Systems and methods for providing advanced telephony services

• US 20040156492A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C. Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,382,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a plurality of advanced telephony services using a metaservice are described. In an embodiment of the present invention, a service provider installs a metaservice on the processor and associates the metaservice with a directory number on the switch. The metaservice acts as a pseudo service. When the service provider receives a subsequent request for an advanced telephony service, the service associates the requested service with the directory number through the metaservice, thereby avoiding many of the provisioning steps that are conventionally required to set up each service.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

Claims

1. A method for providing an advanced telephony service to a customer, comprising:

associating a metaservice with a directory number;

receiving a request for an advanced telephony service for said directory number; and

providing said advanced telephony service through said metaservice.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating said metaservice with said directory number comprises:

activating a termination attempt trigger (TAT) for a switch associated with said directory number;

installing said metaservice on a processor associated in communication with said switch; and

associating said metaservice with said TAT.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said switch comprises an advanced intelligent network (AIN) service switching point (SSP).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said switch comprises a softswitch.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said processor comprises an AIN service control point (SCP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving said request comprises receiving said request via a telephony device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving said request comprises receiving said request via a computer network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said advanced telephony service is a service selected from the group consisting of an outbound call manager, an intercom, a personal dialing plan, a voice dialing service, and an originating call log.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing said advanced telephony service comprises billing for said advanced telephony service.

10. A system for providing an advanced telephony service, comprising:

a telecommunications network;

a switch in communication with said telecommunications network;

a processor in communication with said telecommunications network;

a metaservice installed on said processor; and

an advanced telephony service application integrated with said metaservice.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said telecommunications network comprises an advanced intelligent network (AIN).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said switch comprises a service switching point (SSP).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor comprises a service control point (SCP).

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said telecommunications network comprises a packet-switching network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said switch comprises a media gateway.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor comprises a media gateway controller.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said switch comprises a softswitch.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising a service request application.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein service request application comprises a web-enabled application.

20. The system of claim 10, further comprising a billing application.