Computer program products, methods, and protocol for interworking services between a public telephone network, intelligent network, and internet protocol network

A computer program product for a gateway exchanging TCAP messages in an SS7 protocol format with a public telephone network and exchanging encapsulated TCAP messages in an IP protocol format with an internet protocol network, said computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising:
• computer instruction means for receiving a TCAP message in the SS7 protocol format from the public telephone network and extracting the TCAP message and associated addressing and routing information therefrom;
• computer instruction means for converting the associated addressing and routing information for the IP protocol format and encapsulating the TCAP message in the IP protocol format with the converted addressing and routing information;
• and
• computer instruction means for transmitting the encapsulated TCAP message with the converted addressing and routing information to the internet protocol network for delivery to an IP network entity therein.

A computer program product for an IP network entity exchanging encapsulated TCAP messages in an IP protocol format with an internet protocol network such that TCAP messages can therethrough be exchanged with a public telephone network, said computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising:
• computer instruction means for receiving a TCAP message encapsulated in the IP protocol format from the internet protocol network, wherein the TCAP message originated in the public telephone network;
• computer instruction means for extracting the TCAP message and the associated addressing and routing information from the encapsulated TCAP message received;
• and
• computer instruction means for processing the TCAP message originating in the public telephone network and received by the IP network entity.

A method for exchanging TCAP messages bet ween a public telephone network and an internet protocol network for providing services interworking, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a TCAP message and associated addressing and routing information in an SS7 protocol format from the public telephone network;
• extracting the TCAP message and associated addressing and routing information from the TCAP message received;
• converting the associated addressing and routing information for an IP protocol format and encapsulating the TCAP message in the IP protocol format with the converted addressing and routing information;
• and
• transmitting the encapsulated TCAP message with the converted addressing and routing information to the internet protocol format network for delivery to an IP network entity therein.

A method for exchanging encapsulated TCAP messages with an internet protocol network such that TCAP messages can therethrough be exchanged with a public telephone network, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a TCAP message encapsulated in an IP protocol format from the internet protocol network, wherein the TCAP message originated in the public telephone network;
• extracting the TCAP message and the associated addressing and routing information from the encapsulated TCAP message received;
• and
• processing the TCAP message originating in the public telephone network and received by the IP network entity.