Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Computer network monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-11
2002-04-23
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Computer network monitoring
C709S209000, C709S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06377988
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns controlling elements of a telecommunications network, particularly but not exclusively for traffic management.
2. Related Art
Although modern telecommunications networks are highly automated, they still require some monitoring and centralised control in order to deal with unusual circumstances such as overload conditions. A typical instance is a sudden surge in the number of calls made to a given telephone number, perhaps as a result of the number being given out on a television broadcast in an advertisement, during a phone-in show, or if an emergency contact number is given out on a news bulletin reporting a major accident or natural disaster.
The effect of such surges is to overload not only the line directly involved, but also the local exchange (also known as a switch) serving it. This results in calls to and from all subscribers served by that switch failing because all trunk lines serving the switch are busy with call attempts to the one number, most of which will fail.
The concepts of destination volume controls such as call blocking and call-gapping have been developed to overcome this problem. Call blocking arranges that a proportion of calls to a target number are failed by the originating exchange. Call gapping arranges that, after a call attempt is made to a target number, no further call attempts can be made to that number until a predetermined interval has elapsed. Both these systems reduce unnecessary use of the trunk network by failed call attempts.
A problem which arises in applying centralised control to a telecommunications network is that, in a typical network, exchanges are not identical. This is because in a developing network, at any given time, more than one type of exchange will be in use. Moreover, the different characteristics of the areas served by different exchanges may make different types of exchange appropriate in different locations. Consequently, certain functionality may only be available to certain exchanges or, even where the functionality is universal, individual instructions may be required to operate them. It is therefore necessary to tailor the instructions for each exchange. Furthermore certain services, such as call-gapping and call blocking, may be required only for a selected subset of exchanges, such as those serving the area in which the number has been broadcast.
It is known, for example from patent specification no. WO93/18598 (Nokia), to generate a command for a network element in a generic protocol which is translated into the appropriate protocol for the network element concerned. However it is necessary for the user of this system to transmit a command in the generic protocol for each element to be controlled. This can be time consuming and problematic, for example if several exchanges are required to co-operate and some of them do not have the necessary functionality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling a plurality of elements of a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of generating a generic instruction, selecting the elements for which the instruction is directed, and transmitting the instruction to the respective elements.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a controller for a telecommunications network having a plurality of functional elements, comprising means for generating a generic instruction, and means for transmitting the instruction to the respective elements, characterised in having means for selecting the elements to which the instruction is directed.
By transmitting a generic instruction applicable to all relevant elements, the operator of the system can control all the elements with a single instruction. A generic instruction can be translated into separate instructions applicable to each individual element or defined groups of elements.
Certain elements may not have the ability to carry out certain functions, accordingly the method may provide that if one or more of the selected elements is not capable of performing the required instruction no instruction is transmitted to that element or elements. However, the ability of the network as a whole to carry out the desired functions may be dependent on the ability of each individual element to carry out a predetermined function. The method may therefore provide that, if any element is incapable of performing the required instruction, no instruction is transmitted to any of the elements. In other words, no instruction is transmitted to any element unless all the elements required to co-operate can carry out their individual instructions. Alternatively, certain network functions may be performable by parts of the network independently of the ability of other elements to do so, so the method may provide that if any elements are incapable of performing the instruction, the instruction is sent only to the elements which are capable of performing the instruction.
Different compatibility criteria may be used for different network functions.
In a preferred arrangement instructions may be prepared and stored for onward transmission in response to a predetermined condition. This allows the network to respond automatically and promptly to a condition such as a localised overload occurring in the system.
The predetermined condition may be the expiry of a pre-set time interval, allowing advance scheduling of network controls. For regular events, such as weekly or daily ‘phone-in’ programmes, the time interval may be re-set after each transmission of the instruction. However, for one-off situations such as special events the time interval is not re-set.
The instructions to the network elements may be arranged to cause the inhibition of a signalling function. For example, if calls to a single number are overloading the system, and that number is subject to a number translation process (for example converting a toll-free number to an exchange number), calls to that number can be gapped or blocked by inhibiting call set-up signals being sent to the number translation network element. This prevents abortive call set-up attempts clogging the signalling network, as well as freeing the traffic network itself.
In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of generating an instruction in high-level language, a selection pattern output, and an interface type message, converting the high-level instruction into instructions in formats compatible with each of a respective element type; and comparing the selection pattern data with stored information to select the elements to which the instruction is to be sent.
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Abraham Paul
Spector Adam
British Telecommunications public limited company
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Rinehart Mark H.
Thompson Marc D.
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