Dsc/celcore, Inc.

Scott D Hoffpauir

Anthony G Fletcher

Steve B Liao

Kelvin K Kinsey

William D Doughty

James B Palmer

Howard L Anderson

Richard A Van De Houten

Kevin E Yancy

A telecommunications switching system with a hardware resource manager system. The resource manager interfaces with higher-level system functions such as call processing, OA&M, NMS and system control functions and with lower-level hardware functions embodied in an input/output sub-system (IOSS) containing various hardware resources for interfacing the switching system to other entities. The resource manager controls all interactions between the IOSS hardware and the higher-level functions and hides the hardware specifics of the IOSS, giving the higher-level functions a hardware-independent view of the IOSS resources. As a result, the higher-level functions can operate without modification with a wide variety of IOSS hardware configurations. The resource manager manages the physical interfaces and IOSS resources and is aware of the complete configuration of the IOSS, including all channel addressing information and the state of each IOSS resource. The interfaces between the resource management sub-system and the higher-level functions utilize distributed objects. The resource manager uses the configuration and state information from the IOSS to model each hardware component and communications channel as a managed object, which managed objects are used in the object-oriented interfaces with the higher-level functions of the switching system. Resource characteristics and statuses are available to the higher-level functions as attributes of the resource models. Method calls are provided to manipulate the objects for such operations as loading, testing and controlling the states of the various modeled hardware resources.

Resource management sub-system of a telecommunications switching system

A call processing architecture treats a call connection as having two halves an originating half and a terminating half. An agent is associated with each call half, the originating agent being assigned by a switching center of a telecommunications system to establish the originating half of a call. The originating agent interacts with a translator and router to process the dated digits for a call to route the call to a terminating agent, the terminating agent establishing the terminating half of the call to complete the call connection. An agent interworking protocol (AIP) provides a generic superset protocol containing the common elements and unique elements for all call types so that an originating agent converts its call messages to the AIP and is connected to a terminating agent via an AIP connector, the terminating agent converting the AIP formatted call messages to the native protocol of the terminating agent. Agents for different call types are each able to convert call messages to or translate call messages from the agents's unique protocol to the AIP format and each type of agent does not need to know the type of agent being connected to as communication with other agents is via the AIP.

Agent interworking protocol and call processing architecture for a communications system

A generic telecommunications system and associated methods are disclosed herein. Such generic telecommunications system provides for, among other things, a call processing application that can be used with telecommunications systems that incorporate varying different technologies and standards. Such call processing applications may, for example, include a home location register, visitor location register and mobile switching center elements. In addition, the call processing application may include an application provider and/or a radio controller elements. Those elements are preferably implemented as software entities including one or more software objects. As software entities of the same application, those elements may readily communicate with, and invoke operations associated with, one another. Further, as disclosed herein, software entities of the call processing application may also readily communicate with, and invoke operations associated with, software entities of other applications. In addition, agents associated with the switchign center, may faciliate the call processing of calls originating and terminating in accordance with varying access technologies.

Generic wireless telecommunications system

In one aspect of the present invention, an integrated authentication center is provided that may be used in an exemplary integrated wireless telecommunications system (14). The integrated authentication center includes an application process, such as a call processing application (54), that includes a plurality of software objects such as a home location register (44) and an authentication center (42). The home location register (44) is implemented in one of the plurality of software objects of the application process and initiates the generation of an authentication set, such as authentication triplets. The authentication center (42) is also implemented in one of the plurality of software objects of the application process and generates the authentication set in response to the home location register (44).

Integrated authentication center and method for authentication in a

In one aspect of the present invention, an application provider, such as a mobile application part provider (52), is provided that includes a table (210), a router (200) and a message converter (220). The table (210) stores information corresponding to a sub-system, such as a visitor location register (46) or a home location register (44), of a first node, such as an integrated wireless telecommunications switch (14). The router (200) analyzes an application part message, such as a mobile application part message, that originated from the first node and compares the information stored in the table to the destination of the application part message to determine if the application part message is destined for the sub-system of the first node. The router (200) communicates the application part message to the first node if the application part message is destined for the sub-system of the first node. The message converter (220) converts the application part message to a transaction capability application part message if the router (200) determines that the application part message is not destined for the sub-system of the first node.

Application provider and method for communication

A flexible architecture for a telecommunications system is disclosed herein. Such architecture provides for different software layers, which include one or more software entities, based on a logical grouping of like or similar functions. For example, a call processing software layer, a resource software layer and a network management software layer may be provided to carry out particular operations. Further, the network management software layer may be divided into a client layer, which presents operations, administration and maintenance related information to a user for adaptation by the user, and a server layer, which stores and accesses operations, administration and maintenance related information. Object request broker technology is utilized to allow a software entity of one software layer to invoke operations associated with another software entity provided by another software layer.

Flexible telecommunications system architecture

In one aspect of the present invention, a merged operations and maintenance center (200) is provided that performs radio and switch operations and maintenance functions for a telecommunications system such as an integrated wireless telecommunications system (14). The merged operations and maintenance center (200) may be in communication with a call processor (40) and includes a plurality of servers and a graphical user interface. The plurality of servers may include a configuration management server (72) for performing configuration management, a fault management server (74) for performing fault management, and an accounting management server (78) for performing accounting management. The graphical user interface may be implemented using any available interface.

Merged operations and maintenance center and method for operation

In one aspect of the present invention, a network management system server (70) of a telecommunications system, such as an integrated wireless telecommunications system (14), is in communication with a network management system client (90) and a call processor (40). The network management system server (70) includes a configuration management server (72) for performing configuration management, and a fault management server (74) for performing fault management. The network management system server (70) further includes an accounting management server (78) for performing accounting management, an event filtering and routing server (124) for receiving event information, such as, for example, the call processor (40), and to route the event information to one or more of the servers, and a database server, such as a log server (126) for storing event information.

Network management system server and method for operation

A system for processing signaling data is provided. The system includes a set of one or more signaling interface module(s), connected in series or in parallel. The interface module(s) is connected to the signaling interface module(s). A switching module is connected to the interface module(s). The switching module receives serial signaling data from the interface module(s) in a first sequence, and outputs the serial signaling data to the interface module(s) in a second sequence. The interface module(s) transmits the serial signaling data to the signaling interface module(s).

Signaling data processing

A generic telecommunications system and associated call processing architecture is disclosed herein. Such generic telecommunications system provides for, among other things, a call processing application that can be used with telecommunications systems that incorporate varying different technologies and standards. Such call processing applications may, for example, include a switching center, such as a mobile switching center. The switching center may include multiple agents to process calls from one access technology to another access technology. For example, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a first agent is associated with the origination of a call connection while a second agent is associated with the destination of a call connection. The first agent is operable to convert a call setup message from a format consistent with a first access technology or standard, such as GSM, to a standard format. The second agent is operable to convert from the message from the standard format to a second format that is consistent with a second access technology or standard, such as CDMA. As a result, a single telecommunications switch may switch a call from a GSM subscriber to a CDMA subscriber.

Generic telecommunications system and associated call processing

The present invention, as described and claimed, provides for an integrated wireless telecommunications system. Such telecommunications system integrates functionality and elements that are commonly found in distinct components of conventional wireless telecommunications systems. For example, the telecommunications system may includes a radio controller and switching center.

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Collierville, TN, United States of America

Scott D Hoffpauir