Mediation of open advanced intelligent network interface for public switched telephone network

Claim 1

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records; detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface; comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface; rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier; detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number; reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

Claim 2

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records; detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface; comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface; rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier; detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number; reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

Claim 4

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider source of said packet messages, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider source of said packet messages; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider source of said packet messages; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: blocking said packet messages from said service provider source of said packet messages, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider source of said packet messages.

Claim 5

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider source of said packet messages, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider source of said packet messages; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider source of said packet messages; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: blocking said packet messages from said service provider source of said packet messages, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider source of said packet messages.

Claim 6

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider service control point; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider service control point; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: sending a message from said mediated service control point to said signal transfer point for causing said signal transfer point to block said packet messages from said service provider service control point, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider service control point.

Claim 7

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface to a service provider service control point, said interface being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service provider service control point; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service provider service control point; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: sending a message from said mediated service control point to said signal transfer point for causing said signal transfer point to block said packet messages from said service provider service control point, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service provider service control point.

Claim 9

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface between a service node and a service switching point at one of said plurality of central offices comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records; detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface; comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface; rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier; detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number; reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

Claim 10

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, and an interface between a service node and a service switching point at one of said plurality of central offices comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing customer records; detecting a sender identifier in each in-bound packet from said interface; comparing said sender identifier with a port identifier that designates an authorized provider of packets to said interface; rejecting each said in-bound packet for which said sender identifier fails to correspond to port identifier; detecting an affected customer identifier in each said in-bound packet from said interface that includes a message to alter call processing for an affected customer directory number; reading a particular one of said customer records in said data base that contains data for a directory number corresponding to said affected customer identifier and determining whether a sender corresponding to said sender identifier is authorized to alter calls involving said directory number; and rejecting said in-bound packet if said sender corresponding to said sender identifier is not authorized to alter calls involving said directory number.

Claim 12

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, an interface between a service node and a service switching point associated with one of said plurality of central offices, said service switching point being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service node; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service node; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: causing said service switching point to block said packet messages from said service node, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service node.

Claim 13

A method of mediating traffic in packet messages in an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices and at least one signal transfer point, an interface between a service node and a service switching point associated with one of said plurality of central offices, said service switching point being connected to said signal transfer point, comprising the steps of: providing at least one mediated service control point that is connected to said signal transfer point, said mediated service control point including at least one data base containing service provider records, said service provider records containing an authorized message rate number for at least a service provider associated with said service node; determining an inbound message rate at which said packet messages are provided across said interface from said service node; determining whether said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least a predetermined amount; if said inbound message rate exceeds said authorized message rate number by at least said predetermined amount: causing said service switching point to block said packet messages from said service node, and causing said mediated service control point to subsequently send messages effecting a default application in response to network messages addressed to said service node.