Patent ID: 6724752
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A method of setting up a call connection over a sequence of Internet Protocol (IP) nodes of an IP network, wherein each of the IP nodes is co-located with a signaling point of an SS7 signaling network, and wherein each IP node is identified by an IP address and each SS7 signaling point is identified by a Point Code (PC), the method comprising:allocating to each link of the connection, at the SS7 signaling point level, a Circuit Identification Code (CIC); notifying each IP node of the CIC of each link to a neighboring IP node, and of the PC of each neighboring signaling point; at each IP node, translating the received PC and CIC combination(s) into an IP address and port number combination for each neighboring IP node; deriving, from the received PC and CIC combinations, a set of IP address and port number combinations identified with priority datagram transmissions; and if a datagram having an originating IP address and port number combination contained in the set is received in the IP node, then relaying the datagram to a subsequent IP node as a priority and, if the originating IP address and port number combination are not contained in the set, using only best efforts to relay the datagram to a subsequent IP node.