BICC Signaling Router Centralized Call Instance Code Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The BICC protocol lacks effective methods for centralized routing and call instance code management, leading to inefficiencies in communication and network congestion due to the need for bilateral agreement on call instance code ranges and the absence of load balancing, especially in mesh topologies with multiple signaling points and call mediation nodes.
Innovation Solution
A BICC signaling router (BSR) is introduced to perform centralized routing and call instance code management, allowing for dynamic selection of call instance codes and load balancing by maintaining routing and status information across multiple BICC signaling nodes, thereby reducing network complexity and congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a CMN is present in the mesh topology, then call mediation and routing coordination is enabled, but call instance code selection becomes uncertain and routing table updates become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Call Mediation Node (CMN) as an intermediary entity that sits between originating and destination BICC SPs. The CMN maintains a centralized routing table that maps called party numbers to available BICC SPs and their associated call instance codes. When a call setup message arrives at the CMN, it queries the routing table to determine the appropriate destination SP and selects an available call instance code from the destination's allocated range, thereby mediating the interaction between SPs and eliminating the need for bilateral agreements between all mesh nodes.
2Productivity
If full-mesh topology is used for BICC SPs, then direct communication between any pair of SPs is enabled, but network complexity and provisioning overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the full-mesh network into two functional layers: a core routing layer handled by the CMN and access layers handled by individual BICC SPs. The CMN maintains the complex routing table that maps called party numbers to destination SPs, while each SP only needs simple local routing information to reach the CMN. This segmentation reduces the provisioning complexity from O(n²) bilateral agreements to O(n) unilateral configurations, where n is the number of SPs.
3Speed
If originating BICC SP selects destination SP without load information, then routing decision is simple and fast, but network congestion and unbalanced loads occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the CMN maintains real-time load status information for each BICC SP in its routing table. When selecting a destination SP for a call, the CMN queries the current load status and dynamically routes calls to less congested SPs. This feedback loop allows the system to make informed routing decisions that balance network load, preventing congestion at any single SP while maintaining relatively fast routing through automated decision-making.
4Reliability
If bilateral agreement on call instance code ranges is required between BICC SPs, then call instance code identification is standardized, but network configuration and updates become cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the CMN as an intermediary that manages call instance code allocation centrally. The CMN maintains a routing table that associates each BICC SP with a specific range of call instance codes. When routing a call, the CMN selects an available call instance code from the destination SP's allocated range, ensuring uniqueness and proper identification without requiring bilateral agreements between SPs. This centralized management simplifies configuration while maintaining reliable code identification.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems and computer readable media for centralized routing and call instance code management for bearer independent call control (BICC) signaling messages. One aspect of the subject matter described herein includes a system for routing BICC signaling messages and managing call instance code assignments. The system includes a BICC signaling router. The BICC signaling router includes a routing module for centralized routing of BICC signaling messages between a plurality of BICC signaling nodes. The BICC signaling router further includes a call instance code management module for centralized assignment of call instance codes for BICC signaling sessions routed through the BICC signaling router.