System and method for defining and providing telephone network services

• US 4,782,517 A
• Filed: 09/08/1986
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Barry K., Fowler, Charles F., Bernardis, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US06/904,973
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 379/244, 379/113, 379/112, 379/269, 379/284, 379/201, 379/34, 379/10, 379/11, 379/214, 379/213, 379/383, 379/384
• US Class Current: 379/201.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 using a stored programme control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/135 Service creation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13502 primitives - inc. service-independent building blocks [SIBBs]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 customer-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/914 Programmable telephone component

Abstract

A telephone system allows a user to provide new services to terminations in a telephone network. A server having program sequences for controlling its operation connects the terminations and the telephone network. Using certain of its program sequences, the server monitors the occurrence of a request event at one of the terminations. A processor, distinct from the server, controls the server by accessing a directly accessible database to extract a state transition rule to provide control information corresponding to the response event. Information is returned to the terminations in response to the control information. The database storing the state transition rules is directly accessible by the user for changing the state transition rules to modify the services without changing the program sequences of the server. State transition rules within the database may be inserted, deleted or modified using conventional database management techniques.

Claims

1. A method for allowing an administrator of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through interposed server means, comprising the steps of:

monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

detecting the request event and processing the request event with processor means coupled to said server means, said processor means including a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules, said processing step including the steps of directly accessing from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event and providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rule;

activating the server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for communication to the terminating means; and

when invoked by the administrator through means for directly accessing said database, modifying said state transition rules to provide the new services without reconfiguring said server means.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing control information includes the step of translating said database stored rule into a corresponding primitive server instruction for activating said server means.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of translating said database stored rule includes interpreting said state transition rule into a set of program instructions.

4. The method of claim 2 comprising the further steps of accessing and translating a plurality of said state transition rules stored in said database, said plurality of rules adapted to activate said server means to fully define a telephone service.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of accessing and translating a plurality of rules is preceded bya step of accessing a state transition rule which indicates which plurality of rules to access.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of inserting additional state transition rules into the database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said state transition rules are provided with a return variable and further comprising the steps of:

setting the value of said return variable in accordance with said request event;

determining the value of the return variable of the state transition rule; and

extracting a further state transition rule in accordance with the determined value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the request event further comprises the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of records within the database in accordance with the request event;

selecting one of a plurality of lines within the selected record in accordance with the request event, each line containing a primitive;

translating the selected primitive into a predetermined program code;

determining a command packet in accordance with the program code; and

transmitting the command packet to the server means.

9. A method for generating a response event in a telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of a plurality of terminating means connected to server means, comprising the steps of:

monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

detecting the request event and processing the request event with processor means coupled to said server means, said processor means including a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules, said processing step including the steps of directly accessing from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event and providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rule;

activating the server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for communication to the terminating means,

accessing an external database not directly accessible by said processor in accordance with said state transition rule, said external database storing further state transition rules;

extracting from said external database an externally stored state transition rule;

providing additional control information corresponding to an additional response event in accordance with said externally stored state transition rule; and

further activating said server means in accordance with said additional control information.

10. A telephone system for allowing a user to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network comprising:

server means connected to said terminating means for connecting said terminating means to the telephone network, said server means having program sequences for controllig its operation and means including certain of said program sequences for monitoring the occurrence of a request event at any one of said terminating means, and

processor means distinct from said server means for controlling said server means, said processor means including

directly accessible database storage means for storing state transition rules,

means for accessing said database storage means to extract from said database storage means a state transition rule corresponding to the request event, for executing said rule to provide control information corresponding to the response event, and for returning information to said terminating means in response to said control information, and

means directly accessible by the user for changing said state transition rules to modify the services available to the user without changing the program sequences of said server means.

11. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said means for changing said state transition rules comprises database management means.

12. A method for allowing an administrator of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through a first of a plurality of server means, comprising the steps of:

monitoring by the first server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

detecting and processing the request event, said processing step including the steps of accessing a directly accessible database storing state transition rules, extracting from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

providing control information to said first server means corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rules;

transmitting control information from said first server means to another server means in accordance with said control information; and

activating said additional server means in accordance with said transmitted control information for controlling the additional server means.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of controlling said additional server means includes the step of controlling further terminating means coupled to said additional server means.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of controlling said additional server means includes the step of routing said control information through said additional server means.

15. A method for allowing an administrator of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through interposed server means having first processing means and program sequences for controlling the operation of said server means, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by the terminating means;

detecting the request event by the server means;

transmitting request information from the server means to said processor means having a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules;

accessing said database by said second processor means and extracting from said database a state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

transmitting said state transition rule from said second processor means to said first processor means;

producing by said first processor means control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said externally stored state transition rule;

activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means; and

when prompted by the administrator through means for directly accessing said database, modifying said state transition rules to provide the new services without modifying said program sequences.

16. A method for generating a response event in a telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of a plurality of terminating means connected to server means, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any of the terminating means;

upon detection of the request event, processing the request event with processor means coupled to said server means, said processor means including a directly accessible database for storing state transition procedures, said processing step comprising the step of accessing said directly accessible database storing state transition rules, and extracting from said directly accessible database a directly accessible state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

accessing an external database not directly accessible to said processor means in accordance with said directly accessible state transition rule, said external database storing further state transition rules;

extracting from said external database an externally stored state transition rule;

providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said externally stored state transition rule; and

activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means.

17. A system for allowing a user of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through interposed server means, comprising:

means for monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

processor means coupled to said server means for detecting and processing the request event, said processor means including a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules, means for directly accessing from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event, and means for providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rule;

means for activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means; and

means for directly accessing said database and for modifying said state transition rules, when invoked by the user, to provide the new services without reconfiguring said server means.

18. The system of claim 17 in which there is provided means for translating said database stored rule into a corresponding primitive server instruction for activating said server means.

19. The system of claim 18 in which there is provided means for interpreting said state transition rule into a set of program instructions.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising means for accessing and translating a plurality of state transition rules stored in said database said plurality of rules adapted to activate said server means to fully define a telephone service.

21. The system of claim 20 in which there is provided means for accessing a state transition rule which indicates which plurality of rules to access.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for inserting additional state transition rules into the database.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein said state transition rules are provided with a return variable and further comprising:

means for setting the value of said return variable in accordance with said request events;

means for determining the value of the return variable of the state transition rule; and

means for extracting a further state transition rule in accordance with the determined value.

24. The system of claim 17 in which there is provided:

means for selecting one of a plurality of records within the database in accordance with the request event;

means for selecting one of a plurality of lines within the selected record in accordance with the request event, each line containing a primitive;

means for translating the selected primitive into a predetermined program code;

means for determining a command packet in accordance with the program code; and

means for transmitting the command packet to the server means.

25. A system for generating a response event in a telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of a plurality of terminating means connected to server means, comprising:

means for monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

processor means coupled to said server means for detecting and processing the request event, said processor means including a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules, means for directly accessing from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event, and means for providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rule;

means for activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means;

means for accessing an external database in accordance with said state transition rule, said external database storing further state transition rules;

means for extracting from said external database an externally stored state transition rule;

means for providing further control information corresponding to a further response event in accordance with said externally stored state transition rule; and

means for further activating said server means in accordance with said further control information.

26. A method for allowing a user to provide new telephone services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network comprising the steps of:

connecting server means to said terminating means and to the telephone network, said server means having program sequences for controlling its operation and means including certain of said program sequences for monitoring the occurrence of a request event at any one of said terminating means, and processor means distinct from said server means;

controlling said server means with said controlling step including accessing directly accessible database storage means storing state transition rules,

said accessing step including extracting from said database storage means a state transition corresponding to the request event, executing said rule to provide control information corresponding to the response event, and returning information to said terminating means in response to said control information, and

modifying the service available to the user without changing the program sequences of the server means by changing said state transition rules.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of changing said state transition rules comprises changing records within said database using database management means.

28. A system for allowing an administrator of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through a first of a plurality of server means, comprising:

means for monitoring by the first server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any one of the terminating means;

processor means coupled to said server means for detecting and processing the request event, said processing means including means for accessing a directly accessible database storing state transition rules and extracting from said database a stored state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

means for providing control information to said first server means, said control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rules;

means for transmitting said control information from said first server means to another server means in accordance with said control information; and

means for activating said additional server means in accordance with said transmitted control information for controlling the additional server means.

29. The system of claim 28 in which there is provided means for controlling further terminating means coupled to said additional server means.

30. The system of claim 28 in which there is provided means for routing said control information through said additional server means.

31. A system for allowing a user of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network by generating a response event in the telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of the terminating means connected to the telephone network through interposed server means having first processing means, said system comprising:

means for monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by the terminating means;

means for detecting the request event by the server means;

means for transmitting request information from the server means to second processor means, said second processor means having a directly accessible database for storing state transition rules;

means for accessing said database by said second processor means and extracting from said database a state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

means for transitting said state transition rule from said second processor means to said first processor means;

said first processor means including means for producing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said state transition rule;

means for activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means; and

means for directly accessing said database and for modifying said state transition rules, when invoked by the user, to provide the new services without reconfiguring said server means.

32. A system for generating a response event in a telephone system in response to a request event to control the operation of a plurality of terminating means connected to server means, said system comprising:

means for monitoring by the server means for the occurrence of the request event initiated by any of the terminating means;

means for detecting and processing the request event, said processing means comprising means for accessing a directly accessible database storing state transition rules, and means for extracting from said directly accessible database a directly accessible state transition rule corresponding to the request event;

means for accessing an external database in accordance with said directly accessible state transition rule, said external database storing further state transition rules;

means for extracting from said external database an externally stored state transition rule;

means for providing control information corresponding to the response event in accordance with said externally stored state transition rule; and

means for activating said server means in accordance with said control information corresponding to the response event for controlling the terminating means.

33. A method for allowing a user of a telephone system to provide new services to a plurality of terminating means in a telephone network, the method comprising

interconnecting the terminating means to the telephone network through interposed server means

controlling the operation of said server means with program sequences stored in said server means,

monitoring by said server means for the occurrence of a request event at any one of the terminating means using certain of said program sequences,

controlling said server means with processor means distinct from said server means, said processor controlling step including the steps of

storing in directly accessible storage means state transition rules,

accessing said database storage means to extract from said database storage means a state transition rule corresponding to the request event,

executing said rule to provide control information corresponding to a response event,

returning information to said terminating means in response to said control information, and

when invoked by the user, changing said state transition rules through means for directly accessing said processor means to modify the services without changing said program sequences stored in said server means.