Telephonic communications – Special services
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-13
2004-08-17
Deane, Jr., William J. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
C379S201020, C705S026640
Reexamination Certificate
active
06778651
ABSTRACT:
1. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or refers to materials which are subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office's patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for provisioning telephony services. More particularly, the present invention relates to a service management system for automating the provisioning flow of Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) telephony services.
2. Acronyms and Definitions
The written description provided herein contains acronyms and ter ms which refer to various communication services and system components. Although known, use of several of these acronyms and terms is not strictly standardized in the art. For purposes of the written description herein, the acronyms and terms will be defined as follows:
AIN
Advanced Intelligent Network
AIN-IP
Advanced Intelligent Network
Intelligent peripheral
API
Application programming Interface
AR
Activation Request
ASN.1
Abstract Syntax Notation One
B
Build Service Order Type
BOC
Bell Operating Company
BOSS
Billing Order Support System
BTN
Billing Telephone Number
C
Change Service Order Type
C0
SMS to SOAC Route Control Header Section
C3
SOAC to SMS Route Control Header Section
CABS
Customer Access Billing System
CAN
Cancellation Service Order Pass
CAR
Cancellation Activation Request
CCS
Common Channel Signaling
CDW
Corporate Data Warehouse
CID
Caller IntelliData ®
CIDB
Customer Information Database
CISE
SOAC Interface DNS Name
CLOPT
Command Line Option
CMISE
Common Message Information Services
Element
CNA
Customer Network Administrator
CNOC
Centralized Network Operations Center
CO
Central Office
COM
Communications
COMPLEX
Refers to a Service that cannot be
Provisioned on a Standard SPACE
Template which is Provisioned
Manually
COR
Correction Service Order Pass
CPC
Correction Post Completion Service Order
Pass
CPR
Call Processing Record
CRIS
Customer Records Information System
CTC
Control Code within Subscriber Section of
a Service Order
D
Disconnect Service Order Type
DAEMON
UNIX Background Process
DATAGATE ®
Client/Server Communication Software
DB
Database
DBMS
Database Management System
DCI
Distributed Computing Integrator
DD
Due Date
DG
see DATAGATE ®
DNS
Domain Name Server
DRS
Data and Reports System
DTMF
Dual-Tone Multiple-Frequency
EASE
Easy Access Sales Environment ®
ECRS
Enhanced Customer Reports System
EO
End Office
F
From Service Order Type
FCIF
Flexible Computing Interface Format
FID
Feature Identifier
FIM
Feature Interaction Manager
FML
Field Manipulation Language
FT AR
Flow Through Activation Requests
GOM
Generic Order Management
GP
Group Section of a Service Order
GUI
Graphical User Interface
HOL
Historical Order Log
ICF
Intelligent Call Forwarding
IMG
Image Section of a Service Order
Inward Activity
The Addition of AIN Services to an
Account
ISCP
Integrated Service Control Point
LSP
Local Service Provider
MA AR
Manual Assistance Activation Requests
MARCH ™
Memory Administration Recent Change
MSG
Message Section of a SOAC Reply
MVS-WSF2
IBM Multiple Virtual System - Writer
Service Facility
N
New Connect Service Order Type
NE
Netword Element
NEGACK
Negative Acknowledgment
NOC
Network Operations Center
NPA
Number Plan Area
NXX
Central Office Code
OA&M
Operations Administration & Maintenance
ODR
Order Section of a Service Order
ORDNO
Order Number Field
OS
Operating System
OSS
Operations Support Systems
TO
Order Type Field
Outward Activity
The Deletion of AIN Services from an
Account
PATROL
Vendor Supplied Software Alert System
Used to Issue Messages to Pagers,
etc.
PCIF
Personal Computer Interface Between
Customer Personal Computers and the
SMS System
PCN
Post Completion Notice Service Order Pass
PCS
Pieces Database
PID
Positive Identifier
POSACK
Positive Acknowledgment
PRE
Pre-Completion Service Order Pass
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Netword
R
Remove Service Order Type
RCMAC
Recent Change Memory Administration
Center
RPC
Remote Procedure Call
RSC
Resource Section of a Service Order
SBR
Subscriber Section of a Service Order
SCA
Selective Call Acceptance ®
SCC
Service Switching Center
SCE
Service Creation Environment
SCP
Service Control Point
SDT
Software Development Toolkit
SMDR
Station Message Detail Recording
SMS
Service Management System
SOAC
Service Order Assignment Control
SOP
Service Order Processor
SOPP
Service Order Pre-Processing (also called
Reformat)
SORD
Service Order Retrieval and Distribution
System
SPACE
Bellcore Service Provisioning and
Creation Environment Network Element
SQL
Structured Query Language
SQL
Structure Query Language Which is Used to
Manipulate Relational Database
Records and Data
SRU
Step Recovery Utility
SS7
Signaling System 7
SSP
Service Switching Point
STP
Signaling Transfer Point
T
To Service Order Type
TAR
Track Activation Request
TCAP
Transaction Capabilities Applications
Part
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol
TIL
TOP Interface Library
TIP
Transaction Interface Program Service
TN
Telephone Number
TOP
Transaction Oriented Protocol
TOPCOM
TOP Communications
TRN
Transaction Number
TSYS
Transmitting System
TUXEDO
Vendor Supplied Transaction Monitor and
Message Handler
USERLOG
A Flat File Containing Various Messages
such as Events or Errors
USOC
Uniform Service Order Code
VAD
Voice Activated Dialing System
WC
Wire Center
WTN
Working Telephone Numbers
3. Background and Material Information
Traditionally, telephone companies have relied on switch vendors to create new services on central office (CO) switches. Once a switch vendor designed a new service, the telephone companies would market the service to a target audience. A disadvantage of this approach is the length of time required to bring a new service to the market. Typically 3 to 5 years is required to bring a new service to market. In addition, new services need to be re-created for a variety of vendor-specific switches, which may limit the availability of a particular service. Another limitation in the switch-based approach is that the services cannot be customized to a specific customer's needs. In the traditional environment, provisioning of services was performed by Operations Support Systems (OSS). The OSS systems were responsible for mechanizing the flow from ordering to provisioning in switch-based telephony services.
In recent years, a number of new telephone service features have been provided by an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). The AIN evolved out of a need to increase the capabilities of the telephone network architecture to meet the growing needs of telephone customers. The AIN provides a mechanism by which new services may be created outside of a particular vendor's switch. Each CO in the AIN system is equipped as a Service Switching Point (SSP) which is capable of suspending normal call processing when encountering a “trigger.” The trigger invokes AIN service logic associated with a subscriber. Once a call is triggered, the SSP launches a query through a Signal Transfer Point (STP) in a Common Channel Signaling Network (CCS) to a Service Control Point (SCP). The SCP contains the AIN service logic for the particular subscriber and determines how to handle and route the call. Once the SCP processes the call, the SCP sends the appropriate routing instructions through the STP to the SSP, which then routes the call. Intelligent Peripherals (IP) may be provided to process multi-media services such as announcements, voice activated dialing, etc.
An illustration of the basic components of an AIN architecture is shown in FIG.
1
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, Service Switching Points. (SSPs)
36
are provided for sending and receiving data messages from a Service Control Point (SCP) or Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP)
30
via Signaling Transfer Points (STPs)
34
. The data messages are communicated t
Champion Pat
Clark Mary
Gilmore Terry
Jost Larry
Klos Tim
Deane, Jr. William J.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
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