Telephonic communications – Diagnostic testing – malfunction indication – or electrical... – Of centralized switching system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-12
2001-12-25
Tieu, Binh (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...
Of centralized switching system
C379S009020, C379S015050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333972
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is based on and claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 198 10 626.2 filed Mar. 12, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a method for allocating malfunction reports to the involved network operator in a telecommunications (TK) network with a plurality of sub-networks operated by different network operators in a multi-operator environment.
In countries with a telecommunications monopoly, a uniform dial number with subsequent user guidance and allocation to the respective department of the monopolist is currently offered. In Germany today, for example, Deutsche Telekom (DT AG) has a malfunction reception department for malfunctions in its network. This reception department forwards malfunction reports to the corresponding offices which isolate, determine and correct the malfunctions. All offices, however, are located within one company, in this example within DT AG.
Liberalization of the telecommunications market is now leading to a plurality of network operators competing within a telecommunications network. Furthermore, the affiliation of a TK subscriber with a specific network operator in a future “German fixed network”, which will include several network operators, will no longer be identifiable from the dial number alone. Even if dial number blocks were to be allocated to the network operators, a specific subscriber could still be a ported subscriber.
In case of a malfunction, it is easily possible that a TK subscriber wants to, or has to, use a third party connection to report a malfunction in his own connection. It is also possible that a TK subscriber wants to report the malfunction of a third party connection which may be very remote from his own. In case of a third party connection, however, the probability increases that the connection falls into the area of a different network, operator. In this case, the TK subscriber reporting the malfunction would generally not have the dial number available for the respective malfunction reception point of the specific sub-network.
Furthermore, the “third party network operator” is not interested in processing a malfunction report at no charge for another network operator and is very rarely in a position to do so.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the object of the present invention is to make possible a simple allocation of calls reporting malfunctions in a multi-operator environment to the respective responsible network operator, whereby the affiliation of the TK subscriber with a specific network operator is not identifiable by his dial number and whereby the malfunction can also be reported from a connection other than the malfunctioning connection involved.
According to the invention, this object is attained by a method having the initially stated characteristics, whereby at least one IN (Intelligent Network) service is established which can be activated by dialing a malfunction dial number from any network connection and which, on receipt of the malfunction report and independent of the connection dispatching the malfunction report, determines what connection dial number the malfunction report refers to, determines from the established connection dial number the network operator to whose sub-network the corresponding malfunctioning connection belongs and delivers the malfunction call to the responsible network operator.
As a result, each network operator can create its own malfunction reception point for its own sub-network which can be reached without problems from the entire TK network.
Particularly preferred is a variant of the inventive method, wherein a central IN service is established in the TK network for central allocation of incoming malfunction reports to the respective responsible operator of the sub-network to which the malfunctioning connection belongs. This eliminates the necessity for each subnetwork operator to maintain a corresponding IN service in its own respective subnetwork.
DE 43 21 458 A1 discloses a method for supporting network management for a plurality of autonomous communications networks, wherein the network operators can retrieve status information, e.g., regarding faults occurring in network components, from a central point. This central network management unit, however, can only be reached centrally by the operators themselves, not by the subscribers connected to the TK network who may, for example, want to report a malfunction.
DE 195 35 540 C1 describes a method for processing incoming calls in a communications system with automatic call distribution, where calls are to be switched to free agent communications terminals of different service provider groups. However, the problems of a TK network comprising a plurality of sub-networks with different network operators are not discussed, particularly not a central allocation of malfunction reports in a multi-operator environment such as is made possible by the inventive method.
Particularly advantageous is a variant of the inventive method, in which a subnetwork independent malfunction dial number, which is uniform for all network operators, activates the IN service. This makes it possible to offer a central, easily memorized malfunction dial number which is identical for the entire area of the TK network and for all connected users—comparable to the uniform “110” emergency number used in Germany—and which each TK subscriber can have ready without having to resort to additional information services or telephone books.
This variant of the method can be modified by differentiating the uniform malfunction dial number by a special identification digit or digit group according to specific user groups, for example, business customers or private customers. Thus, all subscribers connected to the entire area of the telecommunications network belonging to a specific group can report any malfunctions by using the same malfunction dial number.
A further possible development is that the uniform malfunction dial number is differentiated by a special identification digit or digit group according to specific modalities, e.g., day or night inquiry.
This makes it possible to respond to the particular characteristics of individual groups of cases, e.g. by providing different sub-areas of the IN service to permit the individual and thus possibly faster processing of cases with the end result that the respective malfunction can be corrected very quickly.
Also particularly preferred is a variant of the inventive method, wherein the IN service, upon activation, initiates an automatic announcement that is played to the TK subscriber dispatching the malfunction report sand prompts him to identify the dial number of the malfunctioning connection. From DE 195 32 490 A1, a method is known per se for providing service announcements in a communications network, wherein all the announcements allocated to a service are stored in the associated service logic and upon activation of the service are loaded to the corresponding service support system. If a service requires an announcement, that announcement is activated by means of a special message from the service control point. This permits, together with the service logic, the central administration of announcements and texts by the service provider.
Particularly convenient for the calling TK subscriber is a further development of this variant of the method, wherein a computer-supported voice recognition device is activated together with the automatic announcement, which determines the dial number of the malfunctioning connection from the answers of the reporting TK subscriber.
Alternatively thereto, the announcement may also prompt the reporting TK subscriber to enter the dial number of the malfunctioning connection through the keypad of his TK terminal, which again permits the automatic recording of the dial number of the malfunctioning connection by the IN service.
It is also advantageous if the reporting TK subscriber can inform the IN service, either through voice input or defined actuation of the keypad of his TK terminal, whethe
Lautenschlager Wolfgang
Stürz Heinz
Alcatel
Barnie Rexford N
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Tieu Binh
LandOfFree
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