Larry D Peterson

US Patent:

7313129, Dec 25, 2007

Filed:

Feb 13, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/365411

Inventors:

Thomas Joseph Bova - Arlington VA, US
Kenneth Alfred Morneault - McLean VA, US
Spyridon Dimitrios Tsitsonis - Leesburg VA, US
Larry Earl Peterson - Apex NC, US
Anant Rajabhau Ghotkar - Herndon VA, US

Assignee:

Cisco Technologiy, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04L 12/66
G01R 31/08

US Classification:

370352, 370225

Abstract:

A Voice over IP network having multiple signaling message transfer nodes (e. g. , call agents, signaling gateways), communicate with switched circuit network nodes using a single point code. A signaling gateway, upon receiving an SS7 signaling message specifying a destination point code corresponding to its provisioned point code and carrying a signaling application protocol message, selects a destination call agent based on the originating point code in the SS7 signaling message and independent of the destination point code. The signaling gateway selectively outputs to the selected destination call agent an IP-based message carrying the signaling application protocol message according to a prescribed IP-based signaling message transport protocol, based on a determined availability of the selected destination call agent. The signaling gateway uses the User Part Unavailable message to inform the originating PSTN switch that the selected destination call agent is unavailable.