Methods and apparatus for controlling signalling gateways
First Claim
1. A method for operating a signalling gateway that performs a signalling gateway process, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining, by the signalling gateway process executed by a computer, routing information that is to be provided to an application server process performed by an application server, to identify a signalling gateway process to which to direct signalling messages destined for a particular point code on a network;
making the routing information available to the application server process; and
based on the routing information received, directing, by the application server process executed by a computer, the signalling messages for the particular point code based on the information, and the routing information takes the form of a routing table that serves to distribute signalling gateway process identifiers over signalling link selector values included in signalling messages sent by the application server process performed by the application server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is described for operating a signalling gateway comprising determining information enabling an application server to identify a signalling gateway process to which to direct a message destined for a particular point code and making said information available to the application server. In preferred embodiments, the information takes the form of a routing table that serves to distribute signalling gateway process identifiers over possible SLS values by, for instance, mapping process instance identifiers to possible SLS values for messages sent by the application server. By allowing the application server processes the possibility to determine to which signalling gateway process each message should be directed, retransmission of messages within the signalling gateway can be avoided.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for operating a signalling gateway that performs a signalling gateway process, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining, by the signalling gateway process executed by a computer, routing information that is to be provided to an application server process performed by an application server, to identify a signalling gateway process to which to direct signalling messages destined for a particular point code on a network; making the routing information available to the application server process; and based on the routing information received, directing, by the application server process executed by a computer, the signalling messages for the particular point code based on the information, and the routing information takes the form of a routing table that serves to distribute signalling gateway process identifiers over signalling link selector values included in signalling messages sent by the application server process performed by the application server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13)
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7. A method for operating an application server that performs an application server process to sending signalling messages to a signalling network via a signalling gateway comprising a plurality of signalling gateway processes, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, by the signalling gateway process executed by a computer, routing information and signalling link selector (SLS) values contained in signalling messages; identifying, by the application server process executed by a computer, a particular signalling gateway process to which to direct signalling messages destined for the particular point code by reference to the routing information received from the signalling gateway process and the SLS values contained in the signalling messages; and directing, by the application server process executed by a computer, the signalling messages for the particular destination point code based on routing information and the SLS values, and the routing information takes the form of a routing table that serves to distribute signalling gateway process identifiers over signalling link selector values included in the signalling messages. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 14)
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Specification