Telephonic communications – Plural exchange network or interconnection – Interexchange signalling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-09-18
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Plural exchange network or interconnection
Interexchange signalling
C379S219000, C379S220010, C370S466000, C370S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292554
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods used to communicate with and control telecommunications devices in telephonic networks such as those configured to transport and process voice and data calls.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern telecommunications networks typically include and utilize a varied array of telecommunications devices such as call routing switches, hubs, routers, etc. Many, if not most, devices are intelligent in terms of their ability to generate and receive messages and instructions (directives) related to particular call processing, routing, and the like. Such intelligence is realized by a device's ability to be programmed such as via software logic and the like.
For example, devices known as Interactive Voice Response Units (IVRUs) typically are used to automatically respond to calls such as by audibly prompting callers with pre-defined (digitally recorded) voice messages such as those used in call centers to route callers to particular response facilities or personnel. Such IVRUs typically work in conjunction with call routing switches and complex database facilities that generate and transmit messages and directives which are realized in automatic call response. Such messages can includes directives and other information related to the existence of a new call arriving at a particular switch, how a particular set of IVRU facilities will respond to the call, and other call processing parameters such as billing and call tracking information.
The intelligent nature of such telecommunications devices has allowed telecommunications providers such as Inter-Exchange Carriers (IXCs), etc. to offer wide varieties of communications services that connect people in ways never thought possible. Unfortunately, however, as telecommunications services providers face consumer desires for more and richer telecommunications services, they also are faced with significant problems in terms of interfacing and coupling disparate telecommunications devices to deliver expanded functionality. Such problems are exacerbated by the fact that telecommunications providers often must install and operate devices that are manufactured by a multitude of vendors, that operate based on a unique, possibly proprietary, messaging schemes, and that may not interface with other telecommunications devices without requiring significant effort in terms of customization and configuration.
For example, in the debit card and pre-paid calling card industries, service providers such as IXCs often must integrate devices such as switches and IVRUs manufactured by numerous vendors to deliver a particular feature set. Such devices may be configured to operate upon messages formatted according to a proprietary or open-standards based scheme. Currently, the only way to integrate such devices is to manage the messages generated by and sent to the same using complex, customized software and computing platforms and the like. A particular device's vocabulary and messaging format may be totally and completely different from others thus making difficult the combination of device specific features to deliver new and feature rich services and the like. And, beside offering new services, billing and call tracking related to existing services also are compounded by the difficulty of combining disparate telecommunications devices manufactured by a multitude of vendors. The difficulties associated with billing and call tracking can prevent development and deployment of pre-paid card services, for example, which, ultimately, prevents callers from realizing and enjoying new, telecommunications services.
Thus there exists a need to provide new and improved systems and methods that will allow telecommunications service providers to integrate disparate telecommunications devices and that will facilitate effective and efficient communications with and control of the same. To be viable such systems and methods must be capable of receiving disparate device messages, understanding the same, translating such disparate device messages, and generating outbound device specific directives so that such systems and methods act as interfaces. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems and needs squarely and provides such new and improved systems and methods as described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems and provides new and improved systems and methods that permit telecommunications devices within a telecommunications network such as those communicating based on disparate messaging schemes relative to each other to be addressed and controlled via a generalized interfacing facility. Accordingly, the present invention permits telecommunications providers and other parties involved in enabling, deploying, provisioning, or otherwise operating telecommunications services such as debit card and pre-paid telephone card services to efficiently deploy hardware devices and systems that operate based on a multitude of communications protocols.
The present invention's interfacing facility permits inbound device specific messages (e.g., vendor specific messages, etc.) to be received and parsed for data related to other telecommunications processes (e.g., call detail processes, call billing processes, database operations, etc.). Once data is parsed (e.g., extracted for use in performing other call related processes), an outbound message formatted in accordance with possibly another device specific messaging format (e.g., a vendor specific messaging format, etc.) may be generated and sent to another telecommunications device (e.g., a switch, router, hub, etc.) for processing thereby. In other words, the present invention permits disparate telecommunications to be addressed (“spoken to”) and controlled without requiring highly customized systems and the like.
As such, significant benefits are realized as a result of deployment of the present invention. For example, telecommunications providers now can deploy feature rich services and gather and process data from a multitude of telecommunications devices which heretofore have been unable to easily and efficiently communicate with each other. By providing an interfacing facility coupled to telecommunications devices within a telecommunications network, service providers (e.g., Inter-Exchange Carriers, etc.) now can focus development efforts and resources on service features and functionalities instead of on device/vendor specific messaging schemes. Consumers of telecommunications services are now able to enjoy and utilize richer services as a result of the device interfacing capabilities provided by the present invention.
In achieving the aforementioned benefits, the present invention provides new and improved systems and methods for communicating with and controlling disparate telecommunications devices in a telecommunications network. Such new and improved systems and methods include and involve a first telecommunications device configured to communicate within a telecommunications network according to a first messaging format, a second telecommunications device configured to communicate within the telecommunications network according to a second messaging format, and an interfacing facility. The interfacing facility communications with the first and second telecommunications devices via the telecommunications network. The interfacing facility also is configured to detect and receive a first external message formatted in accordance with the first messaging format from the first telecommunications device, to extract data from the first external message, to generate an internal message based on the data extracted from the first external message, to generate a second external message based on the internal message and the second messaging format, and to send the second external message to the second telecommunications device. The second telecommunications device is configured to operate (e.g., be controlled by, etc.) in accordance with the second ext
Baca Trevor
Oden Gene
Erik B. Cherdak & Associates LLC
Escalante Ovidio
Simplified Telesys
Tsang Fan
LandOfFree
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