Methods for processing operator service system calls

Details Methods for processing operator service system calls Methods for processing operator service system calls

1999-01-19

2001-07-03

Matar, Ahmad (Department: 2642)

Telephonic communications

Centralized switching system

Class of service determination or transmission

C379S221050

Reexamination Certificate

active

06256380

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the provision of operator services system calls in a telephone network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today's telephone network provides for Operator Services Systems (OSS) to support and assist callers. The traditional Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) OSSs include 0+/alternate billing services, such as calling card services, directory assistance, 0−/assistance, 0−/emergency services, 1+coin sent paid, Intercept service, and 1+hotel/motel calls that require real-time rating. A caller typically invokes an operator service by dialing certain digits or by placing calls from certain stations, such as coin stations or hotel/motel stations. For example, a calling party dials 0 to ask for operator assistance, “411” to ask for directory assistance, or 0+NPA-NXX-XXXX to ask for alternative billing (e.g., calling cards or collect calls).
When a caller dials a specific number, such as 0−, 411, or any number of the form 0+NPA-NXX-XXXX, or when a caller dials any number from certain specific stations, such as coin or hotel/motel, the Originating End Office (OEO) switch that serves the calling number routes the call to the OSS designated by the caller's local service provider. Thus, the OEO owner does not have a choice of OSS providers.
Today's telephone network elements communicate call setup signals in accordance with the Signaling System 7 (SS7) Integrated Digital Network User Part (ISUP) call setup-associated protocol. ISUP, however, does not provide procedures enough to enable an intermediate switch to route local operator services calls to select a particular OSS based on the caller's local service provider and the operator service being requested. The basic call setup ISUP protocol places the called party number (i.e., the dialed digits) into the ISUP Called Party Number parameter digits field. In addition, the ISUP protocol fills the OEO parameter “Nature of Address” (NOA) field with an “operator requested” codepoint when ‘0’ is dialed, and with a different codepoint other than an “operator requested” codepoint when ‘0’ is not dialed. Intermediate switches in the network may only use the contents of the Called Party Number parameter, which includes a digits field and the NOA field, to route the call to the OSS. With the current basic call setup ISUP protocol, the intermediate switches can route these calls to only a single OSS, but have no way of selecting among multiple OSSs and routing to a selected one of them. Alternative methods of routing the calls to new OSSs, which compete with existing OSSs for operator services, may require more network facilities and resources.
Therefore, it is desirable to have methods and systems to overcome the disadvantages to operator services signaling in telephone networks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to systems and methods that substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention comprises a telephone network element, comprising a database storing information correlating end users to selected operator service systems (OSS), means for receiving an OSS-type call, means for accessing said database to identify a code correlating the OSS-type call to a selected OSS, and means for transmitting said code to a network switch.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a method of processing OSS calls in an SS7 based telephone network, comprising the steps of correlating a calling party number to a six digit number identifying a preselected OSS, populating the ISUP Called Party Number field of the SS7 protocol with said six digit number and four additional digits, and transmitting the populated ISUP Called Party Number field to a network switch.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a method of processing OSS telephone calls, comprising the steps of correlating a calling party number to a routable number identifying a preselected OSS, populating a preselected field of a signaling protocol data string with said routable number, and transmitting said populated, preselected field to a telephone switch for routing to said preselected OSS.
The above description of the invention and the following description for carrying out the best mode of the invention should not restrict the scope of the claimed invention. Both provide examples and explanations to enable others to practice the invention. The accompanying drawings, which form part of the description for carrying out the best mode of the invention, show several embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, explain the principles of the invention.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5539817 (1996-07-01), Wilkes
patent: 5684866 (1997-11-01), Florindi et al.
patent: 5805689 (1998-09-01), Neville
patent: 5999603 (1999-12-01), Lo et al.
patent: 6128377 (2000-10-01), Sonnenberg

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