Methods and systems for providing dynamic routing key registration
First Claim
1. A method for use in a communication network for enabling a signaling node to automatically update routing instructions that are maintained at a network routing node, the method comprising:
- (a) at a signaling node in an Internet protocol network, generating a routing key registration message, the routing key registration message including SS7 routing key data for updating the status of routing key information associated with the signaling node, the SS7 routing key data including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC);
(b) sending the routing key registration message to a network routing node capable of routing messages between the IP network and an SS7 network; and
(c) at the network routing node, receiving the routing key registration message and using the SS7 routing key data in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry associated with a connection between the signaling node and the network routing node, wherein using the SS7 routing key data includes extracting the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and CIC from the routing key registration message and using the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC extracted from the routing key registration message to update corresponding fields in the routing key database entry.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a communications network element that is capable of routing signaling messages and includes a dynamic routing key registration feature which allows Internet protocol (IP) nodes to automatically register/de-register and subsequently direct traffic towards or away from themselves without the need for manual operator intervention. A signaling gateway routing node includes a self-registering data communication module (sDCM) that is adapted to receive and process dynamic routing key registration messages from associated IP nodes. Such dynamic routing key registration messages may include information that is used to register a new routing key association with a TCP/IP connection, de-register an existing routing key association with the TCP/IP connection, or modify routing key information associated with the TCP/IP connection.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for use in a communication network for enabling a signaling node to automatically update routing instructions that are maintained at a network routing node, the method comprising:
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(a) at a signaling node in an Internet protocol network, generating a routing key registration message, the routing key registration message including SS7 routing key data for updating the status of routing key information associated with the signaling node, the SS7 routing key data including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC);
(b) sending the routing key registration message to a network routing node capable of routing messages between the IP network and an SS7 network; and
(c) at the network routing node, receiving the routing key registration message and using the SS7 routing key data in the routing key registration message to dynamically update a routing key database entry associated with a connection between the signaling node and the network routing node, wherein using the SS7 routing key data includes extracting the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and CIC from the routing key registration message and using the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC extracted from the routing key registration message to update corresponding fields in the routing key database entry. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 57, 58, 59)
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11. A method for routing a signaling message by a network routing node, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving a signaling message that requires routing;
(b) using SS7 routing key information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a first routing key table, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC) and a destination point code (DPC);
(c) in response to locating a match in the first routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the first routing key table;
(d) in response to failing to locate a match in the first routing key table, using the information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a second routing key table; and
(e) in response to locating a match in the second routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the second routing key table. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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21. A method for routing a signaling message by a network routing node, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving a signaling message that requires routing;
(b) using information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a first routing key table;
(c) in response to locating a match in the first routing key table routing the signaling message using routing information returned the first routing key table;
(d) in response to failing to locate a match in the first routing key table using the information contained in the signaling message to search for a match in a second routing key table; and
(e) in response to locating a match in the second routing key table, routing the signaling message using routing information returned by the second routing key table, wherein searching for a match in a second routing key table includes searching for a match in a static routing key table, containing routing key entries that are manually provisioned by an operator through a provisioning interface.
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23. A method for performing reliable call signaling communications over an Internet protocol (IP) network using dynamic routing key registration, the method comprising:
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(a) establishing a first IP connection between a signaling gateway and an IP node;
(b) establishing a second IP connection between the signaling gateway and the first IP node (c) sending call signaling messages between the signaling gateway and the first IP node over the first IP connection; and
(d) in response to failure of the first IP connection, sending a routing key registration message from the first IP node to the signaling gateway over the second IP connection, the routing key registration message including at least one SS7 routing key for dynamically diverting signaling messages originally destined to be sent over the first IP connection to the second IP connection. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A communication system that is adapted to enable a signaling node to automatically provide routing instructions to a signaling message routing node, the system comprising:
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(a) a signaling node adapted to generate and send a routing key registration message that contains SS7 routing key information associated with the signaling node, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC); and
(b) a signaling message routing node including a routing key database, the signaling message routing node being adapted to receive the routing key registration message and to dynamically update an entry in the routing key database based on the SS7 routing key information, wherein the signaling message routing node is adapted to extract the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC from the routing key registration message and to update corresponding fields in the routing key database entry. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 60, 61, 62, 67)
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44. A network routing node that is adapted to receive routing key registration information from an associated signaling node and subsequently use the routing key registration information to update a routing database, the network routing node comprising:
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(a) a communication module adapted to receive a routing key registration message from an IP node in an IP network, the routing key registration message including SS7 routing key information for dynamically updating a routing key entry associated with a connection between the communication module and the IP node, the SS7 routing key information including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination pint code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC); and
(b) a dynamic routing key registration process and a dynamic routing key registration table, the dynamic routing key registration process being adapted to dynamically update SS7 message routing data for a dynamic routing key table entry associated with the connection based on the SS7 routing key information contained in the routing key registration message. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 63, 64, 65)
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45. A network routing node that is adapted to receive routing key registration information from an associated signaling node and subsequently use the routing key registration information to update a routing database, the network routing node comprising:
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(a) a communication module adapted to receive a routing key registration message from an IP node in an IP network, the routing key registration message including data for dynamically updating a routing key entry associated with a connection between the communication module and the IP node;
(b) a dynamic routing key table adapted to dynamically update SS7 message routing data for a routing key table entry associated with the connection based on the information contained in the routing key registration message;
(c) a static routing key table containing static routing key information that is not undated with the routing information contained in the routing key registration message; and
(d) a manager process for controlling the sequence in which the dynamic and static routing key tables are searched during a routing operation.
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53. A self-registration data communication module for receiving dynamic routing key registration requests from signaling node in an Internet protocol (IP) network and for dynamically updating a routing key table based on the routing key registration requests, the self-registration data communication module comprising:
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(a) an interface for receiving routing key registration request messages from one or more signaling nodes in an IP network, each routing key registration request message including at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), a service indicator (SI), a subsystem number (SSN), and a circuit identification code (CIC);
(b) a dynamic routing key table for storing SS7 routing key information for routing SS7 signaling messages to the signaling nodes in the IP network based on corresponding routing key parameters in the signaling messages, the SS7 routing key information including the at least one of an OPC, a DPC, an SI, an SSN, and a CIC extracted from one of the routing key registration messages; and
(c) dynamic routing key registration process for dynamically updating the routing key information in the routing key database in response to the routing key registration requests. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 66, 68)
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Specification