EP1911295A1

EP1911295A1 - Device for ensuring the accessibility of subscribers of communication networks over network boundaries

Info

Publication number: EP1911295A1
Application number: EP06777618A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Norbert LÖBIG
Original assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2005-07-26
Filing date: 2006-07-06
Publication date: 2008-04-16
Also published as: AU2006274112A1; WO2007012553A1; CN101248681A; CA2616672A1; US20080225833A1

Abstract

According to prior art, for example, when danger or environmental catastrophe are imminent, the population is warned by information guided via the communication network. This type of warning is however limited when the communication network consists of a plurality of sub-networks and the (warning) information must thus be transmitted over network boundaries to the subscriber. The invention solves this problem in that a warning profile is associated with each route/transit switching centre trunk group. The association is carried out during the establishment of the route/transit switching centre trunk group, and is updated as required as changes of the network configuration. Each network transition implicitly thus has one such warning profile.

Description

description

Device for ensuring the accessibility of subscribers of communication networks across network boundaries

The alarm / warning of the population from major dangers or environmental disasters such as fire, storm, flood, effects of accidents, armed conflicts, etc. takes place in the prior art sirens. Here, the population are informed about frequencies / sound sequences information about the imminent threat. The problem here, however, is that a siren alarm is not everywhere blanket possible, and even where it is given in principle such. B. in large cities, not everyone can be achieved in the workplace / on the basis of residence. In addition, as frequencies / sound sequences are limited and can not be assumed by their knowledge in the population, it can be seen that this type of alert / warning of the population are strictly limited.

The same applies to alerting / warning via radio and television, since these media require the use of the respective medium at the time of the warning. Due to the wide range of national programs (ie the participants have not switched on the respective local channel, over which the warning message is just arriving), it is not even guaranteed in this case that the alarm / warning also arrives.

Although alternatives have been developed on the basis of communication networks to solve this problem by the operators of telecommunications networks. These are suggestions based on a broadcast of announcements. But even these are uncertain, whether the alerting / warning has reached the respective addressee, was received by him and understood. For example, in the case of pure announcement services, there is the problem that the subscriber just then has activated certain switching-technical features when the alarm occurs. But this is the connection through the connection no criterion that the announcement was also received.

In the case of the broadcast solution, if necessary, the local exchanges are addressed via their user interface and caused to broadcast the information. However, this approach is based on the not entirely correct assumption of a single local network operator whose local exchange terminates all connections of a certain region and covers them with corresponding Local Area Codes (LAC). Subscribers beyond network boundaries to private networks (e.g., corporate networks) or competing public networks are only reached if the same broadcasting functionality and concurrent operator actions are taken in those networks. However, this can not be assumed in the large number of private networks of various sizes in particular.

The problem with such an approach is that subscribers beyond network boundaries to private networks are unknown to the upstream local exchanges and are therefore disregarded with regard to announcement services for population warning. For private extensions, the central (service) number (head number, operator number) can be notified, but not the entirety or a subpopulation of subscribers connected in the private network. Subscribers beyond network boundaries to public networks are also unknown to the upstream remote or local exchanges of a given network, and thus are not considered in terms of public alert warning services in that network. Unlike in the case of private extensions, not even a (service) number for deputy information can be used here.

Another problem is that even with knowledge of the participants to be notified behind a network boundary, the upstream switching network for rapid information due to the usually low bandwidths at gateways is unsuitable.

The disadvantage of this prior art is therefore that auxiliary staff can not actually assume that the alarm / warning of subscribers in adjacent networks has arrived at the addressee and was also noted. However, this would be absolutely necessary in order to be able to take targeted relief measures, which ultimately leads to damage being avoided and life being saved.

The invention has for its object to show a way how the accessibility of as many people in adjacent networks can be ensured in order to efficiently inform and communicate.

The invention is achieved on the basis of the features specified in the preambles of claims 1, 5, 11 by the features claimed in the characterizing part features.

The advantage of the invention can be seen in the fact that by assigning alarm profiles to each intermediate trunk group (trunk group) when establishing routes / trunk groups, each gateway implicitly has an alerting profile. As a result, it is not even necessary for each network to have an operator interface for the information of connected subscribers. Further, the user interfaces need not be opened for access by higher level population awareness systems, and subscriber data, network configuration, and availability and availability information need not be known across network boundaries.

The inventive method is independent of the network technology (TDM, IP). In addition, existing switching nodes with moderate functional changes can be used, which already made investments of the network operator are secured and an extension to the functionality of the invention means only a small additional investment and risk.

Finally, an economical use of the switching resources is possible, since in particular the gateways and inter-office bundles are not additionally claimed by the inventive method and no relevant extensions must be made.

In principle, short warning times / alarm times are possible because the warning takes place decentralized by the switching nodes concerned and using current announcements.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a figuratively illustrated embodiment.

Show it:

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration consisting of 3 networks,

FIG. 2 shows the playing of a warning to subscribers of two IP-based networks,

Figure 3, the playing a warning to video telephony participants.

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration with 3 (sub) networks. The networks are formed by local exchanges LE and transit exchanges TE. The intermeshing of the exchanges takes place via interim office bundles.

Each interim trunk group (trunk group) receives an alert profile, which is created when setting up the route / trunk group and, if necessary, as part of changes to the Network configuration is updated. Implicitly every network gateway has an alarming profile.

Part of the alerting profile may include a set of telephone numbers, a set of Circuit Identification Codes (CICs) (in ISUP based TDM gateways), a set of ISDN channels of a PRI / BA or analogue lines (for public network peer-to-peer and gateway gateways) private networks), a set of physical or symbolic destination address identifiers of a gateway (in IP based networks), a set of port numbers of a gateway determined by physical or symbolic destination address identifiers in IP based networks. The statements made above with regard to packet-based networks in each case do not apply with regard to FIG. 1, they have relevance with regard to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The alerting profile is set up consistently in the two exchanges terminating an interim exchange group. In the case of IP-based networks, the inter-office bundle can be reduced to a communication relationship between two call controllers, in which case corresponding profile information with regard to information services for population alerting can be stored and the communication relationship by the packet address of the remote node, a real or virtual point code, virtual Zwischenamtsbündel or the like can be represented. Again, the statement made above with respect to packet-based networks does not apply to FIG. 1, it has relevance with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3.

If the profile is not set (default setting), then the interim office bundle is not considered in the context of a population warning. In particular, the population warning is not transmitted via the affected bundle or the play is signaled to the associated remote call controller. The alert profile identifies in an active in terms of population alert exchange, hereafter referred to as the originating exchange, whether and in what way a population alert on the interim bundle should be passed. The profile indicates in a respect to the population warning not yet active exchange, hereinafter referred to as destination exchange, if and in what way a population warning about the interim bundle arrive and can be recognized as such.

The profile information of an interim bundle can be defined as a function of time. This means that, for example, it can not be set during the day, whereas at night it should be possible to forward population warnings via these bundles.

The inter-office bundles described above can be defined between public exchanges or on the interface between public and private exchanges.

The originating exchange establishes a connection according to the defaults of the alerting profile for each interim office bundle, ie sets a corresponding telephone number or destination address, if necessary selects one of the required channels or a designated packet address / port number for this purpose and plays the population warning over the Inter-office bundle away. The population warning can in this case be stored in an internal or external device controlled by this exchange, or it is sent after switching through the destinations only from an upstream interim office or a subscriber device, multiplied directly without caching and continue to transmit in the direction of the destinations.

A destination exchange triggers with the appropriate internal service logic on the arrival of a population warning on all according to Alerting profile provided for this purpose Intermediate bundles respectively channels. Triggering this can be the use of the special destination number as well as a special A-number, a line, an IP address, a port number or else the receipt of a special signaling message content (eg a message ID).

Depending on the type and number of subscribers to be informed by the destination exchange and the alerting profiles of interim bundles of downstream switching nodes to be informed, the population alert may be recorded and buffered in an internal or external device controlled by this exchange. Alternatively, after the destinations have been switched through, they can first be transmitted via the reception-side inter-exchange cluster and directly multiplied without intermediate storage and forwarded in the direction of the destinations.

The originating exchange ensures that the said lines, numbers can not be reached by chance by a natural user of the network or that the signaling criterion can be set. This is done to protect against unwanted activation and abuse of function.

Switching centers, as defined above, can be both originating and destination exchanges. You have also defined the alerting profile described above for each route / trunk group. They then generate a call with the properties required in the profile if profile information is defined for the respective trunk group and the trunk group represents in particular a gateway or if it represents the connection to another switching center of the own network, which manages the alarm area to be reached or the route is supported there. If the call is answered from the far side, it will be displayed in the Media Server / Intelli- gent Peripheral deposited announcement or derived from this announcement to the population warning.

For caching and on-demand output, a Media Server or Intelligent Peripheral can be used. These units record the transmitted population alert and keep it ready for further processing. The information recorded in a Media Server / Intelligent Peripheral is optionally automatically checked for associated signaling information and content (e.g., speech recognition). Not-out-of-band signals that can be signaled or signaled can thus be detected in-band via keyword recognition.

The affected alerting area may be signaled, e.g. via the A-number or the sub-address and in the form of a Local Area Code (LAC). Alternatively, it can be detected via speech recognition. Accordingly, a new information message that is relevant for the addressed network is formed and the alerting bandwidth is determined. This results in the subordinate clusters and participant populations to be informed later. In particular, this covers network gateways to public and private networks.

A local exchange, which receives a population alert via a signaled connection, transfers it economically and without network blocking to the affected user population, preferably with intermediate storage and use of broadcast technology. Each destination switching center has mechanisms for recognizing population warnings of the same content arriving via different interim bundles. This happens, for example, by defining guard times and / or evaluating the outgoing message.

The originating and destination agencies optionally write tickets (CDR, CaIl Data Records) for each incoming and outgoing the Population Alert. These can be used for billing against the subscribers and the connected other network operators or the bodies triggering the population warning.

If an inter-exchange group or the inter-office bundle channels to be used for population alerting are completely occupied, the originating exchange may initiate a dropping of connections to obtain the capacity to intercept the population warning, or a temporal monitoring may be started which will be inter-cached incoming warning message is connected.

The method can also be used in the IP environment (see Figure 2). In this case, the population warning can be designed as a video announcement / multi-media reference. With the specified method, a population alert may be issued by an authorized subscriber, e.g. a civil protection office, via its switching interface of its private branch exchange can be initiated in a simple manner. The announcement text is thus up to date. Complicated entries on the operating interfaces of a plurality of switching nodes involved are superfluous. Influence on a central alarming system for generating corresponding inputs at the operating interfaces of the switching nodes is not necessary. All competing networks are covered by a gateway. Decentralized use of local population information by local authorities is possible without further measures.

If it is necessary to temporarily store or process the announcement text, then initial voice pauses, which can be caused by the successive switching through several exchanges, are eliminated before each replay.

If the outgoing message contains further information about the affected region (eg city, county, district, etc.), an intermediary Media Server can assign the corresponding key identify words and determine on the basis of a manageable by the operator list the affected local area codes, which then allows a destination exchange the direct addressing of subscribers or the passing on of the information about further intermediate clusters. Instead of the keyword method, any other form of inband signaling, such as B. DTMF sequences or FSK be used alternatively.

At the network border to the participant, the fact of a pending population warning can also be signaled as at any other network border. This opens up the possibility of special and preferred treatment to the subscriber terminal.

As a special treatment of a population alert by the subscriber terminal comes for example the automatic acceptance of the call, the switching of the audio signal on the speaker, the switching of the video signal or lack of a predefined content on the screen, as well as the caching of the content and its repeated output for the Case of trained as a set top box or PC user terminals in question. With these functions, e.g. a population warning interrupt the current television program received via DSL / cable / SAT and the viewer is immediately warned via the television.

FIG. 1 also shows the basic procedure of the method in a classical network topology based on TDM-based networks. The network is formed by a plurality of local exchanges (LEs) and transit exchanges (TEs). At one of the networks, a local exchange PBX is introduced. FIG. 1 also shows the playing of a current warning to subscribers of two conventional networks with a specific LAC. The concerned local exchanges LE have means for recording and replaying the current announcement or have controlling access to them. The affected transit exchanges TE manage without intermediate storage of the announcements by possibly delaying the transmission until they are switched to the first-mentioned means, making use of broadcasting and only allowing the announcement to be played by signaling the switching-on in the direction of the PBX. At this point in time, however, the various recording means are already switched on and may pick up a non-existent signal, which is then removed again. The alerting area is defined, for example, via the leading part of the local area code LAC, which is signaled, for example, via the subaddress in the forward direction.

FIG. 2 shows the basic procedure of the method in a modern network topology based on IP. This shows the playing of a current warning to participants of two IP-based networks with a specific LAC. It is assumed that the Access Gateway AGW at the network boundary to network 1 is able to support broadcast mode, ie a special form of conference. If this is not the case, deviating from the representation of the media server MS of the media gateway controller MGC at the network boundary to network 1, the announcement must first be recorded before it is transmitted in parallel or sequentially to the other media servers and then deleted.

Finally, FIG. 3 shows the basic sequence of the method for a video telephony suitable set top box STB of a TV set. This means that a current alert to video telephony subscribers is played via STB.

The fact of a population warning is the set top box STB eg by the source address 112 (fire / emergency) recognizable. Such a telephone number will normally not be able to call a subscriber and is therefore suitable already to mark the population warning. However, any other equivalent signaling form is permissible and can optionally be set up per participant profile in the CFS / MGC. If such a call arrives at the subscriber, the STB according to the procedure switches the warning message to the television while suppressing the TV outgoings that are in progress at the time of the warning.

If no video signal is present, the audio signal is switched through while a predefined still image stored for this purpose is displayed. Any mute of the device will be canceled if possible. If the set top box STB possesses means for recording, a recording of the indication and optionally cyclical playback or equivalent audiovisual indication of the reception of the population warning takes place. With operator actions or an explicit acknowledgment by the subscriber, the box STB returns to normal operation.

This results in the following advantages:

Profile information is created for identifying the type of processing of alerts at outgoing interim bundles as well as for detecting alerts on incoming interim bundle. Furthermore, the distribution function is triggered out of a single (possibly private) exchange and not by centralized operator actions on all exchanges connected with subscribers of different network operators.

Broadcast is used in a node for synchronous redistribution to a few destinations, caching the outgoing message for asynchronous and sequential information of a variety of destinations. This is a direct and quickest possible response of the targets to be informed by the supervising public or private exchange while sparing the capacity of the gateways and avoidance ensured double administration of subscribers in multiple switching nodes.

Finally, a procedural maximum timeliness of the announcement text is given as well as the coverage of private extensions and competing public networks. The alerting area can be defined and restricted by the optional automatic identification of information contained in the outgoing message.

Claims

claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting information to a plurality of subscribers of at least two communication networks (network 1, network 2) across the network boundaries, each of the communication networks being formed by a plurality of exchanges (LE, TE) which are interconnected via inter-office bundles , characterized in that each Zwischenamtsbündel an alerting profile is assigned.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that for outgoing calls on the inter-office bundle, the profile information of the alert profile have information for identifying warnings.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that for incoming calls on the inter-office bundle, the profile information of the alarm profile have information for detecting warnings.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the assignment of an alerting profile when setting up a Zwischenamtsbündels and / or in case of need in the context of changes in the network configuration is made.

5. Apparatus for transmitting information to a plurality of subscribers of at least two communication networks (network 1, network 2) across the network boundaries, each of the communication networks being formed from a plurality of packet-based switching nodes (MGC) which are interconnected via signaling relationships are, characterized that each signaling relationship between two packet-based switching nodes is assigned an alarming profile.

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that for outgoing calls to the packet-based switching nodes (MGC) to be informed, the profile information of the alarming profile has information for identifying warnings.

7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that for incoming calls from the packet-based switching node (MGC), the profile information of the alerting profile information for detecting warnings.

8. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the assignment of an alarm profile when setting up a signaling relationship and / or in case of need in the context of changes in the network configuration is made.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alarm profile at least information relating to a set of telephone numbers, a set of circuit identification codes (CIC), a set of payload channels of a PRI / BRI or analog lines, a set of physical or symbolic destination address identifiers or a set of port numbers of a switching node determined by physical or symbolic destination address identifiers.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a service logic is provided which is arranged in at least one of the switching nodes and the warnings due to the alarm profile of each Signalisie- and optionally records, evaluates, processes, caches and / or outputs a warning by at least one media server (MS) assigned to the switching node or an equivalent assigned resource with corresponding functionality, and which Alarmierungsprofils further signaling relationships or other interim bundle of the switching node controls the disclosure of the optional modified warning in accordance with the defaults in the alarm profile specifications to other switching nodes.

11. An apparatus for transmitting information to a plurality of subscribers of at least one communication network (network 1) across the network boundary in the direction of subscribers, wherein the communication network is formed from a plurality of packet-based switching nodes (MGC), which are interconnected via signaling relationships, and the communication network has at least one subscriber terminal that is in signaling relationship with at least one of the packet-based switching nodes of the communications network, characterized in that each signaling relationship between a packet-based switching node and a subscriber is assigned an alerting profile that terminates for the terminating calls of the subscriber packet-based switching node (MGC) the profile information of the alerting profile information for identifying warnings on the subscriber interface that a service logic in the Vermittkk is provided, which recognizes warnings and controls the issuing of a warning in accordance with the defaults stored in the alarm profile specifications to the subscriber terminal, and that the subscriber terminal (STB) capabilities for detecting warnings and their targeted, prioritized and / or secured issue to the participant.

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the network boundary can also be designed as a network boundary to a private network.