Telephonic communications – Special services – Service trigger
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-04
2001-01-09
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Service trigger
C379S088220, C379S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173047
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the field of telecommunications. This invention particularly relates to the field of activation of advanced services in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). And even more particularly, this invention relates to the field of caller-activation of voicemail service on a temporary basis in an AIN.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the competitive market of telecommunication services, a customer may desire to augment his or her conventional telecommunication service with advanced services. Generally, an advanced service is a service that provides features or functions that are not usually provided within a local switching system (e.g., #5ESS, manufactured by Lucent Technologies), that are relatively complex, that require coordination of multiple systems, and that are implemented typically through the use of data communications between or among network elements. Examples of advanced services include audio caller ID, flexible call forwarding, etc.
Presently, to obtain advanced services, a customer typically 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 the 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 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 the 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 the switch-based system, in the 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 the 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 table associated with a service package application (SPA) that may be located at the SCP. An 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 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 the AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider provides that an SCP include an entry of information relating to an advanced service of the customer. Also in the 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 of 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 the AIN. As noted, the predefined relationship must exist in order to presently obtain advanced services in the AIN. Customer
1
, who desires to obtain an advanced service, such as voicemail service, contacts the 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 the advanced service. The sales/service representative
2
then enters this information into a service order system
3
. The service order system
3
uses 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 the billing system
4
, the service management system (SMS)
5
, and the Mechanized Administration and Recent Change (MARCH)
6
. As the term implies, 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
further 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 of the customer. Typically, this entry of information is stored in a database or 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 the switch-based system or the AIN has posed problems to telecommunication service providers. One such problem is that a customer typically has been unable to obtain an advanced service, such as voicemail service, without the execution of the lengthy and complex procedures described above that are necessary to set up the predefined relationship. These lengthy and complex procedures preclude a customer from directly setting up his or her own advanced services. These lengthy and complex procedures also preclude the short term implementation or “rental” of advanced services. In addition, these lengthy and complex procedures preclude the implementation of advanced services on short notice. In other words, it is generally impossible to be a “walk-up” customer of advanced services.
With respect to switch-based systems, a solution has been posed in the patent to Andruska et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,236, to the problems of allowing a customer to directly set up his or her own switch services, of rent
Ewing, IV James L.
Hong Harry S.
Kilpatrick & Stockton
Tocups Nora M.
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