Methods and systems for creating, distributing and executing multimedia telecommunications applications over circuit and packet switched networks
A service creation switch ( 114 ) supports both tightly coupled and loosely distributed application server (AS) ( 126 ) functions, with the tightly coupled AS ( 126 ) functions residing in the switch ( 114 ), and the loosely coupled AS ( 126 ) functions carried out in a service level executable environment (SLEE) ( 34 ). The SLEE ( 134 ) utilizes DLLs to facilitate the distribution of services over a packet network.
1. A system for delivering and executing multimedia telecommunications applications over circuit and packet switch networks, said system comprising:
a) a media gateway coupled to the PSTN and packet network;
b) a signaling gateway coupled to the SS7 signaling network; and
c) a service creation switch coupled to said media gateway and said signaling gateway, said switch having
i) a generic signaling interface between the signaling gateway and the media gateway,
ii) a management interface for coupling to a management server,
iii) an application server interface for coupling to an application server, and
iv) means for providing Class 5 services to said media gateway.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said switch accesses second services other than Class 5 services via said application server interface using a service level executable environment (SLEE).
3. A system according to claim 2 , wherein:
said SLEE utilizes dynamically loaded shared libraries to distribute said second services over the packet network.
4. A system according to claim 2 , wherein:
said SLEE includes means to locate said second services on a plurality of application servers.
5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said first application server interface is for coupling to a local application server, and
said switch further includes a second application server interface for coupling to a remote application server.
6. A system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
d) said second application server,
wherein said second application server resides in the packet network.
7. A system according to claim 5 , wherein:
Class 5 services are embedded in said switch.
8. A system according to claim 5 , wherein:
said switch is a softswitch.
9. A system according to claim 5 , wherein:
said local application server is an open service level executable environment (SLEE).
10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein:
said SLEE is adapted to execute non-Class 5 service functions.
11. A system according to claim 5 , wherein:
said switch is adapted to support both loosely coupled and tightly coupled application server functions.
12. A service creation switch for use with a media gateway coupled to a packet network and a PSTN, the PSTN having an SS7 signaling network, and a signaling gateway coupled to the SS7 signaling network, said service creation coupled to both the media gateway and the signaling gateway, said switch comprising:
a) a generic signaling interface between the signaling gateway and the media gateway;
b) a management interface for coupling to a management server; and
c) an application server interface for coupling to an application server,
wherein said switch includes means for providing Class 5 services to the media gateway within predetermined latency requirements.
13. A service creation switch according to claim 12 , wherein:
communication over said application server interface is in Internet Protocol.
14. A service creation switch according to claim 13 , wherein:
said application server is remotely located on the packet network.
15. A service creation switch according to claim 12 , further comprising:
d) a service level executable environment coupled to said application server interface.
16. A service creation switch according to claim 15 , further comprising:
e) means for determining whether the latency of an accessed application is within a predetermined latency requirement.
17. A service creation switch according to claim 16 , further comprising:
f) means for locating an application on a plurality of application servers.
18. A method for delivering and executing multimedia telecommunications applications over circuit and packet networks, said method comprising:
a) coupling a media gateway to the circuit and packet network;
b) coupling a signaling gateway to the SS7 signaling network;
c) enabling a service creation switch to couple to the signaling gateway and the media gateway, said service creation switch adapted to provide Class 5 services to a telephone call over the packet network and the circuit network; and
e) enabling the switch to couple to an application server provided with non-Class 5 services to provide the non-Class 5 services to a call over the integrated network.
19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein:
said Class 5 services are embedded in said switch.
20. A method according to claim 18 , wherein:
said application server is remotely located relative to the service creation switch.
21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein:
said second application server resides in the packet network.
22. A method according to claim 18 , wherein:
said application server is local relative to the service creation switch.
23. A method according to claim 22 , wherein:
said application server is an open service level executable environment (SLEE).
24. A method according to claim 23 , wherein:
said SLEE distributes non-Class 5 services over the packet network.
25. A system according to claim 23 , wherein:
said SLEE locates non-Class 5 services on a plurality of application servers in the packet network.