Telecommunication system and processor means, and method

Details Telecommunication system and processor means, and method Telecommunication system and processor means, and method

1998-04-28

2001-01-30

Smith, Creighton (Department: 2742)

Telephonic communications

Plural exchange network or interconnection

Interexchange signalling

C379S201060, C379S207030

Reexamination Certificate

active

06181789

ABSTRACT:

A. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a telecommunication system for providing virtual private networks and comprising processor means for controlling a switch for making connections between origins and destinations, which processor means
in response to a first virtual private number belonging to a first virtual private network, controlls said switch for coupling a first origin to a first destination, and
in response to a further first virtual private number belonging to said first virtual private network, controlls said switch for coupling said first origin to a further first destination,
in response to a second virtual private number belonging to a second virtual private network, controlls said switch for coupling a second origin to a second destination, and
in response to a further second virtual private number belonging to said second virtual private network, controlls said switch for coupling said second origin to a further second destination.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Such a telecommunication system is of common general knowledge and comprises for example a Service Switching Point or SSP functioning as said switch and comprises for example a Service Control Point or SCP functioning as said processor means. In response to a first virtual private number like for example XY
1
belonging to a first virtual private network XY, said switch couples a first origin OR-
1
to a first destination DE-XY
1
, and in response to a further first virtual private number XY
2
belonging to said first virtual private network XY, said switch couples said first origin OR-
1
to a further first destination DE-XY
2
. In response to a second virtual private number UW
1
belonging to a second virtual private network UW, said switch couples a second origin OR-
2
to a second destination DE-UW
1
, and in response to a further second virtual private number UW
2
belonging to said second virtual private network UW, said switch couples said second origin OR-
2
to a further second destination DE-UW
2
. So, a combination of said SSP and SCP is used to provide two or more virtual private networks, which are completely independent. Said SSP is further used, of course, for switching ordinary telephone calls, whereby in response to an ordinary telephone number ABCDEFGH a certain origin is coupled to a certain destination.
Said known telecommunication system is disadvantageous because of offering only a few user possibilities.
B. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention, inter alia, to provide a telecommunication system as described above in the technical field section which offers more user possibilities.
Thereto, the telecommunication system according to the invention is characterised in that the first destination and the second destination are the same, and that the further first destination and the further second destination are different.
By allowing at least one destination defined by said first virtual private number belonging to said first virtual private network and originating from said first origin and at least one destination defined by said second virtual private number belonging to said second virtual private network and originating from said second origin to be the same, the possibility has been created of reaching the same destination from different virtual private networks, each one of them operating via said combination of processor means and switch, by using said virtual private numbers, which will usually be different per virtual private network, but which could also be the same.
The invention solves the problem of increasing the number of user possibilities in a known telecommunication system by providing said processor means with software allowing said destinations to be the same. At least a part of the inventivity of this solution is situated in overcoming the prejudice that two or more virtual private networks operating via a combination of processor means and switch should remain completely separated.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,502 it is known to couple different virtual private networks in a very advantageous way, each one of said different virtual private networks having its own processor and its own switch. This granted patent of the assignee hereof does not disclose an increase in the number of user possibilities for different virtual private networks, each one of them operating via said combination of processor means and switch. In view of this it should be observed that according to the invention said processor means could comprise several processors and that said switch could comprise several switches. But contrary to U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,502, the virtual private networks according to the invention do not have their own processor and their own switch.
At said same destination, for example the home location of a secretary working for different companies, which location can be reached from different virtual private networks, each one of them belonging to one of said companies, preferably the possibility exists of calling each one of said companies by also using virtual private numbers instead of ordinay telephone numbers.
A first embodiment of the telecommunication system according to the invention is characterised in that in response to said further second virtual private number originating from said first origin there is no coupling of said first origin to said further second destination and in response to said further first virtual private number originating from said second origin there is no coupling of said second origin to said further first destination.
When using said further second virtual private number inside said first virtual private network, and when using said further first virtual private number inside said second virtual private network, the destinations as expected (when using said further second virtual private number inside said second virtual private network, and when using said further first virtual private number inside said first virtual private network) will in general not be reached.
A second embodiment of the telecommunication system according to the invention is characterised in that said telecommunication system comprises
a first input connectable to said first origin for receiving said first virtual private number belonging to said first virtual private network, in response to which said switch couples said first input to a first output connectable to said first destination, and for receiving said further first virtual private number belonging to said first virtual private network, in response to which said switch couples said first input to a further first output connectable to said further first destination, and
a second input connectable to said second origin for receiving said second virtual private number belonging to said second virtual private network, in response to which said switch couples said second input to a second output connectable to said second destination, and for receiving said further second virtual private number belonging to said second virtual private network, in response to which said switch couples said second input to a further second output connectable to said further second destination.
A third embodiment of the telecommunication system according to the invention is characterised in that said processor means comprise
detection means coupled to said first input and to said second input for detecting said first virtual private number and said further first virtual private number and said second virtual private number and said further second virtual private number, and
generation means coupled to said detection means and to said switch for generating, in response to a detection of said first virtual private number originating from said first input, a first control signal destined for said switch, and in response to a detection of said further first virtual private number originating from said first input, a further first control signal destined for said switch, and in response to a detection of said second virtual private number originating from said second input, a s

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