapsulation object a reference to a context interface object that contains information about the originating switch that sent the request message and the intermediary protocol handling program that encapsulated the request message into the message encapsulation interface object, the information contained in the context interface object used by a method of the object transfer interface object within the destination program to pass the second message encapsulation interface object back to the intermediary protocol handling program that sent the encapsulated request message to the destination program and further used by the intermediary protocol handling program to send the response message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object via the lower-level protocol communications interface back to the originating switch that sent the request message to the intermediary protocol handling program.

23. A method for sending an intelligent network application protocol (INAP) request message from an originating switch in a telephone network to a destination program, the method comprising:

receiving the request message from a low-level communications protocol interface by an intermediate protocol handling program on a transaction server computer using an object-oriented communications interface according to a transactions capability application part protocol;

encapsulating by the intermediary protocol handling program the request message into a message encapsulation interface object; and

passing the message encapsulation interface object to the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object within the intermediary protocol handling program.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving the message encapsulation interface object by the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object; and

calling methods of the received message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to obtain a request type and request data of the request message.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

constructing the request message by the originating switch; and

sending the request message to the transaction server computer.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the request message has a request type and contains request data.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the destination program sends a response message back to the originating switch following receipt by the destination program of the message encapsulation interface object, the method further comprising:

constructing the response message by the destination program by instantiating a second message encapsulation interface object to represent the response message; and

passing the second message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to the intermediary protocol handling program by calling a method of the object transfer interface object within the destination program.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving the second message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program by calling a method of the object transfer interface object within the intermediary protocol handling program; and

calling methods of the received second message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program to obtain the response message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising sending the response message by the intermediary protocol handling program back to the originating switch via the lower-level protocol communications interface.

30. A method for processing an intelligent network application protocol (INAP) request message for enhanced telecommunication services, the method comprising:

sending the request message from an originating switch in a telephone network to a destination program running on a transaction server computer using an object-oriented communications interface according to a transaction capability application part protocol;

receiving a message encapsulation interface object by the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object, wherein the message encapsulation interface object encapsulates the request message; and

calling methods of the received message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to obtain a request type and request data of the request message.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving the request message from a low-level communications protocol interface by an intermediate protocol handling program on the transaction server computer;

encapsulating by the intermediary protocol handling program the request message into the message encapsulation interface object; and

passing the message encapsulation interface object to the destination program by calling a method of an object transfer interface object within the intermediary protocol handling program.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

constructing the request message by the originating switch.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the destination program sends a response message back to the originating switch following receipt by the destination program of the message encapsulation interface object, the method further comprising:

constructing the response message by the destination program by instantiating a second message encapsulation interface object to represent the response message; and

passing the second message encapsulation interface object by the destination program to the intermediary protocol handling program by calling a method of the object transfer interface object within the destination program.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the second message encapsulation interface object by an intermediate protocol handling program on the transaction server computer that calls a method of the object transfer interface object; and

calling methods of the received second message encapsulation interface object by the intermediary protocol handling program to obtain the response message encapsulated within the received second message encapsulation interface object.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising sending the response message by the intermediary protocol handling program back to the originating switch via the lower-level protocol communications interface.