Handling specialized resource functions associated with wireless intelligent network in mobile switch center

• US 20040174837A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Yi, Chin, Frances Mu-Fen, Yin, Yu, Chang, Jean, Kim, Seongwoon, Lopez, Ismael Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

The invention implements specialized resource functions (SRFs) associated with wireless intelligent network (WIN) in a mobile switch center (MSC) of a wireless network. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for handling SRFs associated with WIN in an MSC of a wireless network. In another embodiment of the method, the invention provides a method for handling SRFs in an MSC of a wireless network, wherein the wireless network includes the MSC and a service control point (SCP) in communication with the MSC. In still another aspect, the invention provides an MSC for a wireless network that includes: a switch service function (SSF) process, an SRF process, an SSF/SRF interface, and an SCP interface.

Claims

1. A method for handling specialized resource functions (SRFs) associated with wireless intelligent network (WIN) in a mobile switching center (MSC) of a wireless network, the method including the steps:

a) providing a service control point (SCP) associated with the MSC;

b) in the SCP, determining that an SRF is required;

c) in the SCP, sending a seize resource (SEIZERES) invoke message to the MSC; and

d) in the MSC, allocating a temporary local directory number (TLDN) for providing the SRF and sending a seize resource (seizeres) return result message to the SCP.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including:

e) in the MSC, receiving an incoming call to the allocated TLDN and sending an instruction request (INSTREQ) invoke message to the SCP.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including:

f) in the SCP, sending a first SRF directive (SRFDIR) invoke message to the MSC; and

g) in the MSC, responding to the first SRFDIR invoke message by communicating a first announcement to a voice trunk associated with the incoming call and sending a first srf directive (srfdir) return result message to the SCP.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first SRFDIR invoke message directs the MSC to perform a play announcement scenario and in response the MSC plays the announcement.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first SRFDIR invoke message directs the MSC to perform a play announcement and collect digits scenario, in response the MSC plays the first announcement and collects digits returned based on the played announcement, and the srfdir return result message to the SCP includes the collected digits.

6. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first SRFDIR invoke message directs the MSC to perform a play variable announcement according to script scenario, in response the MSC plays the first announcement based on a script identifying an announcement template and one or more variables, wherein the played announcement includes the announcement template and the current value of the one or more variables.

7. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including:

h) in the SCP, sending an instruction request (instreq) return result message to the MSC; and

i) in the MSC, releasing the call and the allocated SRF resources.

8. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including:

h) in the SCP, sending a second SRFDIR invoke message to the MSC; and

i) in the MSC, responding to the second SRFDIR invoke message by communicating a second announcement to the voice trunk associated with the incoming call and sending a second srfdir return result message to the SCP.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further including:

j) in the SCP, sending an instreq return result message to the MSC; and

k) in the MSC, releasing the call and the allocated SRF resources.

10. A mobile switching center (MSC) for a wireless network, including:

means for providing switch service functions (SSFs);

means for providing specialized resource functions (SRFs);

means for interfacing between the SSF means and the SRF means;

means for interfacing between the SRF means and a service control point (SCP) associated with the MSC; and

means for interfacing between the SRF means and the wireless network.

11. The MSC as set forth in claim 10, further including:

a state machine in communication with the SSF means and the SRF means for maintaining a current status of calls being handled by the MSC.

12. The MSC as set forth in claim 10, wherein the SRF means allocates resources for providing SRFs in response to a seize resource (SEIZRES) invoke messages from the SCP.

13. The MSC as set forth in claim 12, wherein the SRF means sends an instruction request (INSTRREQ) invoke message to the SCP in response to an incoming call to a temporary local directory number (TLDN) when the TLDN was allocated for providing SRFs.

14. The MSC as set forth in claim 13, wherein the SRF means plays an announcement in response to a corresponding SRF directive (SRFDIR) invoke message from the SCP.

15. The MSC as set forth in claim 13, wherein the SRF means plays an announcement and collects digits returned based on the played announcement in response to a corresponding SRFDIR invoke message from the SCP.

16. The MSC as set forth in claim 13, wherein the SRF means plays a variable announcement in response to a corresponding SRFDIR invoke message from the SCP, wherein the variable announcement is based on a script identifying an announcement template and one or more variables and the played variable announcement includes the announcement template and the current value of the one or more variables.

17. A method for handling specialized resource functions (SRFs) in a mobile switching center (MSC) of a wireless network, wherein the wireless network includes the MSC and a service control point (SCP) in communication with the MSC, the method including the steps:

a) determining that an SRF is required;

b) sending a seize resource (SEIZERES) invoke message from the SCP to the MSC;

c) allocating a temporary local directory number (TLDN) in the MSC for providing the SRF; and

d) sending a seize resource (seizeres) return result message from the MSC to the SCP.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further including:

e) receiving an incoming call at the MSC to the allocated TLDN; and

f) sending an instruction request (INSTREQ) invoke message from the MSC to the SCP.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

g) sending an SRF directive (SRFDIR) invoke message from the SCP to the MSC; and

h) communicating an announcement from the MSC to a voice trunk associated with the incoming call; and

i) sending a first srf directive (srfdir) return result message from the MSC to the SCP.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including:

j) sending an instruction request (instreq) return result message from the SCP to the MSC; and

k) releasing the call and the allocated SRF resources in the MSC.