Telephonic communications – Special services – Locating using diverse technology
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-12
2001-04-03
Matar, Ahmad (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Locating using diverse technology
C379S088220, C379S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212267
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to switching systems for communications networks, and more specifically to a switching system for local telephone exchanges that directly serve subscribers and provide special service features.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Specification Hei-4-97645 discloses a service control point (SCP) of a signaling network for common channel interoffice signaling. The service control point has an interface to a communications network with which the signaling network is associated. It receives a service request via the interface from a switching system of the communications network and supplies the request to an application controller, which accesses a service specification table to read a service component for the requested service. Instructions will then be sent from the service control point to the originating switching system to set up the requested service through the communications network.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Specification Hei-7-250164 discloses a switching system for a communications network. In the prior art system (FIG.
1
), a call processor
10
receives call requests either from line interface
12
or trunk interface
13
to establish a connection through a switching network
11
between two subscribers or between a subscriber and an inter-office trunk. During the process of a call from a subscriber, an event analyzer
14
analyzes the status of the call to detect an event (e.g., hook flashes) for triggering a corresponding service feature. In response to the detection of an event, a service controller
15
makes a search through a service registration memory
16
for all service features that can be combined and provided to the subscriber as a composite service with respect to that event to receive programmed instructions of the composite service. Service controller
15
then accesses an event-specific priority memory
17
to determine the priorities of the individual service features of the composite service. Service-specific scheduling memories
18
are provided to indicate for each service feature a following service feature to be executed next. Service controller
15
references the scheduling memories according to the determined priorities and makes a decision on whether to proceed to provide the following service feature. Programmed instructions of the service features which are determined to be provided to the subscriber are supplied from the service controller to the call processor.
However, the service controller is required to make decisions by taking into account all possibilities chat can be encountered before it command the call processor to execute programmed instructions. Therefore, the prior art adds to system complexity, which results in difficulty for engineering design and maintenance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a switching system for a communications network which is efficient to provide a composite service to subscribers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a switching system for a communications network which is simplified for engineering design and maintenance.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a switching system comprising a switching network, a call processor for processing a call, executing instructions associated with the call and controlling the switching network to establish a connection depending on the executed instructions, a service module memory for storing a plurality of modules each containing programmed instructions for each service feature, and a plurality of service scheduling memories respectively associated with subscribers, each of the scheduling memories including a plurality of tables respectively associated with different events which may occur during the process of a call by the call processor, each of the tables comprising a plurality of entries for storing service features of different priorities, each of the entries giving an indication of presence or absence of a following entry for a service feature of lower priority to be executed next depending on a result of requested execution of instructions by the call processor. Control circuitry is provided for detecting one of events when the call processor is processing a call from a subscriber, retrieving a table from the service scheduling memory of the subscriber according to the detected event, retrieving a first module from the service module memory corresponding to a first entry of the table, requesting the call processor to execute instructions of the first module and retrieving, from the service module memory, a second module corresponding to a second entry of the table if a presence indication of the second entry is given in the first entry depending on a result of the requested execution of the instructions of the first module.
According to another aspect of the present invention, three is provided a method of operating a switching system which comprises a switching network, a call processor for processing a call, executing instructions associated with the call and controlling the switching network to establish a connection depending on the executed instructions, a service module memory for storing a plurality of modules each containing programmed instructions for each service feature, and a plurality of service scheduling memories respectively associated with subscribers, each of the scheduling memories including a plurality of tables respectively associated with different events which may occur during the process of a call by the call processor, each of the tables comprising a plurality of entries for storing service features of different priorities, each of the entries giving an indication of presence or absence of a following entry for a service feature of lower priority to be executed next depending on a result of requested execution of instructions by the call processor, the entries of the table being arranged according to the priorities and accessible by an entry pointer. The method comprises the steps of (a) detecting one of events when the call processor is processing a call from a subscriber, (b) retrieving a table from the service scheduling memory of the subscriber according to the detected event, (c) accessing an entry of the table according to the entry pointer and retrieving a module from the service module memory associated with the service feature of the accessed entry, (d) requesting the call processor to execute instructions of the module, and (e) incrementing the entry pointer by one and repeating the steps (c) and (d) if a presence indication of a following entry is given in the entry accessed by the step (c) depending on a result of the execution requested by the step (d).
REFERENCES:
patent: 4878240 (1989-10-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5541986 (1996-07-01), Hou
patent: 6005866 (1999-12-01), Lincoln
patent: 4-97645 (1992-03-01), None
Bui Bing
Matar Ahmad
NEC Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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