Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-04
2001-07-17
Harrell, Robert B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
C709S219000, C709S229000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263370
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to client-server communications interfaces and, in particular, to a TCP/IP interface between client computers and Network Information Distribution Services servers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
MCI Communications Corporation provides operator services and customer services through intelligent services networks (“ISNs”), commonly known as call centers. An ISN includes various electronic devices that provide telephone services to telephone callers and that are connected to an external public switched telephone network (“PSTN”). These electronic devices include audio response units (“ARUs”) and operator consoles. ARUs provide automated voice messages to telephone callers. Operator consoles are used by telephone operators to provide directory assistance to telephone callers. The electronic devices are also connected to an internal local area network (“LAN”) or to a wide area network (“WAN”) over which they access and use services provided by Network Information Distribution Services (“NIDS”) servers.
Software application programs running on computer components of the electronic devices access NIDS servers over the LAN or WAN through an MCI proprietary messaging protocol referred to as the NIDS sequenced packet protocol (“NSPP”). NSPP is a session-oriented packet exchange protocol that is implemented on top of an underlying UDP/IP communications interface. NSPP is designed to allow rapid information exchange between software application programs and NIDS services.
In order to employ the NSPP protocol, a software application program must include between 2,000-3,000 lines of specialized source code that implement the client portion of the NSPP protocol. This source code must be implemented specifically for each different type of software application program.
It is desirable for NIDS servers to be accessible to new clients that do not use and support the NSPP interface. Retrofitting the software application programs of these new clients to support NSPP, or rewriting the new clients' software application programs, is a prohibitively expensive process. It is also desirable to develop new software application programs for existing clients without implementing a NSPP protocol interface specifically for each new software application program. A need has been therefore recognized for a way to provide access to NIDS servers through a communications mechanism that does not require clients to implement and use the NSPP protocol.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a NIDS TCP/IP client-server interface between client software application programs and call center server computers. A call center server computer provides a number of services, including database services and telephone communications support services. Each service provided by a call center server computer provides various specific services that can be requested by client software application programs through the TCP/IP client-server interface. A client software application program requests services by choosing a service from among the services provided by the call center server computer and selecting a TCP/IP logical port address that corresponds to the selected service. The client software application program then requests a TCP/IP connection to the selected TCP/IP logical port address via a TCP/IP socket on the client computer. Once a connection is established, the client software application program prepares a service request message by collecting data that describes the service request, formatting the collected data in a format required by the chosen service, constructing a NIDS message header, and affixing the NIDS message header to the formatted data. The client computer then transmits the service request message to the selected TCP/IP logical port address.
Formerly, a software application program could access a call center server computer only through the NSPP communications interface. This required each software application program to include specialized source code to implement a client NSPP layer on top of UDP/IP. The present invention provides a much simpler NIDS TCP/IP client-server interface to call center server computers. TCP/IP is an open, industry standard protocol that is supported by most modern computer operating systems.
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Herder Thomas J.
Kirchner Michael C.
Scharf David C.
Harrell Robert B.
MCI Communications Corporation
Thompson Marc D.
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