Method of operating a communications network as well as a communications network and an interworking facility
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications network (KN1) of a network operator (OPA) which is interconnected with one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4) of one or more other network operators (OPB to OPZ) through one or more gateways (NI), wherein for each gateway (NI), a respective gateway switching center (GATE-- EX) exchanges user information with a switching facility (GATE) of the respective further communications network (KN2 to KN4) via at least one information-carrying channel, and wherein for all connections via each information carrying channel, interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are performed which support the interconnection of the communications network with the respective further communications network (KN2 to KN4) of the respective other network operator (OPB to OPZ) through the respective gateway (NI), said interworking functions including protocol conversion for different signaling methods or provision of services of a communications network (KN1 to KN4), or acquisition of communications events for billing between the communications network (KN1) and the one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4),characterized in that for all connections from two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) to at least one of the further communications networks (KN2 to KN3), the interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are provided by a common interworking facility (GATECEN).
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns a method of operating a communications network of a network operator (OPA), which is interconnected with one or more further communications networks of one or more further network operators (OPB to OPZ) via one or more gateways respectively, as well as such a communications network and an interworking facility (GATECEN) for such a communications network. For each gateway, a gateway switching center (GATE-- EX) exchanges information-bearing data with a switching facility (GATE) of the respective further communications network via at least one bearer channel. Furthermore the interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are performed for all connections via the one or more bearer channel(s) which support the interconnection of the communications network via the respective gateway with the respective further communications network of the respective other network operator (OPB to OPZ). The interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) for all connections of two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) to at least one of the other communications networks (KN2 to KN3) are provided hereby in a common interworking facility (GATECEN).
18 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications network (KN1) of a network operator (OPA) which is interconnected with one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4) of one or more other network operators (OPB to OPZ) through one or more gateways (NI), wherein for each gateway (NI), a respective gateway switching center (GATE-- EX) exchanges user information with a switching facility (GATE) of the respective further communications network (KN2 to KN4) via at least one information-carrying channel, and wherein for all connections via each information carrying channel, interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are performed which support the interconnection of the communications network with the respective further communications network (KN2 to KN4) of the respective other network operator (OPB to OPZ) through the respective gateway (NI), said interworking functions including protocol conversion for different signaling methods or provision of services of a communications network (KN1 to KN4), or acquisition of communications events for billing between the communications network (KN1) and the one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4),
characterized in that for all connections from two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) to at least one of the further communications networks (KN2 to KN3), the interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are provided by a common interworking facility (GATECEN).
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11. A communications network (KN1) of a network operator (OPA) comprising a number of gateways (NI) for interconnecting the communications network (KN1) with one or more communications networks (KN2 to KN4) of other network operators (OPB to OPZ), said communications network (KN1) comprising a number of gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) which are designed to exchange user information for one or more network interfaces (NI) with a switching facility (GATE) of the further or one of the further communications networks (KN2 to KN4) via at least one information-carrying channel, and further comprising means for performing interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) for all connections via the information-carrying channels which support the interconnection of the communications network (KN1) with the respective further communications network (KN2 to KN4) of the respective other network operator (OPB to OPZ) through the respective gateway (NI), characterized in that two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) are connected to a common interworking facility (GATECEN) which is designed to provide the means for performing the interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) for connections from said two or more gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) to at least one of the further communications networks (KN2 to KN4), said interworking functions including protocol conversion for different signaling methods or provision of services of a communications network (KN1 to KN4), or acquisition of communications events for billing between the communications network (KN1) and the one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4).
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12. An interworking facility (GATECEN) comprising a control unit (CONTR) which performs interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) for connections via at least one information carrying channel assigned to a gateway (NI), said interworking functions supporting the interconnection of two communications networks (KN1;
- KN2 to KN4) of different network operators (OPA;
OPB to OPZ) through the gateway (NI),characterized in that the interworking facility (GATECEN) is provided with an interface unit (INT) for interfacing it to two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX), and that the control unit (CONTR) is designed to provide interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) for connections from the two or more spatially distributed gateway switching centers (GATE-- EX) to one or more of the further communications networks (KN2 to KN4), said interworking functions including protocol conversion for different signaling methods or provision of services of a communications network (KN1 to KN4), or acquisition of communications events for billing between the communications network (KN1) and the one or more further communications networks (KN2 to KN4).
- KN2 to KN4) of different network operators (OPA;
Specification