Signaling message routing control using composite point code status

Claim 2

A common channel signaling network comprising a plurality of signaling points interconnected by signaling data links, each of said signaling points comprising: a message transport controller coupled to a signaling data link of the network for transmitting and receiving messages to and from remote signaling points, the received messages containing management information concerning the remote signaling points; and a subsystem controller connected to said message transport controller for directing messages to user terminals, the subsystem controller comprising: a point code status controller for analyzing said management information and maintaining availability state of the message transport controller of said remote signaling points, availability state of the subsystem controller of said remote signaling points, congestion level of the message transport controller of said remote signaling points and congestion level of the subsystem controller of said remote signaling points, deriving from the maintained availability states and congestion levels a composite state for each remote signaling point, and presenting the composite state to the user terminals; and a routing controller for routing a message between said message transport controller and said user terminals in accordance with said composite state.

Claim 3

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said point code status controller comprises a memory having a plurality of memory cells each being addressable with a point code identifying a remote signaling point for storing the availability state of the message transport controller of the remote signaling points, the availability state of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points, the congestion level of the message transport controller of the remote signaling points and the congestion level of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points, and the composite state.

Claim 4

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said point code status controller presents the composite state to the user terminals upon request therefrom.

Claim 5

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said point code status controller presents a new composite state to the user terminals when an update occurs in the composite state.

Claim 6

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said routing controller includes means for receiving a message from the user terminals indicating a priority level of the message, comparing the priority level with the composite state, and passing the received message to the message transport controller if the priority level is higher than a level indicated by the composite state or blocking the received message if the priority level is lower than said indicated level.

Claim 7

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the point code status controller includes means for decrementing the value of the congestion level of the subsystem controller at periodic intervals.

Claim 8

A common channel signaling network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said point code status controller derives said composite state such that: (1) the composite state indicates "allowed" state if the availability states of the message transport controller and subsystem controller both indicate that a concerned remote signaling point is accessible and the congestion levels of the message transport controller and subsystem controller are both at zero; (2) the composite state indicates "prohibited" state if the availability state of the message transport controller indicates that the concerned remote signaling point is inaccessible or the availability states of the message transport controller and subsystem controller indicate respectively "allowed" and "prohibited" states; (3) the composite state indicates the congestion level of the subsystem controller when both of said availability states indicate "allowed" state and the congestion level of the message transport controller is at zero; (4) the composite state indicates the congestion level of the message transport controller when both of said availability states indicate "allowed" state and the congestion level of the subsystem controller is at zero; and (5) the composite state indicates the greater of the congestion levels of the message transport controller and the subsystem controller when both of said availability states indicate "allowed" state.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of receiving a request from a user terminal and reporting thereto said composite state.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the steps of broadcasting a new composite state to the user terminals when an update occurs in said composite state.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of: (c1) causing the composite state to indicate "allowed" state if the availability states of the message transport controller and the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points both indicate that a concerned remote signaling point is accessible and the congestion levels of the message transport controller and the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points are both at zero; (c2) causing the composite state to indicate "prohibited" state if the availability state of the message transport controller of the remote signaling points inidicates that the concerned remote signaling point is unaccessible or the availability states of the message transport controller and the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points indicate respectively "allowed" and "prohibited" states; (c3) causing the composite state to indicate the congestion level of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points when the availability states of the message transport controller and subsystem controller of the remote signaling points both indicate "allowed" state and the congestion level of the message transport controller of the remote signaling points is at zero; (c4) causing the composite state to indicate the congestion level of the message transport controller of the remote signaling points when both of said availability states indicate "allowed" state and the congestion level of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points is at zero; and (c5) causing the composite state to indicate the greater of the congestion levels of the message transport controller and of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points when both of said availability states indicate "allowed" state".

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step (d) comprises the steps of: d1) receiving a message from the user terminals indicating a priority level of the message; d2) comparing the priority level with the composite state; and d3) passing the received message to the signaling data link if the priority level is higher than a level indicated by the composite state or blocking the received message if the priority level is lower than said indicated level.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of decrementing the value of said congestion level of the subsystem controller of the remote signaling points at periodic intervals.