Trunk call processing services for host computer interconnections

• US 4,609,778 A
• Filed: 09/27/1984
• Issued: 09/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Original Assignee: AT&T Information Systems Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Franklin, Andrew D., Lothrop, John R., Wiidakas, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/654,886
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 DP, 179/7 R, 179/7.1 R, 179/7.1 TP, 179/18 B, 179/18 D
• US Class Current: 379/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 using a stored programme control

Abstract

In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor, line port circuit connections are served by line call processing algorithms and trunk port circuit connections are served by trunk call processing algorithms. Trunk call processing algorithms offer the user a wide variety of call processing features and system management capabilities which are not included in normal line call processing algorithms. Host computer interconnections are typically established between digital line port circuits and therefore, host interconnections are administered by line call processing algorithms which offer only a limited set of services. To provide trunk services for host computer interconnections, an auxiliary algorithm has been added to the normal line call processing algorithms to interlink line to trunk call processing. In particular, when a host computer is served, the normal line call processing algorithm branches to the auxiliary algorithm. The auxiliary algorithm simulates the signalling characteristics associated with a trunk port circuit during the call set-up phase of a connection. Following simulation, the auxiliary algorithm intercepts the normal trunk call processing algorithms. The control processor "perceives" the service request as originating from an analog trunk port circuit rather than a digital line port circuit, and therefore administers the request according to trunk call processing algorithms. Call processing features and system management capabilities associated with trunk services are now automatically available for the host computer interconnection.

Claims

1. In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving at least two classes of port circuits having different types of associated communication devices where said control processor includes a plurality of connection processing algorithms and each algorithm is associated with an identifiable class of port circuits, a processing arrangement for providing a requesting port circuit of one class of port circuits with access to any one of said connection processing algorithms associated with a different class of port circuits comprising:

means for identifying said one class of port circuits associated with said requesting port circuit;

means responsive to said identifying means for implementing the execution of a one of said connection processing algorithms associated with said requesting port circuit;

means further responsive to said identifying means for indicating when said requesting port circuit requests access to a specified one of said connection processing algorithms associated with a different class of port circuits;

means responsive to said indicating means for terminating the execution of said one connection processing algorithm associated with said requesting port circuit; and

means responsive to said terminating means for implementing the execution of said specified one of said connection processing algorithms associated with said different class of port circuits.

2. In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving line port circuits associated with any type of communication device and trunk port circuits associated with any type of communication device where said control processor includes line call processing algorithms associated with line port circuits and trunk call processing algorithms associated with trunk port circuits, a call processing arrangement for providing trunk features associated with trunk call processing to line port circuit connections comprising:

means for implementing the execution of said line call processing algorithms when one of said line port circuits requests a call connection;

means for specifying when said one port circuit requests said call connection include said trunk features associated with trunk call processing;

means responsive to said specifying means for terminating said line call processing algorithms; and

means responsive to said terminating means for implementing said trunk call processing to establish said call connection including said trunk features.

3. In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving trunk port circuits and line port circuits having associated station equipment wherein said port circuits connect to said control processor by a communication channel, a call process interlinking arrangement in said control processor for providing service features associated with trunk port circuits for connections involving line port circuits comprising:

a first means responsive to a first set of signals generated over said communication channel from any one of said line port circuits to said control processor for establishing a call connection between said one line port circuit and a second one of said line port circuits;

a second means responsive to a second set of signals generated over said communication channel from any one of said trunk port circuits to said control processor for establishing a call connection between said one trunk port circuit and at least one other port circuit; and

bridging means responsive to a combination of said first set of signals from said one line port circuit and said second set of signals also from said one line port circuit for interconnecting said first means to said second means to provide service features associated with trunk port circuits when said call connection is between line port circuits.

4. In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving trunk port circuits and line port circuits having associated station equipment wherein said port circuits connect to said control processor by a communication channel, a call process interlinking arrangement in said control processor for establishing trunk call connections between a line port circuit associated with a terminal and a line port circuit associated with a host computer to provide trunk service features for said terminal and host computer interconnection comprising:

trunk call processing means in said control processor for establishing trunk call connections between at least one trunk port circuit and one other port circuit;

line call processing means in said control processor for establishing line call connections between at least two line port circuits;

bridging means for interconnecting said line call processing means and said trunk call processing means to establish trunk call connections between at least two line port circuits when at least one of said line port circuits serves said host computer;

wherein said bridging means includes;

means for generating digital information from said line port circuit associated with said host computer on an existing call connection indicative of a request for said trunk service features;

means responsive to said generating means for simulating informational conditions associated with trunk port circuits during an initiation of a trunk connection; and

means for transmitting said simulated informational conditions to said trunk call processing means to obtain said trunk service features.

5. In a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving line port circuits and trunk port circuits where said control processor includes line call processing algorithms associated with line port circuits and trunk call processing algorithms associated with trunk port circuits, a method of providing trunk features associated with trunk call processing to line port circuit interconnections, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying when one of said line port circuits requests said trunk features associated with trunk call processing;

simulating signalling characteristics associated with said trunk port circuits during the initiation of trunk call processing; and

branching from line call processing to trunk call processing in response to said simulated signalling characteristics to provide trunk call processing for line port circuit interconnections.

6. A method for initiating trunk call processing when establishing a call connection between line port circuits in a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving line port circuits and trunk port circuits having different types of associated communication devices where said control processor includes line call processing algorithms associated with line port circuits and trunk call processing algorithms associated with trunk port circuits, said method comprising the steps of:

indicating when one of said line port circuits requests trunk call processing;

simulating signalling characteristics associated with said trunk port circuits during initiation of a trunk connection; and

implementing said trunk call processing in response to simulated signalling characteristics of said trunk connection to establish a trunk call connection including said line port circuit.

7. A method of establishing trunk connections via a communication channel between at least two line port circuits serving different types of communication devices in a communication switching system controlled by a control processor serving trunk port circuits by activating trunk connection processing having a plurality of service features and line ports circuits by activating line connection processing, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating line connection processing in response to signals generated to said control processor over said communication channel from at least one of said line port circuits;

identifying a request for a trunk connection;

simulating signalling characteristics associated with trunk port circuits during an initiation of a trunk connection; and

processing in response to said simulation said line port circuit connection as a trunk connection by implementing trunk connection processing.

8. A method of providing trunk services for line port circuit interconnections involving a host computer and at least one terminal in a switching system controlled by a control processor where said control processor serves trunk port circuits by activating trunk connection processing and line port circuits by activating line connection processing to establish connections, said method comprising the steps of:

generating signalling information from a line port circuit to initiate line connection processing;

detecting from said signalling information when said host computer is involved in said line connection processing;

branching from said line connection processing to auxiliary processing when said host computer is involved;

simulating trunk signalling information in said auxiliary processing;

implementing trunk connection processing in response to said trunk signalling information from said auxiliary processing; and

processing said host computer and terminal interconnection to establish a trunk connection having availability of said trunk services.