MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract: A method of sending signalling messages over a communication system comprising at least two different transport networks coupled together at a media controller. The method comprises receiving a signalling message of a first signalling transport protocol at the media controller, the message being sent to the media controller over a first of the signalling networks. At the media controller, a signalling message of a second transport protocol is defined, the message corresponding to said signalling message of the first signalling transport protocol. A composite signalling message is then constructed which contains at least part of the information contained in the received message and at least part of the information contained in the defined signalling message. The composite signalling message is then sent over a second of the signalling networks.

Description: MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to mixed media communication systems and in particular, though not necessanly, to such systems in which at least one of the media is an Internet Protocol (IP) based media Background to the invention Telecommunications networks currently rely to a large extent upon the Signalling System no 7 (SS7) as the mechanism for controlling call connections and for handling the transfer of signalling information between signalling points of the networks Typically, one or more application and user parts at a given signalling point will make use of SS7 to communicate with peer application and user parts at some other signalling point Examples of user parts are ISUP (ISDN User Part) and TUP (Telephony User Part) whilst examples of application parts are NAP (Intelligent Network Application Part) and MAP (Mobile Application Part) The conventional SS7 protocol stack includes Message Transfer Parts MTP1, MTP2, and MTP3 which handle the formatting of signalling messages for transport over the physical layer as well as vaπous routing functions The physical layer which transports signalling information typically uses Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) to ensure high reliability in terms of low packet loss, high availability, and low delay and redundancy However, TDM based equipment is relatively expensive and new telecommunications networks are increasingly employing packet based transmission technologies such as TCP/IP, UDP/IP, and IP which are generally most cost effective (the development of IP technologies for transporting signalling information parallels the development of similar technologies for transporting user data such as voice, facsimile, etc) Unfortunately, traditional IP networks are charactensed by high packet loss and long delays which is unacceptable for telecommunications signalling (users will not tolerate delays and failures when setting up and using call connections). The direct transfer of SS7 signalling messages over EP networks is therefore not an option. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has addressed this problem by seeking to define a new protocol which will enable the reliable transport of signalling information over IP networks. The responsible IETF working groups are known as IPSS7 and SIGTRAN and the scope of their work is defined as follows: "Signaling transport provides transparent transport of message-based signaling protocols over IP networks. The scope of this work includes definition of encapsulation methods, end-to-end protocol mechanisms and use of IP capabilities to support the functional and performance requirements for signaling." The SIGTRAN working group has developed an architecture for the protocol which consists of several layers as illustrated in Figure 1. These layers lie beneath whatever signalling protocol is being transported by the IP network, e.g. ISUP. The three layers making up SIGTRAN are as follows: 1) an adaptation sub-layer that supports specific primitives (e.g., send.data and management indications) required by a particular Switched Circuit Network (SCN) signaling application protocol (e.g. ISUP); 2) a Common Signaling Transport Protocol that supports a common set of reliable transport functions for signaling transport; and 3) a standard, unmodified TCP/IP, UDP/IP, or IP transport protocol. It will be appreciated that the adaptation sub-layer may also provide adaptation to non- SCN protocols such as H.225, H.245, SIP etc. This signalling transport work has also been of interest with regard to Multimedia networks such as those based on ITU recommendation H.323. The control protocols in H.323 networks typically already run over a packet based transport technology. These control protocols provide some of the same functionality as SS7 protocols today. Figure 2 illustrates a current scenario involving the interworking of two signalling networks based on different signalling systems, namely SS7 and H.323. A gateway node at the interface between the two networks converts SS7 messages into like H.323 messages and vice versa. For example, the gateway node might convert an ISUP IAM message to an H.225 Setup message, and an ISUP CPG message to an H.225 Notify message. Whilst such interworking will generally provide for basic telecommunications services, the mis-match between the two sets of signalling messages will degrade more advanced services and functions. For example, H.225 carries some extra information that it is not in ISUP such as H225 User-User Information elements, whilst ISUP carries information which cannot be transmitted in H.225 messages. In order to avoid such degradation, it becomes attractive to be able to use SS7 protocols in other telecommunication signalling networks such as H.323. That is to say that it is desirable to allow SS7 messages to be carried unmodified across an H.323 network (or other such network) such that the SS7 messages are available to nodes within the H.323 network and to other gateway nodes to which the H.323 network is connected. To achieve an appropriate 'service level' for the carried protocol, SIGTRAN relies on two layers, namely the "transport layer" and the "application layer". For example in the SS7 to H.323 case, to ensure the correct level of service for the transport layer, it is proposed to use the SIGTRAN protocol whilst at the application layer an SS7 protocol (eg. ISUP, TCAP) is used in the H.323 network. This reduces the amount of interworking at network edges or interfaces. Figure 3 illustrates the sending of messages from one signalling system over a network based on another signalling system. Multi-Network Datagram Transmission Protocol (MDTP) is a candidate protocol for the SIGTRAN Common Signalling Transport layer. Summary of the Present Invention. Whilst solving the problem of making the SS7 information available to the H.323 network, the above solution results in the loss of information carried by H.323 messages and which is not carried by the respective corresponding SS7 messages. This may result in the degradation of the services available to the H.323 users. The loss of addressing information may also result in routing problems. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the disadvantages noted in the preceding paragraph. This and other objects are achieved at least in part by encapsulating appropriate messages, from the signalling networks on both sides of a network interface, into a single transport message. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of sending signalling messages over a communication system comprising at least two different transport networks coupled together at a media controller, the method comprising: receiving a signalling message of a first signalling transport protocol at the media controller, the message being sent to the media controller over a first of the signalling networks; at the media controller, defining a signalling message or part(s) thereof of a second transport protocol corresponding to said signalling message of the first signalling transport protocol; constructing a composite signalling message containing at least part of the information contained in the received message and at least part of the information contained in the defined signalling message or part(s) thereof; and sending the composite signalling message over a second of the signalling networks. It will be appreciated that the composite signalling message may be encapsulated within one or more signalling protocol messages. Embodiments of the present invention enable signalling information to be provided within and at the edges of the second signalling network, which information meets the requirements of the users of both the first and second networks. Preferably, the reliable transport of the composite message across said second network is ensured by a Common Signalling Transport Protocol (CSTP) layer or the like, which layer resides at the media controller above the transport media protocol layer, e.g. an IP based layer. Preferably, an adaptation protocol layer, residing above the CSTP layer, generates message primitives of a CSTP message, which message is arranged to contain in its user data field said composite signalling message. Preferably, the method comprises receiving a composite message at a node within or at the edge of the second signalling network, decomposing the composite message into first and second protocol parts, and passing one or both of these parts to application and/or user parts. Preferably, said first network is an SS7 based signalling network. More preferably, said first signalling protocol is ISUP although it may another SS7 signalling protocol such as MAP or INAP. The second signalling network may be an IP based network, e.g. H.323, whilst the second signalling protocol may be H.225. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a gateway for coupling together two different signalling networks using respective different signalling protocols, the media controller comprising: receiving means for receiving from a first of the networks a signalling message according to a corresponding first of the signalling protocols; first processing means for defining a signalling message according to a second of the signalling protocols; second processing means for constructing a composite signalling message containing at least part of the information contained in the received message and at least part of the information contained in the defined signalling message; and transmission means for sending the composite signalling message over a second of the signalling networks. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 illustrates the multi-layer architecture of the SIGTRAN protocol; Figure 2 illustrates a proposed method for interworking between two different signalling networks; Figure 3 illustrates an alternative method for interworking between two different signalling networks; Figure 4 illustrates a method of interworking between two different signalling networks according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates the use of a modified SIGTRAN protocol within a media controller; and Figure 6 illustrates the structure of a composite message generated by the modified SIGTRAN protocol of Figure 5. Detailed Description of Certain Embodiments The current proposals made by the IETF SIGTRAN working group have been set out above with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As has already been set out above, it is recognised that it is desirable to directly use messages from one network based on one signalling system, in another network based on a second signalling system. However, it is also recognised that when this is done information may be lost resulting in a degradation of the service level. Thus it is proposed here to use the corresponding messages, in whole or in part, from each signalling system and to 'encapsulate' or 'bundle' them one composite SIGTRAN transport message. According to this approach, there is no restriction on the number of different protocols which may be bundled in a single adaptation layer. Figure 4 illustrates two different signalling networks, a first based upon SS7 and a second based upon H.323, coupled together at an interface by a media controller, more particularly a gateway node. In the given example, the node receives an Initial Address Message (IAM) over the first network and generates a composite ISUP+H.225 message for transmission over the second network. Figure 5 illustrates the protocol architecture present at a node within the H.323 network where there are provided both ISUP and H.225 parts. The composite ISUP+H.225 message is generated by the call control process at the ISUP/H.225 level. Message primitives including message headers are generated at successive lower layers, with the final signalling message (i.e. the message which is actually sent across the wires) being generated at level 1. This message has the following structure: where the Data field contains the composite ISUP+H.225 message. Due to the presence of the adaptation module in the SIGTRAN layer, the SIGTRAN layer appears to higher layers as an MTP3 layer. In the example considered here, the SIGTRAN adaptation layer is defined so as to allow the definition and transport of multiple protocols (in whole or part) in one SIGTRAN transport message, thus allowing the information from one signalling system to be used in conjunction with the information from a second signalling system to thereby provide a full service level to users of both signalling networks. The defined adaptation layer provides for the updating of the primitives passed between the Signalling Protocol layers and the Adaptation Modules. The adaptation layer also specifies the primitives to be used between the adaptation module and the Common signalling transport layer. Figure 6 shows in more detail the structure proposed for the composite SIGTRAN message. The MDTP (i.e. CSTP) datagram comprises a field for containing separate protocol parts 1, 2, .... ,n (e.g. ISUP, H225, etc). The SIGTRAN protocol may be used in several types of networks including UMTS core networks, H.323 VoIP, SIP based VoIP networks. It will be appreciated by the person of skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A method of sending signalling messages over a communication system comprising at least two different transport networks coupled together at a media controller, the method comprising: receiving a signalling message of a first signalling transport protocol at the media controller, the message being sent to the media controller over a first of the signalling networks; at the media controller, defining a signalling message or part(s) thereof of a second transport protocol corresponding to said signalling message of the first signalling transport protocol; constructing a composite signalling message containing at least part of the information contained in the received message and at least part of the information contained in the defined signalling message or part(s) thereof; and sending the composite signalling message over a second of the signalling networks. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reliable transport of the composite message across said second network is ensured by a Common Signalling Transport Protocol (CSTP) layer or the like, which layer resides at the media controller above the transport media protocol layer. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein an adaptation protocol layer, residing above the CSTP layer, generates message primitives of an adaptation layer message, which message is arranged to contain in its user data field said composite signalling message. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising receiving a composite message at a node within or at the edge of the second signalling network, decomposing the composite message into first and second protocol parts, and passing one or both of these parts to application and/or user parts. 5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first network is an SS7 based signalling network. 6. A media controller for coupling together two different signalling networks using respective different signalling protocols, the media controller comprising: receiving means for receiving from a first of the networks a signalling message according to a corresponding first of the signalling protocols; first processing means for defining a signalling message according to a second of the signalling protocols; second processing means for constructing a composite signalling message containing at least part of the information contained in the received message and at least part of the information contained in the defined signalling message; and transmission means for sending the composite signalling message over a second of the signalling networks.

Inventors: GRAF LESLIE, GROVES CHRISTIAN, HOLLIS MARK, NOGUERA-RODRIGUEZ JUAN, RYTINA IAN, TERRIL STEPHEN, GRAF, LESLIE, GROVES, CHRISTIAN, HOLLIS, MARK, NOGUERA-RODRIGUEZ, JUAN, RYTINA, IAN, TERRIL, STEPHEN
Applicants: ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M, TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H04Q3
IPC codes: H04L12, H04L29, H04Q3