IP telecommunications

• US 6,724,752 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Linnakangas, Tommi, Turtiainen, Esa, Toivanen, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/610,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/467, 370/351, 370/352, 370/395.2, 370/395.42, 370/401, 370/353-357, 370/469, 709/230, 709/232, 709/236
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/063 where the telephone network is a network other than PSTN/ISDN

Abstract

A telecommunications system comprises a signalling network and a Voice over IP (VoIP) network. The signalling network in turn comprises gateway signalling points 6,7 for converting signalling messages between at least two different signalling protocols. The IP network comprises IP nodes 4 for routing IP datagrams, with at least certain of the IP nodes 4 being co-located with respective gateway signalling points 6,7, and with the co-located signalling points 6,7 being arranged in use to pass routing information to the respective IP nodes 4 to enable those nodes to prioritise and route incoming IP datagrams.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a call connection over a sequence of Internet Protocol (IP) nodes of an IP network, wherein each of the IP nodes is co-located with a signaling point of an SS7 signaling network, and wherein each IP node is identified by an IP address and each SS7 signaling point is identified by a Point Code (PC), the method comprising:

allocating to each link of the connection, at the SS7 signaling point level, a Circuit Identification Code (CIC);

notifying each IP node of the CIC of each link to a neighboring IP node, and of the PC of each neighboring signaling point;

at each IP node, translating the received PC and CIC combination(s) into an IP address and port number combination for each neighboring IP node;

deriving, from the received PC and CIC combinations, a set of IP address and port number combinations identified with priority datagram transmissions; and

if a datagram having an originating IP address and port number combination contained in the set is received in the IP node, then relaying the datagram to a subsequent IP node as a priority and, if the originating IP address and port number combination are not contained in the set, using only best efforts to relay the datagram to a subsequent IP node.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is used to provide a call connection between two Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) networks, where each of the POTS networks comprises a gateway node which converts user data between an IP format and a POTS format.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is used to connect two IP-enabled terminals via respective access networks, where user data is transferred across the access networks in an IP format.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein each local exchange IP-enabled terminal maintains a register that maps telephone numbers to IP addresses.

5. A method of relaying datagrams at an Internet Protocol (IP) node of an IP network, said IP node being co-located with a signaling point of an SS7 network, wherein the IP node retains a set of IP address and port number combinations derived on the basis of Point Code PC and Circuit Identification Code (CIC) combinations passed to it by the co-located signaling point and identifying priority datagram transmissions, the method comprising:

receiving an IP datagram at said IP node;

comparing the originating IP address and port number combination of the received datagram with said set of IP address and port number combinations; and

if the originating IP address and port number combination are contained in the set, then relaying the datagram to a subsequent IP node as a priority, and if the originating IP address and port number combination are not contained in the set, using only best efforts to relay the datagram to the subsequent IP node.

6. A node of an IP network, the node being arranged to be coupled to neighboring nodes for the purpose of setting up a call connection, and each of the nodes being arranged to be co-located with respective signaling points of an SS7 signaling network, the node comprising:

first processing means for receiving Point Code (PC) and Circuit Identification Code (CIC) combinations passed to the node by the co-located signaling point, said combinations identifying priority datagram transmissions, said first processing means deriving IP address and port number combinations on the basis of said PC and CIC combinations;

a memory for storing a set of IP address and port number combinations associated with priority datagram transmissions;

receiving means for receiving an IP datagram sent from a neighboring node, said received IP datagram including an originating IP address and port number combination; and

second processing means for comparing the originating IP address and port number combination of the received datagram with said stored set of IP address and port number combinations, and if the originating IP address and port number combination are contained in the set, then relaying the datagram to a subsequent IP node as a priority, and If the originating IP address and port number combination are not contained in the set, then using only best efforts to relay the datagram to a subsequent IP node.