Telephonic communications – Special services – Service trigger
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-01-09
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Service trigger
C379S127030, C379S142030, C379S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173049
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the field of telecommunications. This invention particularly relates to the field of activation and provision of advanced services in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). More particularly, this invention relates to the field of caller-activation of caller identification services on a temporary and/or remote basis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the competitive market of telecommunication services, a customer may desire to augment his or her conventional telecommunication service with additional advanced services. Generally, an advanced service is a service that provides features or functions that are not usually provided within the local switching system. One particularly desirable advanced service is caller identification, commonly referred to as Caller ID. Presently, Caller ID service provides information about who is calling and/or the caller's phone number to the customer's phone between the first and second ring and requires that the customer's phone ring. Thus, the current system requires that the phone call be completed. It would be desirable to provide a system of caller identification service that captures caller identification data even if the customer's phone is busy, captures one hundred percent of incoming calls and operates independent of the state of the customer's line. It would also be desirable to provide customers with caller identification service on a remote and/or temporary basis.
Advanced services are relatively complex, require coordination of multiple systems and are typically implemented through the use of data communications between or among network elements. Presently, to obtain advanced services, the customer must have a predefined relationship with a telecommunication service provider. A predefined relationship is required whether the telecommunication services are switch-based or whether the telecommunication services are provided by an AIN. In a switch-based system, the predefined relationship is a requirement because many services for a customer are implemented directly at the switch that serves the customer's calling line. More particularly, in a switch-based system, a block of information with respect to a customer's services is stored in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. This block of information is stored in the switch because of administration, control and billing reasons. Thus, for a customer to obtain a service, the customer has to contact the service provider to pre-register for the service. The service provider then takes steps to specially and individually configure the block of information required to enable the customer's services in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. Thus, in a switch-based system, the predefined relationship between the customer and service provider provides that the switch serving the customer's calling line include a block of information relating to the services of the customer.
In an AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and a service provider is also a requirement for advanced services, but for different reasons than in the switch-based system. In contrast to a switch-based system, in an AIN, information with respect to the advanced services of a customer is not stored directly at the switch that serves the. customer's calling line. Rather, in an AIN, information with respect to a customer's advanced services is generally stored at an AIN element other than the Service Switching Point (SSP) which serves as or in conjunction with a switch in the AIN. Usually, the AIN element that stores the information is a centralized AIN element such as a Service Control Point (SCP) that may be accessed via data communications by multiple SSPs. Typically, such information is stored in a database or a table associated with a Service Package Application (SPA) that may be located at the SCP. The SCP may be queried via a data communication by an SSP for processing instructions with respect to the implementation of advanced services for a communication to or from a customer's calling line that is served by the SSP. Upon receipt of the query, the SCP consults the appropriate databases or the appropriate tables and provides a response via another data communication to the SSP. This response includes processing instructions that are carried out by the SSP. In some cases, a Service Circuit Node (SCN) may be consulted by the SCP or otherwise used in providing the advanced services.
Thus, in an AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider provides that an SCP include an entry of information relating to advanced service to the customer. Also in an AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider provides for the appropriate mechanisms to reach the entry of information relating to the advanced service to the customer. These mechanisms operate such that an SSP that serves a customer's calling line having advanced services queries via data communication the appropriate SCP for call processing instructions. The SSP then carries out the instructions received in a response via data communication from the SCP.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram that is used to illustrate the steps that are presently taken in order to bring about the predefined relationship between a customer and a service provider in an AIN. As noted, the predefined relationship must exist in order to presently obtain advanced services in an AIN. Customer
1
, who desires to obtain an advanced service, contacts a sales/service representative
2
of the customer's telecommunication service provider. The sales/service representative
2
engages the customer in a dialogue and obtains information from the customer with respect to advanced services. The sales/service representative
2
then enters this information into a service order system
3
. The service order system
3
accesses the information to derive further information with respect to billing issues, to set up an entry of information with respect to the customer's advanced service, and to provide for the appropriate mechanisms to reach the entry of information.
From the service order system
3
, the appropriate information or instructions based thereon are distributed as appropriate to a billing system
4
, a Service Management System (SMS)
5
, and a Mechanized Administration and Recent Change (MARCH)
6
. The billing system
4
uses the information or instructions to set up and carry out billing to the customer for the advanced service. The SMS
5
distributes the information or instructions as appropriate to a Service Circuit Node (SCN)
7
and/or a Service Control Point (SCP)
8
. The information is incorporated as an entry of information relating to the advanced service to the customer. Typically, this entry of information is stored in a database or a table associated with an appropriate Service Package Application (SPA). As noted above, this entry of information is part of the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider. The MARCH
6
also further distributes the information or instructions, but the MARCH
6
distributes the information or instructions to an appropriate SSP
9
so that the appropriate mechanisms are set up at the SSP
9
to enable the SSP
9
to communicate with the SCP
8
and obtain instructions based on the entry of information. As also noted above, these appropriate mechanisms are part of the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider.
The manner of establishing the requisite predefined relationship with a customer in a switch-based system or an AIN has posed problems to telecommunication service providers. One problem is that a customer is unable to obtain an advanced service without the execution of the lengthy and complex procedures described above that are necessary to set up a predefined relationship. These lengthy and complex procedures preclude a customer from directly setting up his or
BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
Ewing, IV James L.
Hong Harry S.
Kilpatrick & Stockton
Tocups Nora M.
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