Methods and systems for communicating signaling system 7 (SS7) user part messages among SS7 signaling points (SPs) and internet protocol (IP) nodes using signal transfer points (STPs)
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method for transmitting signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 signaling points comprising:
- (a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP) configured to perform SS7 message transfer part layer 3 routing and global title translation, a first SS7 user part message sent from a first SS7 signaling point over an SS7 signaling link;
(b) at the first signal transfer point encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first internet protocol (IP) packet, wherein encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet includes excluding at least SS7 layer 2 information in the first SS7 user part message from the first IP packet; and
(c) from the first signal transfer point, transmitting the first IP packet to a node over an IP network.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for transmitting user part messages between signaling system seven (SS7) signaling points over an internet protocol (IP) network include receiving, at a signal transfer point, a first SS7 user part message. The first SS7 user part message can be received from a first SS7 signaling point, such as a service switching point (SSP). The first SS7 signaling point is encapsulated in a first IP packet. The first IP packet is transmitted to a second SS7 signaling point over an IP network.
160 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 signaling points comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP) configured to perform SS7 message transfer part layer 3 routing and global title translation, a first SS7 user part message sent from a first SS7 signaling point over an SS7 signaling link; (b) at the first signal transfer point encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first internet protocol (IP) packet, wherein encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet includes excluding at least SS7 layer 2 information in the first SS7 user part message from the first IP packet; and (c) from the first signal transfer point, transmitting the first IP packet to a node over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A signaling system seven/internet protocol (SS7/IP) user part message communicator comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP) configured to perform SS7 message transfer part layer 3 routing and global title translation, a first SS7 user part message sent from a first SS7 signaling point over an SS7 signaling link; (b) at the first signal transfer point, encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet, wherein encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet includes excluding at least SS7 layer 2 information in the first SS7 user part message from the first IP Packet; and (c) from the first signal transfer point, transmitting the first IP packet to a node over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for transmitting signaling system seven (SS7) user part messages between SS7 signaling points comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), a first SS7 user part message sent from a first SS7 signaling point over an SS7 signaling link, wherein receiving the first SS7 user part message at the first STP includes receiving the first SS7 user part message at an SS7 link interface module within the first STP, wherein the first STP includes a distributed internal processing architecture including at least one SS7 link interface module for sending and receiving SS7 signaling messages over SS7 signaling links, at least one data communications module for sending and receiving SS7 user part messages over IP signaling links and for extracting SS7 user part messages from inbound IP messages, and a bus for interconnecting the link interface module and the data communications module and wherein the link interface module and the data communications module each include an SS7 message MTP level 3 routing function for routing SS7 user part messages to a module in the first STP associated with outbound signaling links for the SS7 user part messages; (b) at the first signal transfer point, encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first internet protocol (IP) packet; and (c) from the first signal transfer point, transmitting the first IP packet to a node over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A signaling system seven/internet protocol (SS7/IP) user part message communicator comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
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(a) receiving, at a first signal transfer point (STP), a first SS7 user part message sent from a first SS7 signaling point over an SS7 signaling link, wherein receiving the first SS7 user part message at the first STP includes receiving the first SS7 user part message at an SS7 link interface module within the first STP, wherein the first STP includes a distributed internal processing architecture including at least one SS7 link Interface module for sending and receiving SS7 user part messages over IP signaling links and for extracting SS7 user part messages from inbound IP messages, at least one data communications module for communicating signaling messages over IP signaling links, and a bus for interconnecting the link interface module and the data communication module and wherein the link interface module and the data communications module each include an SS7 MTP level 3 routing function for routing SS7 user part messages to a module in the first STP associated with outbound signaling links for the SS7 user part messages; (b) at the first signal transfer point, encapsulating the first SS7 user part message in a first IP packet; and (c) from the first signal transfer point, transmitting the first IP packet to a node over an IP network. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification