Method for providing network service in a communication system

• US 5,157,390 A
• Filed: 04/06/1990
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Fumito, Fukushima, Yutaka, Takemura, Tetsuo, Yoshie, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Magistre, Dervis
• Application Number:
  US07/505,568
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.08, 340/825.52, 379/94, 379/201, 379/207, 379/221, 379/225, 370/85.9, 370/85.13, 370/85.14
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

When one module provides service while using a service providing function of other module, the service requesting module sends out a service request to other modules in a broadcast fashion. Each module receives and detects the service request, and when there is a corresponding service providing function in its own module, it sends a response back to the requesting module. Among a plurality of nodes, a selection function module which stores service providing function arrangement information of other nodes and determines a node which has the function for the corresponding service request is provided. The selection function module sends back a response to the service request.

Claims

1. A method for providing network service in addition to call processing functions including at least switching of calls in a communication system including a plurality of modules mutually connected via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

sending out from a service requesting module to other modules via said communication line a service function request command for requesting a particular service function to process a call when said service requesting module does not have the capability to execute said requested particular service function;

receiving in each of the other modules via said communication line the service function request command sent out from said service requesting module to determine whether the respective module has the capability to execute the requested particular service function;

sending from each of the other modules which have the capability to execute the requested particular service function a service function response command back to the service requesting module via said communication line indicating that the requested particular service function is capable of being executed thereby; and

executing, after said step of sending said service function response command, said requested particular service function in each of the other modules which have sent a service function response command and thereafter sending information derived by executing the requested particular service function back to the service function requesting module.

2. A method for providing network service in addition to call processing functions including at least switching of calls in a communication system comprising a plurality of nodes each including a plurality of modules connected to each other via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

sending from a service requesting module in one node a service function request command for requesting execution of a particular service function for processing a call to each of the other of said plurality of modules in said one node via said communication line when said service requesting module does not have the capability of executing said requested particular service function;

receiving the service function request command in a selection function module in said one node which has service function arrangement information identifying whether other nodes have modules which have the requested particular service function; and

sending, in response to said service function request command, a service function response command from the selection function module back to the service requesting module when a module of at least one of the other nodes has the requested particular service function execution capability, wherein said sending of a service function response command indicates to the service requesting module that the requested particular service function execution capability is included in a module of at least one of the other nodes.

4. A method for providing network service according to claim 2 further comprising the step of:

sending from the selection function module information designating nodes having the service function execution capability back to the service requesting module via said communication line.

6. A method for providing network service according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

determining by the selection function module the nodes providing the service function execution capability; and

sending from the selection function module a service function request command to the determined nodes via said communication line.

3. A method for providing network service in addition to call processing functions including at least switching of calls in a communication system comprising a plurality of nodes connected to each other via a communication line, each node including a plurality of modules, comprising the steps of:

sending a service function request command for requesting execution of a particular service function for processing a call from a service requesting module to a selection function module operating in common to said nodes, said selection function module having service function arrangement information identifying other nodes in said communication system which have a capability of executing said requested particular service function;

receiving in the selection function module the service function request command to determine whether there is a node in said communication system having the capability of executing the requested particular service function; and

sending, in response to said service function request command, from the selection function module a service function response command back to the service requesting module when at least one node in said communication system has the requested service function execution capability, wherein said sending of a service function response command indicates to the service requesting module that there is at least one node in the communication system having the requested service function execution capability.

5. A method for providing network service according to claim 3 further comprising the step of:

sending from the selection function module information designating nodes having the service function execution capability back to the service requesting module via said communication line.

7. A method for providing network service according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining by the selection function module the nodes providing the service function execution capability; and

sending from the selection function module a service function request command to the determined nodes via said communication line.

8. A module having a call processing function including at least switching of calls for communicating with a plurality of other modules having the call processing function via a communication line, comprising:

a channel switch for connecting between subscribers;

a storage for storing therein a call processing program for processing a call at said channel switch and a control program for controlling provision of a service for the modules; and

a processor for sending, in accordance with said control program, a service function request command to said communication line to another module to execute a particular service function, receiving information from said another module which executed said particular service in response to said service request command and executing call processing to process a call for said channel switch in accordance with said information from said another module and said call processing program.

9. A module having a call processing function including at least switching of calls for communicating with a plurality of other modules having the call processing function via a communication line, comprising:

a storage for storing therein at least one service function program necessary for executing a service function for said other modules, an identification program for identifying service functions of said module itself and a control program for controlling provision of services among the modules; and

a processor for receiving a service request command requesting execution of a particular service function from said communication line, said service request command being sent by one of said other modules, identifying by use of said identification program whether said module has a capability for executing said particular service function requested by said service request command, executing, in response to said service request command, said requested particular service function when said module has said service function execution capability and thereafter sending information derived from the executed requested particular service function to said communication line back to said one module which sent said service request command.

10. A communication line system including a plurality of nodes each having a plurality of modules having a call processing function including at least switching of calls or an additional service function and being connected to each other, comprising:

a plurality of modules connected via a communication line for sending out service function request commands, requesting execution of particular service functions for processing calls, to said communication line; and

one or more modules connecting said plurality of nodes for receiving a service function request command from said communication line connecting said plurality of modules sending out said service function request commands, determining whether a service function execution capability is in any one of said plurality of nodes in accordance with service function arrangement information included in each of said plurality of nodes, sending said service function request command to a node having the service function execution capability when said node has said service function execution capability in accordance with a result of said determination and thereafter sending information derived from execution of said requested service function.

11. A communication system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more modules is connected to a node connected to said plurality of modules via said communication line.

12. A communication system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more modules are modules connected to each other via said communication line.