CN1487700A - System and method for interworking between interworking agent devices and different protocol networks - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for intercommunication between networks with different protocols. The system includes at least two independent IP networks with different protocols and an intercommunication agent for protocol conversion of message packets between the networks with different protocols. The intercommunication agent includes at least one intercommunication agent unit for protocol conversion, and the intercommunication agent unit is composed of a message receiving module, a message sending module and a protocol conversion module for protocol conversion between different protocol networks. When interworking between different protocol networks, the interworking agent first converts the message packet into a protocol that the interworking network can recognize, which acts as a convergence port and ensures that the networking environment can simultaneously communicate with multiple different protocols.

Description

System and method for interworking between interworking agent devices and different protocol networks

The invention relates to the field of IP (Internet Protocol, Internet Protocol) communication, in particular to a protocol conversion device, an intercommunication system and an intercommunication method for intercommunication between different protocol networks.

With the development of IP technology, IP services including telephone, fax, and multimedia communication have become a hot spot since the development of the Internet. The IP service network generally consists of GW (Gateway, gateway), GK (Gatekeeper, gatekeeper), transmission network supporting IP services, and corresponding network management, billing and business systems. The IP gatekeeper is the key device of the entire IP network. It is responsible for building the IP network and completing the routing management, security management and connection with other networks of the IP network. Billing/settlement functions.

At present, IP telephony service equipment is mainly based on the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) H.323 protocol, but different equipment used by operators has different extensions, requirements, and choices of some protocol items. For clarity of description, protocols with different extensions and requirements are regarded as different protocols in the following, and a network composed of devices based on different extended protocols is called a network of different protocols, otherwise it is called a network of the same protocol. It is relatively simple to implement IP calls between networks with the same protocol. The telephone is connected to the gateway through the relay, and the gateway completes the conversion from PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network, public switched telephone network) to IP, sends a routing query request to the gatekeeper, and Establish a connection with the gateway of the counterparty according to the routing address; after the call is connected, the gateway compresses the digital signal on the trunk and transmits it to the gateway of the counterparty, and the gateway of the counterparty decompresses and restores it to the voice signal on the trunk. Since the protocols between the networks are the same, both the sender and receiver can identify the signaling packet and perform normal connection.

For the intercommunication between different protocol networks, the system needs to support different network protocols. Now, generally, different protocol networks cannot directly intercommunicate. Even if the equipment provided by some equipment suppliers can be compatible with multiple protocols, in actual operation, a device can only operate with one protocol, that is, the device can only communicate with the operator of the same protocol, and cannot communicate with the same protocol operator at the same time. The intercommunication of multiple protocol networks has great limitations.

In view of the above, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the limitations of the prior art that cannot communicate with multiple protocols at the same time, provide an interworking agent that can support multiple protocols, and a network interworking system and intercommunication system of different protocols based on the interworking agent. method, it can realize an environment to communicate with multiple operators of different protocols at the same time, without being restricted by a specific protocol.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides an interworking agent, which is characterized in that it includes at least one interworking agent unit for performing protocol conversion, and the interworking agent unit includes a message receiving module, a message sending module, and a message receiving module connected to the The module and the message sending module are the protocol conversion modules that convert the message packets between the intercommunication network and the local network.

Wherein, the number of the interworking agent units is determined according to the call capacity and the number of interworking networks.

Further, the number of the interworking agent unit is the same as that of the interworking networks of different protocols, and one interworking agent unit completes the receiving, converting and sending of message packets between the interworking network of different protocols and the local network.

Further, for a large-capacity interworking network with different protocols, a plurality of interworking proxy units are set up to handle the receiving, converting and sending of message packets between the interworking network and the local network.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a system for establishing intercommunication between different protocol networks, the system includes at least two independent IP networks with different protocols, each IP network includes a gateway and a gatekeeper, and is characterized in that: It includes an interworking agent that performs protocol conversion for message packets between different protocol networks.

Wherein, the interworking agent includes at least one interworking agent unit for protocol conversion, the interworking agent unit includes a message receiving module, a message sending module, and connects the message receiving module and the message sending module to wrap messages between different protocol networks A protocol conversion module for protocol conversion.

Wherein, the number of the intercommunication agent units is determined according to the call capacity and the number of intercommunication networks with different protocols.

Further, the number of the intercommunication agent unit is the same as that of the intercommunicating different protocol networks, and one intercommunication agent unit completes the reception, conversion and transmission of message packets between the intercommunication different protocol networks and the local network.

Further, for different protocol networks with large capacity, a plurality of interworking proxy units are set up to handle the receiving, converting and sending of message packets between the intercommunicating different protocol networks and the local network.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for intercommunication between different protocol networks, comprising steps:

a. The caller gateway initiates a call to the interworking agent;

b. The interworking agent converts the received call establishment message packet into the called party network protocol message packet, and forwards it to the called party gateway, and at the same time queries the called party gatekeeper for routing information;

c. The called party gateway receives the message packet sent by the intercommunication agent, and responds to an Alerting (reminder) message and a Connect (connection) message to the intercommunication agent;

d. The intercommunication agent unit converts the Alerting and Connect messages into network protocol message packets of the calling party and sends them to the calling gateway to realize call connection.

The effect of the method of the present invention is: forwarding the call message through the intercommunication agent plays the role of converging ports and identifying protocol types, and at the same time supports multiple protocol flows from the gateway, thus ensuring that the same networking environment can communicate with multiple protocols at the same time. Interworking between different protocol networks of an operator is not limited to a specific protocol agreement.

The following describes in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the interworking agent of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the interworking agent unit in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an interworking system of different protocol networks according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 3, network 1, network 2,..., network M are different IP networks respectively, and each network has a gatekeeper and a gateway, and the same network protocol is used inside each IP network, but each network inconsistent agreement. For clarification, in this embodiment, network 1 is used as a local network, and it communicates with network 2, network 3, ..., network M through an interworking agent, and network 2, network 3, ..., network M are interworking networks. As a gateway, the intercommunication agent registers with the gatekeeper of the local network and the gatekeeper of the intercommunication network at the same time, and receives, converts and sends call message packets in the intercommunication of different protocol networks. Therefore, the local network, the interworking agent and at least one interworking network different from the local protocol together constitute an IP interworking system, and the interworking agent is the key to the interworking system.

According to Figure 1, the interworking agent is composed of a group of interworking agent units, and the number of interworking agent units can be set according to the capacity and the number of interworking networks. During implementation, an interworking agent unit sets up an interworking protocol and a local gateway protocol to realize the conversion between the two protocols, so the number of interworking agent units and interoperable networks with different protocols is consistent. If the intercommunication capacity with a certain IP network is large, multiple intercommunication agency units can also be set to act as agents for the protocol. Externally, an interworking proxy is a proxy server or server group that can support multiple interworking protocols, and realizes interworking between a gateway of one protocol and operators of multiple different protocols.

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of interworking agent units, each interworking agent unit includes a message receiving module, a protocol conversion module, and a message sending module. The message receiving module is responsible for receiving the H.323 message packet sent by the calling gateway, and then the protocol conversion module performs protocol conversion on the message packet, and sends the converted message packet to the called gateway through the message sending module.

In the following, in conjunction with the interworking system, taking the local network (calling party) to call the interworking network (called party) as an example, the method for interworking between different protocol networks, that is, the local network and the interworking network, will be described in detail.

First, an IP call is initiated by the calling party's gateway to the interworking agent. In this embodiment, the local network gateway sends the call message packet (Setup message packet) to the interworking agent unit supporting the called party protocol in the interworking agent;

Then, the corresponding interworking agent unit converts the received call establishment message packet into the called party network protocol message packet, and forwards it to the called party gateway, and at the same time queries the called party gatekeeper for routing information;

The called party gateway receives the message packet sent by the interworking agent unit, and because the message packet is converted into the called party protocol by the interworking agent, the called party gateway can identify the received message packet. The called party gateway responds to the intercommunication agent with an Alerting (reminder) message and a Connect (connection) message according to the received establishment call message packet;

The intercommunication agent unit converts the Alerting and Connect messages into network protocol message packets of the calling party and sends them to the calling gateway to realize call connection.

Calling the local network for the interworking network is exactly the same as the above-mentioned process.

The above is the general process of intercommunication between different protocol networks. If there are many intercommunication networks, the gatekeeper of the calling party will complete the route selection, including the selection of the intercommunication agent unit. When the calling party initiates a call, the calling GK completes route selection according to the called number, and selects the address of the called gateway. The same called number may correspond to multiple interworking networks, for example, multiple operators operate services in the same area at the same time. At this time, GK selects an operator according to some strategies such as price, time and performance, that is, completes the connection with the intercommunication network of the operator. If the called number only corresponds to one operator, there is only one interworking network for connection. First, the call is sent to the corresponding interworking agent unit. When an interworking agent unit corresponds to an interworking network, the route falls on the interworking agent unit. If multiple interworking agent units correspond to an interworking network, GK selects according to the priority of the interworking agent unit Which unit the route falls on.

Because the present invention forwards the call message through the intercommunication agent, it plays the role of converging ports and shields the protocol differences between the gateways, so that the intercommunication between the local gateway and multiple protocols can be realized at the same time.

Claims (10)

1, a kind of interworking agent device, it is characterized in that, at least comprise an interworking agent unit that carries out protocol conversion, described interworking agent unit comprises message sink module, message transmission module, and connect described message sink module and message transmission module, message is wrapped in the protocol conversion module that carries out protocol conversion between intercommunication network and the local network.

2, interworking agent device according to claim 1 is characterized in that, the number of described interworking agent unit is determined according to call capacity and intercommunication network number.

3, interworking agent device according to claim 1 and 2, it is characterized in that, the intercommunication network number of described interworking agent unit and different agreement is consistent, and reception, conversion and the transmission of message bag between a kind of intercommunication network of different agreement and the local network finished in interworking agent unit.

4, interworking agent device according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that, for different agreement intercommunication network capacious, reception, conversion and transmission that message bag between this intercommunication network and the local network is handled in a plurality of interworking agents unit is set.

5, a kind of system that between networks of different protocol, sets up intercommunication, this system comprises at least two independently different IP network of agreement, each IP network all comprises gateway, gatekeeper, it is characterized in that: also comprise the interworking agent that the message bag between the networks of different protocol is carried out protocol conversion.

6, the system that between networks of different protocol, sets up intercommunication according to claim 5, it is characterized in that: described interworking agent comprises an interworking agent unit that carries out protocol conversion at least, described interworking agent unit comprises message sink module, message transmission module, and connects described message sink module and message transmission module wraps in message the protocol conversion module that carries out protocol conversion between the networks of different protocol.

7, intercommunicating system according to claim 6 is characterized in that: the number of described interworking agent unit is determined according to the networks of different protocol number of call capacity and intercommunication.

8, according to claim 6 or 7 described intercommunicating systems, it is characterized in that: the networks of different protocol number of described interworking agent unit and intercommunication is consistent, and reception, conversion and the transmission of message bag between a kind of intercommunication networks of different protocol and the local network finished in an interworking agent unit.

9, according to claim 6 or 7 described intercommunicating systems, it is characterized in that:, reception, conversion and transmission that message bag between the networks of different protocol of this intercommunication and the local network is handled in a plurality of interworking agents unit are set for networks of different protocol capacious.

10, a kind of method of carrying out intercommunication between networks of different protocol comprises step:

A, initiate a call to interworking agent by the calling party gateway;

The message related to calls bag of setting up that b, interworking agent will be received is converted to callee's procotol message bag, and is transmitted to callee's gateway, inquires about routing iinformation to callee gatekeeper simultaneously;

C, callee's gateway receive the message bag of being sent by interworking agent, and respond Alerting (prompting) message and give interworking agent with Connect (connection) message;

D, interworking agent unit send to called gateways Alerting is become calling party's procotol message bag with the Connect message conversion after, realize continuing of calling.

Images