# US 2014/0192814 A1 · Method And Apparatus For Sharing TCAP Traffic Load

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- Number: US 2014/0192814 A1
- Document ID: US20140192814A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/202,822
- Filed: 2014-03-10
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-26
- Assignees: Performance Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Performance Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Normand Glaude; Charles Wesley-James; Christine Aubry; Pierre Laporte
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192814A1

## CPC

- H04L 12/1886: {with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains}
- H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing
- H04L 47/125: by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
- H04Q 3/0025: {Provisions for signalling}
- H04Q 3/0029: {Provisions for intelligent networking}
- H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
- H04L 49/3009: {Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a point code emulation apparatus and method for dividing a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (or SS7) signaling network into two or more networks. The point code emulator is adapted to receive TCAP messages from two or more subnets and converts, for the messages crossing over the subnets, the information of the TCAP messages, including originating point code, destination point code, and transaction identifier, (and optionally, calling party number and called party number), and forwards to the other one of the two or more subnets. Correspondence among the two or more subnets may be provisioned by an authorized user of the system, may be learned automatically by the system based on ISUP message correspondences or previous TCAP transactions, or may be automatically discovered by the system broadcasting messages to nodes in the destined one of the two or more subnets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) node for routing a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message from a first node in a first subnet to a second node in a second subnet in a SS7 network with said first and second nodes having the same point code, said node comprising:
a) a first interface for said first subnet;
b) a second interface for said second subnet;
c) a processor in communication with said first and second interfaces, and further in communication with a structured database, wherein said processor carries out the process comprising the steps of:
i) preparing a first record for said first node and a second record for said second node in said structured database;
ii) receiving said TCAP message from said first node through said first interface;
iii) extracting originating point code (OPC), destination point code (DPC) and transaction identifier (TID) of said TCAP message;
iv) looking up and retrieving, from said structured database, said second record for a corresponding OPC, a corresponding DPC and a corresponding TID partially or combinedly based on said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message; and
v) replacing said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID; and
vi) forwarding said TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID through said second interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The SS7 node as recited in claim 1, wherein said first subnet is a public or private network.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The SS7 node as recited in claim 1, wherein said second subnet is a public or private network.

### Claim 4

A method of routing a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message from a first node in a first subnet to a second node in a second subnet in a SS7 network with said first and second nodes having the same point code, comprising the steps of:
a) preparing a first record for said first node and a second record for said second node in a structured database;
b) at a node, receiving said TCAP message from said first node in said first subnet through a first interface;
c) at the node, extracting originating point code (OPC), destination point code (DPC) and transaction identifier (TID) of said TCAP message;
d) looking up and retrieving, from said structured database, said second record for a corresponding OPC, a corresponding DPC and a corresponding TID partially or combinedly based on said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message;
e) replacing said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID; and
f) from the node, forwarding said TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID to said second node in said second subnet through a second interface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said first subnet is a public or private network.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said second subnet is a public or private network.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed at a node, causes the node to perform a process of routing a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message from a first node in a first subnet to a second node in a second subnet, with said first and second nodes having the same point code, comprising the steps of
a) preparing a first record for said first node and a second record for said second node in a structured database;
b) at the node, receiving said TCAP message from said first node in said first subnet through a first interface;
c) at the node, extracting originating point code (OPC), destination point code (DPC) and transaction identifier (TID) of said TCAP message;
d) looking up and retrieving, from said structured database, said second record for a corresponding OPC, a corresponding DPC and a corresponding TID partially or combinedly based on said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message;
e) replacing said OPC, said DPC and said TID of said received TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID; and
f) from the node, forwarding said TCAP message with said corresponding OPC, said corresponding DPC, and said corresponding TID to said second node in said second subnet through a second interface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said first subnet is a public or private network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said second subnet is a public or private network.