KR20000069647A - Internet-ss7 gateway - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a unit connected to the Internet, and an apparatus between a node in an intelligent network, wherein the apparatus converts a signal from a node in the intelligent network into a signal compatible with a unit connected to the Internet, and Conversely, means for converting are provided. The invention also includes a method for connecting an information server to a node of an intelligent network via the Internet.

Description

Internet-S7 Gateway {INTERNET-SS7 GATEWAY}

The number of different services in the modern intelligent network (IN) has recently increased dramatically. Most services require some form of guidance from the end user. In some simple services, the guidance from the user includes only changing the value, such as changing the phone to which the end user can be connected. Other services require more complex guidance, such as Virtual Private Network Service, which allows subscribers to connect extra phones to the network and assign new internal numbers.

In the new service, the end user has a wide range of possibilities to decide which service method to use. This possibility means an increase in the need for simple and effective guidance from the end user. In most cases, the guidance is provided from the end user via the telephone, as so-called DTMF-Dual Tone Multi Frequency (Dual Tone Multi Frequency). This IN-service guidance method is allowed when a simple service is executed. Another method is to control services in an intelligent network through a graphical interface on the World Wide Web (WWW). So-called Service Control Points (SCPs) in intelligent networks are connected to the WWW via MML-Signal Language (Man-Machine Language) by known techniques. The significant disadvantages of this access method are the slowness and the MML-signal transmission cannot be used to take advantage of many different services running on SCP.

The invention provides a CCITT signal between an information server, e.g., a WWW-application, and a node, e.g., a Service Control Point (SCP), in an intelligent network. An interface and a method for installing an interface between a server and a node so that communication can be made through scheme No. 7 are provided.

1 is a network topology in which the present invention is practiced.

Figure 2 shows the internal structure of the first in the SS7-link, second in the Internet link.

3 is a schematic portion of a method comprising a step by step of a client connecting to a node of an intelligent network via the Internet.

4 is a first example of the continuation of the schematic diagram of FIG. 3.

5 is a second example of the continuation of the schematic diagram of FIG. 3.

6 is a third example of the continuation of the schematic diagram of FIG. 3.

7 is a fourth example of the continuation of the schematic diagram of FIG. 3.

Recently, in controlling an IN-service, end users are more and more affected. This means that the end user raises the need to make this control as fast and user-friendly as possible. This is not met with known techniques, which is a problem.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above problem by connecting the WWW to the service control point (SCP) of the intelligent network using SS7-signal transmission, in particular the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP).

The WWW-unit, which the user can access via a PC, is connected to the SCP of the intelligent network, for example this time via a so-called Internet-SS7 gateway. Such a gateway allows a user to, for example, connect to a network node via a normal traffic interface via the Internet / WWW.

The gateway communicates with SCP over SS7-Link by using INAP. Access to the Internet is accomplished through Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), using appropriate protocols such as X.25 or Ethernet. The Internet-SS7 gateway emulates SDP, a service exchange point, or Service Data Point (SDP), as a service data point. The gateway supports the same INAP functionality as normal SCP / SDP. When the Internet-SS7 gateway acts as a Service Switching Point (SSP), this gateway can use INAP-operation, which allows the user to change / update its parameters in the IN-service. When this gateway functions as an SDP, a so-called Update / Retrieve function is used to update an IN-service parameter.

An object of the present invention is to enable communication with SCP of an intelligent network from a WWW unit via INAP via a so-called Internet-SS7 gateway.

An advantage of the present invention is that rapid execution over the SS7-link is achieved by direct connection between the WWW unit and the SCP of the intelligent network.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the same interface as for DTMF-signal transmission to SCP, which is a dual tone multi-frequency, is used, which means that all predefined services controlled by DTMF-signal transmission can be used. .

An additional advantage of the present invention is that the service can be started from the WWW unit.

1 shows an example of a network topology in which the present invention is implemented. The user is connected to the Internet via the WWW-browser shown in the figure. The user can also connect to the Internet through another independent application with corresponding characteristics. Such applications may be written in programming language C, Java, Smalltalk, Basic or other programming languages. Between the service control point (SCP) and the Internet, according to the invention, there is an Internet-SS7 gateway. The purpose of the Internet-SS7 gateway is to convert the programming language from the Internet into a language that SCP can handle and vice versa.

In Figure 1, four logical entities are identified. The first entity contains a client, for example a WWW-browser. The second entity contains a WWW-server or unit with a corresponding function. The third entity also includes a unique Internet-SS7 gateway, also called an Inter Working Unit (IWU). Entities 2 and 3 may be disposed on the same physical machine, as shown in this figure, but may also be disposed on separate physical machines. The fourth and last entity contains the nodes of the intelligent network, eg SCP.

The three interfaces are arranged between the entities, calculated from the WWW-client and referred to as I1, I2, and I3 below. The client preferentially uses the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to select an access page for the server. Such a page can be manipulated later by, for example, assigning a user ID and password. Then, depending on how the server page is executed, either HTTP or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) can be used. In response to the user ID and password, the number of pages or Java classes is sent to the client via HTTP. None of the conversations so far interfere with the IWU. Only interface I1 is affected.

Interface I2 has an interface protocol between the original IWU and the server. The communication between the IWU and the user application, for example the WWW, includes, for example, a message about the socket scheme. Socket communication is interprocess communication for a higher level of abstraction. When a message is sent to the WWW-unit, the message structure is converted to a string of characters. The parameters included in the message are separated by appropriate so-called "null" -characters in the programming language C, for example. A WWW application, or any other application having a corresponding function, connected between the IWU and the client may use the same structure for the IWU for internal messages, but is not enforced.

The IWU is closely dependent on the application the IWU intends to support. The message includes, for example, instructions on which message to start sending, how to send the message and how many characters will be received. The message also contains information about how the text is received. This information passes between interface I2, ie between the WWW-server and the IWU.

The IWU may have a number of predefined messages that the IWU may receive from the SCP. Input messages to the IWU are checked to see if they belong to a predefined message. In the predefined message, the values of most parameters are determined. An input message is considered to be allowed when its count matches the count of a predefined message. The input message is then regarded as an internal message type message and the remaining parameters are used for this conversation.

When a WWW-based application is used, there is the possibility of executing internal functions. In order to save bandwidth and improve performance, the WWW-application can simultaneously request both the PUI and PIN from the client and then send them together to the IWU simultaneously. The IWU in turn sends the PUI to the SCP first, waiting for a response from the SCP for the PIN, and then sending the PIN-code to the SCP. When the IWU receives a response from the SCP for a PIN-code, the IWU sends a message to the WWW-application.

The same structure is used to handle the service. The WWW-application has, for example, knowledge of the information needed to change the PIN-code. The WWW-application collects the necessary information and sends it to the IWU, which then processes the information and completes the operation.

A typical example of the functionality of a WWW-application is that when sending a new PIN-code, ie changing it, the PIN-code does not need to be sent twice to the IWU to verify the code. Verification of the fact that the PIN-code is correctly configured is equally well done in WWW-applications. Thus, the number of communications is significantly reduced between the two parties.

In each conversation involving an IWU, the status of the conversation is analyzed. In most cases, the status is the most recent message sent from the IWU and is used to check whether the input message is acceptable. If a message is received, its status is checked. In most cases, only certain messages from WWW-applications or SCPs are allowed. This is related to the fact that after the start of a conversation between SCP and the WWW, the WWW-application only responds to a specific query. By checking whether a cleared message has been received, it avoids errors and makes it more difficult for unauthorized users to break in.

The IWU uses time intervals from the first SCP and second from the WWW-application to process the message. The IWU checks for messages from SCP during a given time interval. If there are messages in the queue, they are processed. The IWU then checks for messages from the WWW-application for a given time interval. If there are messages in the queue, they are processed. This is simple, but not absolutely optimal.

IWU can also check messages from both SCP and WWW-applications. This can be achieved by the fact that operating systems with associated hardware, such as UNIX, have built-in capabilities that allow the IWU to operate simultaneously with two queues. One way is to use a Unix feature called socket. This feature allows the IWU-function to simultaneously wait for messages from both the IN-node and the information server.

2 shows an internal architecture showing SS7 signals and signals from the Internet. Various ways of SS7 signals are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in more detail. The different protocols involved in the connection between the Internet and an application connected to the Internet are also well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in further detail here.

The Internet SS7 Gateway can be said to function as a bridge or link between the SCP and similar applications with the WWW connected to the Internet.

3 shows the first part of a schematic diagram illustrating how a computer user can, for example, link to an SCP in an intelligent network via the Internet.

First, the client may use HTTP, for example, to request an access page to an IN-node from an information server. The server may for example be a WWW-server. The server can be connected to the internet.

In a subsequent step, the information server sends an entitlement procedure to the client that includes a query about the client's user identity and password.

The client then provides its user identity and associated password, which are sent to the information server. There are at least two different ways of selecting when such information is provided to the information server. The first method is to use HTTP, and the second method is to use CGI, which is a common gateway interface. The common gateway interface is the de facto standard for the so-called gateway program for interfaces for information servers such as WWW. Such standards are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in detail here.

The information server then checks the password and user identity. If the user identity and password match, the client is allowed access to the requested application. If not, then of course no access is allowed, and the client can then make several new attempts to access the application.

Assuming that the above process takes place and the client is qualified, the next step is followed. In this step, the information server sends different operational menus that can be executed in the application.

In subsequent steps, the client selects one operation available. At this stage, communication is initiated via the IWU above between the client on one side and the IN-node on the other. Here, a number of variations on how such communication actually works can be considered.

IWUs include separate physical units or are included in an information server. If it is assumed that the information server and the IWU are collocated together, at least three variants follow.

In a first variant, communication takes place via CGI from a client via an information server. This means that the so-called IWU-binary reads a common text string from the standard input provided by the information server. The IWU then sends the message back to the client via standard output and also through the information server. The protocol between the information server and the IWU thus becomes the usual so-called file descriptor (stdin / stdout) running on Unix.

This variant is shown in FIG. In the first step, the information server sends the stdin, stdout and surrounding variables which are input parameters to the CGI-program.

In a subsequent step, the CGI-program communicates with the IN-node via SS7-execution using socket communication.

In a subsequent step, the CGI-program returns an output-parameter provided for the user to the client via the information server, if the parameter is a value for the user.

A second variant to consider is to establish a socket directly to the IWU after an initial conversation with the information server (eg as programming language Java, and thus completely block the server from the conversation). Thus, the protocol from the IWU to the client is a socket. Another possibility is to use a standard Unix Remote Procedure Call (RPC) or some other machine-to-machine interface. Regardless of which level of abstraction is chosen, TCP / IP or UDP / IP is used as the so-called low level protocol. Even X.25 is suitable as a protocol.

This variant is illustrated in FIG. 7. The IWU receives input-parameters from the client via one of the machine-to-machine protocols above. In subsequent steps, the IWU communicates with the SS7-execution using socket communication.

The output-parameters are then returned from the IWU to the client, after which such parameters can be made visible to the client.

In a third variant, IWU-processing is included in the information server where the operation of the server is increased in accordance with the operation of the IWU. The communication is then made by direct internal processing calls, ie direct communication between the IWU and the information server, using the built-in functions of the selected platform to transfer information between the two functions (processes) within the same machine. . This communication takes place at the so-called method call level or in wired communication which may be depending on the configuration of the server.

The third modification is shown in FIG. In a first step, the information server sends input-parameters to the IWU using the above communication at the method call level. The IWU-part of the server then communicates with the SS7-execution using socket communication. In subsequent steps, the output-parameters are returned from the IWU-part of the server to the "core" server, which in turn sends these parameters to the client. These can be made visible to the user if there is any use in other cases.

The information server and the IWU can be placed on two separate machines or processes on the same machine. 5 shows a schematic diagram for this example. In a first step, the information server sends the input-parameters to the IWU by using a process-to-process communication protocol or a machine-to-machine communication protocol. As an example, RPC may be used as the protocol, and as an example, TCP / IP, UDP / IP or X.25 may be used as the protocol carrier.

The IWU then communicates with the SS7-execution using, for example, socket communication or some other corresponding process to process communication. SS7 execution then returns the output-parameters to the IWU, which, after processing, transmits these parameters to the information server. The output-parameters are then transferred to the client. The output-parameters can then be made visible to the user. This variant is illustrated in FIG. 6.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. Rather, the invention may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

In a device connected to a unit connected to the Internet, and a node in an intelligent network, a means for converting a signal from a node in the intelligent network into a signal compatible with a unit connected to the Internet and vice versa. Device provided on the device. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for converting the signal is program code written in a computer language. The device of claim 2, wherein the computer language is C, Java, Smalltalk, Pascal, Fortran, or Basic. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit connected to the Internet is an information server. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the information server is a World Wide Web, which is a so-called WWW-unit. 6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the signal from the node of the intelligent network is from CCITT-SS7 (Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique Signal System No. 7). 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the CCITT-SS7 signal is INAP, which is an intelligent network application protocol. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal from the WWW-unit is TCP / IP, which is a transmission control protocol / Internet protocol. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node in the intelligent network is an SCP, which is a service control point. In a method of connecting an information server to a node of an intelligent network via the Internet, Between the information server and the nodes of the intelligent network there is an IWU, so-called interworking unit, The IWU converts the signal from the information server into a signal suitable for the nodes of the intelligent network, The IWU converts a signal from a node of the intelligent network into a signal suitable for the information server. The method of claim 10 wherein the information server is a WWW-application. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the node in the intelligent network is an SCP, which is a service control point. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal from the SCP is INAP. The method of claim 13, wherein the signal from the WWW-application is TCP / IP.