Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-18
2001-01-23
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2756)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Miscellaneous
C709S218000, C704S270000, C379S088250, C379S221050, C379S088060, C379S201060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178438
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related in general to the field of telecommunications. More particularly, the invention is related to a service management system (SMS) architecture for an advanced intelligent network (AIN).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of the advanced intelligent network (AIN), it has become possible to rapidly design and introduce many new enhanced telecommunications services that provide added flexibility and convenience in how we use our telephone equipment.
The service logic programs and database schema implementing these new services are typically designed at the service creation environment (SCE). The service creation environment is coupled to a service management system (SMS) which supports the operations, administrations, management, and provisioning (OAM&P) needs of the network. The advanced intelligent network nodes typically includes switches or service switching points (SSPs) coupled to signal transfer points (STPs), which are in turn coupled to service control points (SCPs). The service management system functions as an interface between the service creation environment and the rest of the network nodes as it disseminates the service logic programs and database schema to network nodes for execution. The service control points executes service logic programs which define the services and further store and maintain databases that have data associated with the services. The advanced intelligent network further includes intelligent peripherals, which provide pre-recorded voice announcements, voice synthesis, and other functionalities that generally facilitate interaction with service subscribers and customers. The service management system must also interface with customer care systems to provision services that have been deployed.
Therefore the service management system may be thought of as a peer client management system. The service management system accepts and submit requests to and from clients (network nodes) and manage the information flow between all clients. However, not all the clients or network nodes communicate via the same protocol. Further, because the customer care systems do not operate under any industry standard, the service management system must be able to support various dissimilar client connections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, there is a need for a service management system for the advanced intelligent network that is able to support and communicate with network nodes that operate with dissimilar communications protocols.
In an aspect of the invention, an service management system for an advanced intelligent network includes a plurality of gateways in communications with a plurality of network nodes and service clients which may issue service requests. The service requests are received by the gateways, which convert the service requests to orders having a predetermined format containing the service requests. An order distribution server in communication with the plurality of gateways receives and distributes the orders. A plurality of management programs receive the orders from the order distribution server and execute the service requests contained in the orders. Responses may be generated by the management programs and sent to the order distribution server for delivery to the network nodes and service clients.
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Deacon Keith F.
Gauthier Marc
Tschirhart David A.
Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Pierce, III Ivan C.
Rinehart Mark H.
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