US 6,724,723 B1 · Method of providing a signaling qualification function in a connection oriented network

Abstract

A method of providing a qualification function and associated action function to be performed for a connection request or a group of connection requests. The invention is applicable to situations wherein it is desirable for the network to perform a specific action before, during and/or after the establishment of a connection. The network is provided a mechanism whereby specific connection requests trigger the performance of one or more action functions. The network is operative to qualify connection requests wherein one or more action functions associated with those connection request(s) are triggered in response thereto. The qualifier, upon a connection meeting the criteria, passes a trigger to the specific action function that performs the desired specific action. More than one action may be specified, each action functioning to resolve an existing problem or perform a desired action. In addition, an information element can be included with the connection message indicating to the next hop network element along a connection path whether a particular action was preformed on the previous hop network element.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of providing a signaling qualification function for connection requests in a connection oriented network, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring a network element with a qualification database comprising one or more qualification functions;
configuring the network element with an action database comprising one or more action functions;
comprising said qualification functions in said qualification database against the contents of a call connection request message, each positive comparison generating a match;
performing an action associated with the qualification function corresponding to each match generated;
and
providing an information element to be included with said connection request message sent to a next hog network element, said information element providing an indication of whether a particular action was performed for that particular connection.

3 more elements

A network switch for use in a connection oriented network, comprising:

an adaptation unit adapted to interface said switch to one or more physical connections;
a signaling unit for providing signaling functions between said switch and the rest of the network;
a qualification function unit comprising a qualification database for storing one or more qualification functions, said qualification function unit adapted to compare said qualification functions in said qualification database against the contents of a call connection request message, each positive comparison generating a match;
an action function unit comprising an action database for storing one or more action functions, said action function unit adapted to perform an action associated with the qualification function corresponding to each match generated;
a connection control unit adapted to provide services for the establishment and termination of calls;
and
means for providing an information element to be included with said connection request message sent to a next hop network element, said information element providing an indication of whether a particular action was performed for that particular connection.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of providing a signaling qualification function in a connection oriented network

Life of this patent

Method of providing a signaling qualification function in a connection oriented network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18