Processing interactions among telecommunications call features

• US 5,251,255 A
• Filed: 04/17/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Epley, Robert V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US07/686,647
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 379/242, 379/265, 379/266, 379/207, 379/201, 379/245, 379/247, 379/230, 379/142
• US Class Current: 379/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4217 Managing service interactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13501 Feature interactions
• 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 3/0041 involving techniques for avoiding interaction of call service features
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/47 using translators

Abstract

This invention relates to arrangements for controlling processing of telephone calls from feature processors. Feature processors are data bases, usually shared among a plurality of switching systems, and usually comprising data for customers served by these switching systems, for altering the processing of telephone calls from and to these customers in accordance with that data. In order to perform this modification, data messages are exchanged between the switching systems and the feature processor. In a departure from the prior art, these data messages include functional indicators, i.e., indicators of basic characteristics of a call, each of which may be associated with many features and which may influence the execution of other features, wherein the execution of at least some of the features of the two groups can be influenced by the feature processor. Advantageously, the use of functional indicators helps to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted between the switching systems and feature processor.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer indentification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a do not disturb indicator.

2. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to recipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a multiway controller indicator.

3. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a facsimile call indicator.

4. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is an emergency service indicator.

5. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a priority service indicator.

6. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is an operator assistance call indicator.

7. A method of processing a call comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching system, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a test call indicator.

8. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a redirected call indicator.

9. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a reverse charge indicator.

10. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is an intra-group call indicator.

11. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data

wherein one of said functional indicators is an indicator of a call between different Local Access and Transport Areas.

12. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is an international call indicator.

13. A method of processing a call, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of data for said call in a switching system, transmitting a request message to a remote feature processor system, the remote feature processor for serving a plurality of switching systems, said request message comprising an event indication for a state of said call and indications of active ones of a plurality of functional indicators for said call;

responsive to receipt of said request message in said remote feature processor, processing said request message, using said event indication and using said indications of active ones of said plurality of functional indicators, to formulate and transmit a response message comprising an indication of a response command from said remote feature processor to said switching system; and

responsive to receipt of said response message, executing said response command in said switching system;

wherein said request message further comprises customer identification data for said call;

wherein said remote feature processor comprises data for customers identified by said customer identification data; and

wherein said remote feature processor further modifies the processing of said request message by using said data stored for customers identified by said customer identification data;

wherein one of said functional indicators is a flash indicator.