Implementation of the intelligent network in the next generation networks and its interconnection to the PSTN

• US 8,842,816 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Lei, Lian, Weiliang, Li, Aijun, Xi, Yimin
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US10/537,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,312 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/91.02, 379/93.09, 379/164, 379/179, 37922108-22112, 379/224, 379/252, 379/373.01, 379/373.02, 379/373, 379/373.03, 379/373.04, 379/374.01, 379/374.02, 379/374.03, 370352-356, 370/360, 370/367, 370/401, 370/389, 370/387, 370/388
• US Class Current: 379/221.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

The present invention discloses a Softswitch and system for implementing the intelligent network in the next generation networks and a method for interconnecting the intelligent networks to the PSTN. The Softswitch comprises: a network adaptive device for implementing the communication between the Softswitch and other devices in said network, as well as receiving the call request; a call server for determining whether the call received by said network adaptive device is a common call or the call of the intelligent network and processing the common call; and an INAP adapter for responding the call of the intelligent network and encoding/decoding the INAP message.

Claims

1. A Softswitch device for a Next Generation Network, characterized in that said Softswitch device implements an intelligent network service in the Next Generation Network, and said Softswitch device includes:

a network adaptive device located at a bottom layer of the Softswitch device, the network adaptive device for supporting standard protocols in said Next Generation Network, implementing communication between the Softswitch device and other devices in said Next Generation Network, as well as receiving call requests and sending data from higher layers of the Softswitch device to the Next Generation Network with required format and address;

a call server in a higher layer of the network adaptive device, the call server for determining whether the call received by said network adaptive device is a common call or a call of the intelligent network according to an accessing code of the call, and processing the common call, or when the call is determined as a call of the intelligent network, transmitting the call to an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP), Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic Application Part (CAP) or Mobile Application Part (MAP) adapter;

a resource manager in a higher layer of the network adaptive device, the resource manager for managing intelligent peripherals, performing audio interaction with a user through the call server, and transmitting the user input data to the adapter; and

the adapter in a higher layer of the call server and the resource manager, the adapter for responding to the call of the intelligent network and encoding or decoding an INAP message.

2. The Softswitch device according to claim 1, characterized in that said Softswitch device further includes:

a signaling transmitting adapter for transferring signaling data through IP packets; and

a media gateway control adapter for transmitting data between said Softswitch device and one or more media gateways in said network.

3. The Softswitch device according to claim 2, characterized in that the media gateway control adapter uses one or more of the following protocols:

H.323, MGCP, H.248 and SIP.

4. The Softswitch device according to claim 1, characterized in that said network adaptive device includes:

an INAP/TCP interface for directly transmitting an expanded INAP encoded message through TCP/IP protocol.

5. A system for implementing an intelligent network, the system including a Softswitch device, at least one Service Control Point (SCP), an IP network and intelligent peripherals, the Softswitch device including a network adaptive device, a call server, a resource manager and an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP), Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic Application Part (CAP) or Mobile Application Part (MAP) adapter, wherein

the network adaptive device is located at a bottom layer of the Softswitch device, the network adaptive device is for supporting standard protocols in said Next Generation Network, implementing communication between the Softswitch device and other devices in said network, as well as receiving the call request and sending data from higher layers of the Softswitch device to the Next Generation Network with required format and address;

the call server is in a higher layer of the network adaptive device, the call server is for determining whether a call received by said network adaptive device is a common call or a call of the intelligent network according to an accessing code of the call, and processing the common call, or when the call is determined as a call of the intelligent network, transmitting the call to the adapter;

the resource manager is in a higher layer of the network adaptive device, the resource manager is for managing intelligent peripherals, performing audio interaction with a user through the call server, and transmitting the user input data to the adapter;

the adapter is in a higher layer of the call server and the resource manager, the adapter is for responding to the call of the intelligent network and encoding or decoding the INAP message;

the at least one SCP is for executing intelligent service logic and producing INAP messages;

the IP network is for connecting said Softswitch device and the SCP; and

the intelligent peripherals are for providing special resources required by the intelligent network services.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that said system further includes:

a signaling gateway, connecting to said IP network at its one side and to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) at another side, for transferring signaling data between said IP network and said PSTN;

a media gateway, connecting to said IP network at its one side and to a PSTN at another side, for transferring media data between said IP network and said PSTN;

said Softswitch device further including;

a signaling transmitting adapter for transferring signaling data through IP packets; and

a media gateway control adapter for transmitting data between said Softswitch device and one or more media gateways in said network.

7. A method for a PSTN telephone to access into an intelligent network service in a next generation network, wherein there is at least one SCP in said next generation network for executing the intelligent service logics, said method including:

issuing a call request from said PSTN telephone through dialing an accessing code;

a network adaptive device in a Softswitch device transforming said call request issued by said PSTN telephone into a protocol format suitable for the next generation network;

a call server in the Softswitch device determining whether said call request is an intelligent network service provided by the SCP or not according to an accessing code of the call, and when the call is determined as a call of the intelligent network, transmitting the call to an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP), Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic Application Part (CAP) or Mobile Application Part (MAP) adapter;

if said call request is an intelligent network service provided by the SCP, the adapter in the Softswitch device encoding said call request into an INAP message and transferring the message to said SCP;

responding to said INAP message and processing said call request by said SCP; and

a resource manager performing audio interaction with a user through the call server.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that said step for transforming the call request includes:

transforming the call request in SS7 signaling format into a format suitable for transmitting on the IP network.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that said step for transforming the call request includes:

transforming the call request in SS7 signaling format into the SIGTRAN protocol format or H.248 protocol format.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that said step for determining includes:

searching a database that stores the accessing codes of the intelligent network, determining whether the accessing code of the call request of said PSTN telephone is an accessing code of the intelligent network.

11. A method for a telephone in a next generation network to access into an intelligent network service in a PSTN network, wherein there is at least one SCP in said PSTN network for executing intelligent service logic, said method including:

issuing a call request from said telephone in said next generation network through dialing an accessing code;

a call server in a Softswitch device determining whether said call request is an intelligent network service provided by the SCP or not according to an accessing code of the call, when the call is determined as a call of the intelligent network, transmitting the call to an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP), Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic Application Part (CAP) or Mobile Application Part (MAP) adapter;

if said call request is an intelligent network service provided by the SCP, the adapter in the Softswitch device encoding said call request into an INAP message;

a network adaptive device in the Softswitch device transforming said INAP message into a format suitable for the PSTN network and transferring said INAP message to said SCP; and

responding to said INAP message and processing said call request by said SCP; and

a resource manager performing audio interaction with a user through the call server.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said step for determining includes:

searching a database that stores the accessing codes of the intelligent network, determining whether the accessing code of the call request of said telephone is an accessing code of the intelligent network.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said step for transforming includes:

transforming the INAP message data in IP network format into a format suitable for the PSTN network.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said step for transforming includes:

transforming the INAP message data in the SIGTRAN protocol format or H.248 protocol format into the SS7 signaling format.

15. A method for a telephone in a next generation network to access into an intelligent network service in a PSTN network, wherein there is at least one SCP in said PSTN network for executing intelligent service logic, said method including:

issuing a call request from said telephone in the next generation network through dialing an accessing code;

a network adaptive device in a Softswitch device transforming said call request into a format suitable for the PSTN network and transferring it to the PSTN network;

a call server in the Softswitch device determining whether said call request is an intelligent network service provided by said SCP or not according to an accessing code of the call, when the call is determined as a call of the intelligent network, transmitting the call to an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP), Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic Application Part (CAP) or Mobile Application Part (MAP) adapter;

if said call request is an intelligent network service provided by the SCP, the adapter in the Softswitch device encoding said call request into an INAP message and transferring said INAP message to said SCP;

responding said INAP message and processing said call request by said SCP; and

a resource manager performing audio interaction with a user through the call server.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that said step for determining includes:

searching a database that stores the accessing codes of the intelligent network, determining whether the accessing code of the call request of said telephone is an accessing code of the intelligent network.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that said step for transforming includes:

transforming the call request in IP network format into a format suitable for the PSTN network.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that said step for transforming includes:

transforming the call request in the SIGTRAN protocol format or H.248 protocol format into the SS7 signaling format.