US6456845B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Methods and systems for observing, analyzing and correlating multi-protocol signaling message traffic in a mobile telecommunications network
Assignee: Tekelec Global Inc
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Filing: 2000-10-27
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Granted: 2002-09-24
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Expires: 2020-10-27
Abstract
Abstract A wireless communication network monitoring system for use in performing a user specified trace of signaling messages associated with a mobile call is disclosed. A central processing platform creates and distributes signaling message filter criteria information to a plurality of link monitoring modules (LMM). The filter criteria are asserted at a LMM and a matching signaling message is copied and subsequently transmitted to the central processing platform. Central processing platform receives the matching signaling message and uses information contained therein to create and distribute a second signaling message filter criteria. In such a manner, a call trace sequence is compiled and displayed. A billing subsystem is also disclosed and is adapted to generate a billing record based on information contained with one or more of the messages associated with the call trace sequence.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael John Drum
- 👤 Patrick Joseph Galizia
- 👤 Peter Joseph Marsico
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 15:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W24/00; H04W24/08; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/41; H04M15/44; H04M15/58; H04M15/80; H04M3/00; H04M3/22; H04M3/2254; H04M3/2281; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0025; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/01; H04M2215/0104; H04M2215/0152; H04M2215/0164; H04M2215/0188
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
A method for performing a trace of call signaling messages associated with a mobile communication in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: (a) specifying one or more call trace criteria parameters; (b) at a central processing platform; (i) generating first link monitoring module (LMM) filter criteria based on the specified call trace criteria parameters; (ii) transmitting the first LMM filter criteria to one or more LMM units via a data communication network; (c) at one of the LMM units; (i) receiving the first LMM filter criteria from the data communication network; (ii) using the first LMM filter criteria to search for signaling messages observed by the LMM that match the first LMM filter criteria; (iii) in response to locating a signaling message that matches the first LMM filter criteria, transmitting a copy of the matching signaling message to the central processing platform via the data communication network; (d) at the central processing platform: (i) receiving the copy of the matching signaling message; (ii) adding the matching signaling message to a call trace sequence; (iii) using information contained within the matching signaling message to create second LMM filter criteria; and (iv) transmitting the second LMM filter criteria to one or more of the LMM units via the data communication network.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
210 words
A method for performing a trace of call signaling messages associated with a mobile communication in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: (a) specifying one or more call trace criteria parameters; (b) at a central processing platform; (i) generating first link monitoring module (LMM) filter criteria based on the specified call trace criteria parameters; (ii) transmitting the first LMM filter criteria to one or more LMM units via a data communication network; (c) at one of the LMM units; (i) receiving the first LMM filter criteria from the data communication network; (ii) using the first LMM filter criteria to search for signaling messages observed by the LMM that match the first LMM filter criteria; (iii) in response to locating a signaling message that matches the first LMM filter criteria, transmitting a copy of the matching signaling message to the central processing platform via the data communication network; (d) at the central processing platform: (i) receiving the copy of the matching signaling message; (ii) adding the matching signaling message to a call trace sequence; (iii) using information contained within the matching signaling message to create second LMM filter criteria; and (iv) transmitting the second LMM filter criteria to one or more of the LMM units via the data communication network.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication network is a global system for mobile communication (GSM) wireless communication network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication network is an interim standard 41 (IS-41) wireless communication network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication network is a personal communication services (PCS) wireless communication network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first LMM filter criteria includes receiving criteria for locating a direct transfer application part (DTAP) message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 5 wherein using information contained within the signaling message to generate the second LMM filter criteria includes generating criteria for locating a base station system management application part (BSSMAP) protocol message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first LMM filter criteria includes receiving criteria for locating a mobile application part (MAP) message.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7 wherein using information contained within the signaling message to generate the second LMM filter criteria includes generating criteria for locating a base station system management (BSSMAP) message.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a called party telephone number.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a calling party telephone number.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a DTAP called number parameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a signaling connection control part (SCCP) source local reference number (SLRN) parameter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using an SCCP destination local reference number (DLRN) parameter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) transaction ID parameter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a mobile subscriber ISDN (MSISDN) parameter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using an IMSI parameter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a temporary mobile subscriber identifier (TMSI) parameter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a mobile ID parameter.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein using information contained within the matching signaling message to create the second LMM filter criteria includes using a portion of a called party telephone number.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 19 comprising using the second filter criteria to locate a subsequent address message (SAM) related to the matching signaling message.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 comprising displaying the call trace sequence via a graphical user interface (GUI).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein specifying a call trace parameter includes obtaining user input information from a graphical user interface (GUI).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein locating a signaling message that matches the first LMM filter criteria includes requiring an exact match between a minimum number of core digits of the first LMM filter criteria and a parameter within the signaling message.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 23 locating a signaling message that matches the first LMM filter criteria includes: (a) determining whether the first LMM filter criteria and a first signaling message both include a prefix; (b) in response to determining that the first LMM filter criteria and the first signaling message both include a prefix, comparing the prefixes; (c) in response to determining that the prefixes differ, determining that the first signaling message does not match the first LMM filter criteria.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 23 wherein locating a signaling message that matches the first filter criteria includes: (a) determining whether the first LMM filter criteria and a first signaling message both include a suffix; (b) in response to determining that the first LMM filter criteria and the first signaling message both include a suffix, comparing the suffixes; (c) in response to determining that the suffixes differ, determining that the first signaling message does not match the first LMM filter criteria.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 comprising providing the call trace sequence of signaling messages to a billing process.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 26 comprising generating a mobile call billing record based on information contained within at least one of the signaling messages in the call trace sequence.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
114 words
A monitoring system including a central processing platform and a plurality of link monitoring modules (LMM) for performing a user specified trace of call signaling messages associated with a mobile communication in a wireless communication network, the system comprising: (a) a central processing platform adapted to generate signaling message filter criteria based on signaling message information extracted from a mobile call signaling message; and (b) a link monitoring module (LMM) adapted to monitor a signaling communication link, receive the signaling message filter criteria from the central processing platform, identify a monitored signaling message that matches the signaling message filter criteria, and transmit a copy of the matching signaling message to the central processing platform.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
114 words
A monitoring system including a central processing platform and a plurality of link monitoring modules (LMM) for performing a user specified trace of call signaling messages associated with a mobile communication in a wireless communication network, the system comprising: (a) a central processing platform adapted to generate signaling message filter criteria based on signaling message information extracted from a mobile call signaling message; and (b) a link monitoring module (LMM) adapted to monitor a signaling communication link, receive the signaling message filter criteria from the central processing platform, identify a monitored signaling message that matches the signaling message filter criteria, and transmit a copy of the matching signaling message to the central processing platform.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The monitoring system of claim 28 wherein the central processing platform includes a UNIX-based workstation.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
36 words
The monitoring system of claim 28 wherein the central processing platform includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for receiving call trace request information from a user and for displaying call trace sequence information to the user.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
The monitoring system of claim 28 wherein the central processing platform includes a correlator process adapted to receive the signaling message information from the LMM unit and subsequently create the signaling message filter criteria.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The monitoring system of claim 31 wherein the correlator process includes a filter manager process adapted to distribute the signaling message filter criteria information to one or more LMM units.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
The monitoring system of claim 32 wherein the filter manager process is adapted to distribute a specific signaling message filter criteria to only those LMM units monitoring signaling links carrying signaling messages formatted in a specified signaling protocol.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The monitoring system of claim 33 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate direct transfer application part (DTAP) filter criteria.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
26 words
The monitoring system of claim 34 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate the DTAP filter criteria based on commands received from a user.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
24 words
The monitoring system of claim 33 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate base station system management application part (BSSMAP) filter criteria.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
The monitoring system of claim 36 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate the BSSMAP filter criteria based on parameters in a received DTAP message.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
21 words
The monitoring system of claim 33 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate mobile application part (MAP) filter criteria.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
27 words
The monitoring system of claim 36 where the central processing platform is adapted to generate the MAP filter criteria based on parameters in a received DTAP message.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
The monitoring system of claim 33 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate ISDN user part (ISUP) filter criteria.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
27 words
The monitoring system of claim 37 wherein the central processing platform is adapted to generate the ISUP filter criteria based on parameters in a received DTAP message.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
19 words
The monitoring system of claim 28 wherein the LMM unit includes a message buffer for storing monitored signaling messages.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
22 words
The monitoring system of claim 42 wherein the message buffer is implemented in one or more blocks of high-speed random access memory.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
30 words
The monitoring system of claim 42 wherein the LMM unit includes a filter assertion process that is adapted to receive the signaling message filter criteria from the central processing platform.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
30 words
The monitoring system of claim 44 wherein the filter assertion process is adapted to examine the message buffer and identify a signaling message stored therein that matches the filter criteria.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
26 words
The monitoring system of claim 45 wherein the message buffer is adapted to transmit a copy of the matching signaling message to the central processing platform.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
15 words
The monitoring system of claim 28 wherein the central processing platform includes a billing subsystem.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
35 words
The monitoring system of claim 47 wherein the billing subsystem includes a billing record generator process adapted to generate a billing record based on information contained within a sequence of related mobile call signaling messages.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
29 words
The monitoring system of claim 48 wherein the billing subsystem includes a billing rate database adapted to maintain billing rules and communicatively coupled to the billing record generator process.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
24 words
The monitoring system of claim 49 wherein a billing rule associates a billing rate with a signaling message parameter value or range of values.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
172 words
A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising: (a) generating first filter criteria at a central processing platform and downloading the first filter criteria to a plurality of link monitoring modules; (b) at a first link monitoring module, receiving a first call signaling message of a first protocol and associated with setup of a mobile telephone call, determining whether the first call signaling message matches the first filter criteria and, in response to determining that the first call signaling message matches the first filter criteria, sending the first call signaling message to the central processing platform; (c) at the central processing platform, generating second filter criteria for locating a second call signaling message of a second protocol and associated with the setup of the mobile telephone call based on the first call signaling message and downloading the second filter criteria to the link monitoring modules; and (d) at the link monitoring modules, searching for the second call signaling message using the second filter criteria.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
172 words
A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising: (a) generating first filter criteria at a central processing platform and downloading the first filter criteria to a plurality of link monitoring modules; (b) at a first link monitoring module, receiving a first call signaling message of a first protocol and associated with setup of a mobile telephone call, determining whether the first call signaling message matches the first filter criteria and, in response to determining that the first call signaling message matches the first filter criteria, sending the first call signaling message to the central processing platform; (c) at the central processing platform, generating second filter criteria for locating a second call signaling message of a second protocol and associated with the setup of the mobile telephone call based on the first call signaling message and downloading the second filter criteria to the link monitoring modules; and (d) at the link monitoring modules, searching for the second call signaling message using the second filter criteria.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the first protocol is direct transfer application part (DTAP) and the second protocol is mobile application part (MAP).
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer program product of claim 52 wherein the second filter criteria correlate a DTAP called number parameter with a MAP mobile subscriber ISDN (MSISDN) parameter.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the first protocol is mobile application part (MAP) and the second protocol is and base station system management application protocol (BSSMAP).
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer program product of claim 54 wherein the second filter criteria correlate a MAP international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI) number with a BSSMAP mobile identification parameter.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-23 | 2006-03-25 | 2006-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-23 | 2010-03-25 | 2010-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-23 | 2014-03-25 | 2014-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |