Voice over data telecommunications network architecture
View Patent ↗The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.
1. A method for registering circuits in a telecommunications network comprising:
at a softswitch, receiving a registration message from a trunking gateway indicating circuits associated with the trunking gateway that should be serviced by the softswitch; and
registering the circuits with a Signaling System 7 (SS7) registration point for servicing calls associated with the circuits.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the registering step further comprises:
causing the SS7 registration point to map the circuits associated with the trunking gateway to the softswitch.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the registering step further comprises:
sending a registration request to the SS7 registration point, wherein the registration request indicates whether the softswitch is a primary servicing point for calls associated with the circuits or a backup servicing point for calls associated with the circuits.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the registering step further comprises:
sending a registration request to the SS7 registration point, wherein the registration request comprises at least one of a an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), and a circuit identification code (CIC) associated with the circuits.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the registration message is communicated to the softswitch via Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the SS7 registration point is an SS7 gateway.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trunking gateway sends the registration message upon booting up.
8. A softswitch operable to:
receive a registration message from a trunking gateway indicating circuits associated with the trunking gateway that should be serviced by the softswitch; and
register the circuits with a Signaling System 7 (SS7) registration point for servicing calls associated with the circuits.
9. The softswitch as recited in claim 8 , further operable to:
cause the SS7 registration point to map the circuits associated with the trunking gateway to the softswitch.
10. The softswitch as recited in claim 8 , further operable to:
send a registration request to the SS7 registration point, wherein the registration request indicates whether the softswitch is a primary servicing point for calls associated with the circuits or a backup servicing point for calls associated with the circuits.
11. The softswitch as recited in claim 8 , further operable to:
send a registration request to the SS7 registration point, wherein the registration request comprises at least one of an originating point code (OPC), a destination point code (DPC), and a circuit identification code (CIC) associated with the circuits.
12. The softswitch as recited in claim 8 , wherein the trunking gateway sends the registration message upon booting up.
13. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the SS7 registration point is an SS7 gateway.
14. The softswitch as recited in claim 8 , wherein the registration message is communicated to the softswitch via Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol.