Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call traffic recording or monitoring
Patent
1990-07-10
1991-10-22
Schreyer, Stafford D.
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call traffic recording or monitoring
379113, 379137, 379196, H04M 1502
Patent
active
050602586
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to call traffic control in a communications switching system and particularly but not exclusively to controlling call traffic to a particular called customer code.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to limit the rate at which successive attempts may be made to complete all or a part of a call to a particular called customer, and a method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,479 (Kenneth E. Crawford) in which a subsequent attempt is prohibited within a predetermined time interval (gapping interval) from the last earlier allowed attempt.
Crawford's method results in a carried rate approaching one call per gapping interval only for very high offered calling rate of the order of 20 calls per gapping interval. Moreover, at offered calling rates of the order of one call per gapping interval, Crawford's method results in a significantly reduced carried rate even though the switching system can handle calls at such offered rates. Consequently, to avoid significant loss of revenue it is necessary to remove the call control or change the gapping interval when the offered calling rate drops, and such a decision is usually taken by a traffic control manager.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a method of controlling call traffic which is closer to ideal performance and a communications switching system in which call traffic is controlled in accordance with such method.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of controlling call traffic in a communications switching system wherein the recurrence rate of successive attempts for a particular type of call is limited, characterised by setting a predetermined allowance of call attempts in each of a succession of equal time intervals, and by carrying forward unused allowance cumulatively.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a communications switching system comprising means for limiting the recurrence rate of successive attempts for a particular type of call, characterised by clock means for establishing a succession of equal time intervals; a first accumulating means; presettable signal generating means responsive to the clock means and arranged to send to the first accumulating means each time interval a preset signal representative of the average number of call attempts per interval that are to be allowed; a second accumulating means for accumulating the number of call attempts that are effected by the system; decision means responsive to the contents of the first and second accumulating means to allow a call attempt only while the content of the second accumulating means is less than that of the first accumulating means.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a call traffic control subsystem for use in a communications switching system comprising means for limiting the recurrence rate of successive attempts for a particular type of call, the subsystem being characterised by clock means for establishing a succession of equal time intervals; a first accumulating means; presettable signal generating means responsive to the clock means and arranged to send to the first accumulating means each time interval a preset signal representative of the average number of call attempts per interval that are to be allowed; a second accumulating means for accumulating the number of call attempts that are effected by the system; decision means responsive to the contents of the first and second accumulating means to allow a call attempt only while the content of the second accumulating means is less than that of the first accumulating means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of call gapping in accordance with a prior art method;
FIG. 2 is a graph of carried call rate against offered calling rate for the prior art method and for a method of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 4224479 (1980-09-01), Crawford
patent: 4907256 (1990-03-01), Higuchi et al.
British Telecommunications public limited company
Schreyer Stafford D.
LandOfFree
Call traffic control does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Call traffic control, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Call traffic control will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-115697