Patent ID: 7120242

Claim:
An apparatus for interworking between heterogeneous No. 7 signaling networks, comprising: a plurality of signaling network processing units corresponding to heterogeneous No. 7 signaling networks, each configured to interwork with each other in a one-to-one manner, and each configured to execute a signaling network management function and a signaling message handling function for a corresponding signaling network; and a cross-routing controlling unit coupled between the plurality of signaling network processing units and configured to store network management information of each signaling network transmitted from each of the plurality of signaling network processing units and configured to cross-route a signaling message between the plurality of signaling network processing units based on the stored network management information, wherein each of the plurality of signaling network processing units each comprises: a signaling network management unit to perform network management for a corresponding signaling network and transmit a state of each signaling point corresponding to the signaling network to the cross-routing controlling unit; and a signaling message handling unit to transmit the signaling message to be cross-routed from a corresponding current signaling network to the cross-routing controlling unit, and route the signaling message transmitted from the cross-routing controlling unit to a corresponding destination signaling network, and wherein the signaling message handling unit comprises: a message discrimination unit to determine whether the destination signaling point of the signaling message is a current signaling point; a message distribution unit to distribute the signaling message to a corresponding local message transfer part (MTP) user part in the current signaling point, if the destination signaling point of the signaling message is the current signaling point; and a message routing unit to request that the signaling message be cross-routed to a heterogeneous signaling network, if the destination signaling point of the signaling message is not the current signaling point and does not exist in the corresponding current signaling network.