Media Gateway Controller Priority Parameter for Emergency Call Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications networks lack a mechanism to prioritize actions at a gateway node based on priority information received, especially in BICC protocol environments, which is essential for handling emergency calls efficiently across IP or ATM networks.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a parameter in Gateway Control Protocol messages to indicate the priority of signalling messages, allowing the Media Gateway Controller to determine and convert this information for the Media Gateway to act accordingly, ensuring prioritization of actions and connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If priority information is added to Gateway Control Protocol messages, then the ability to prioritize call connections is improved, but the message format complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the existing Gateway Control Protocol message format by adding a priority parameter field. This allows the protocol to carry priority information without requiring a complete protocol redesign, thus improving call connection setup speed while limiting the increase in message format complexity to a single parameter addition.
2Reliability
If the Media Gateway Controller processes priority information, then emergency call handling is improved, but the controller processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Media Gateway Controller determines and stores priority information in advance before call connection setup. By pre-processing and storing priority data in the message structure, the controller can quickly retrieve and apply this information during emergency call handling without performing complex real-time analysis, thus improving reliability while limiting the increase in processing load.
3Adaptability or versatility
If priority parameters are included in GCP messages, then transparent prioritization across bearer networks is improved, but the protocol compatibility requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the priority parameter to be universally applicable across different bearer network types (IP networks, ATM networks, and traditional telecommunication networks). By using a standardized parameter format that can be interpreted by multiple network types, the system achieves transparent prioritization without requiring separate protocol implementations for each network type, thus improving adaptability while limiting the increase in protocol compatibility requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of prioritizing actions at a gateway (1) to a bearer network (3), the gateway comprising a Media Gateway (7) which is responsible for establishing call connections over said bearer network (3) and a Media Gateway Controller (4) coupled to the Media Gateway. A signalling message is received at the Media Gateway Controller (4), which determines the priority of the message. The signalling message is converted into a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) message including a parameter indicating the priority of the associated signalling message. The MGCP is then transferred to the Media Gateway (7) which acts upon the message in accordance with the indicated priority.