Intelligent network communication system

• US 5,386,467 A
• Filed: 07/31/1992
• Issued: 01/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahmad, Nisar
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US07/923,289
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/230, 379/97, 379/229
• US Class Current: 379/221.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13528 SCP architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the performance of intelligent networks. In a departure from the prior art, when a data base system, such as a service control point, receives an inquiry from a switching system, if the data base system recognizes that it cannot provide the complete data requested by the inquiry, it directly launches another inquiry to another data base system to provide the missing data. Advantageously, such an arrangement reduces the number of messages transmitted among switching systems and data base systems.

Claims

1. In an intelligent network comprising a plurality of telecommunications switching systems and data base systems, said switching systems and data base systems being interconnected by a signaling network, a method of establishing a call comprising the steps of:

sending a query, for data for establishing said call, from one of said switching systems to a first one of said data base systems;

in said first data base system, determining whether said first data base system has enough data for responding to said query;

responsive to said first data base system determining that it does not have enough data to respond to said query, said first data base system sending a second query to a second one of said data base systems said second query comprising information to permit .the second data base system to transmit a response message directly to said switching system;

said second data base system finding data for responding to said second query and transmitting a first response message comprising said data directly to said switching system; and

said switching system using said data in said response message for establishing said call.

2. In an intelligent network comprising a plurality of telecommunication switching systems and data base systems, said switching systems and data base systems being interconnected by a signaling network, a data base system comprising:

means for receiving data from said signaling network;

means for transmitting data to said signaling network; and

processor means, operative under the control of a program and responsive to a first query message received by said means for receiving, for determining whether said data base system has enough data for responding to said query, and if said data base system does not have enough data to respond to said query, for controlling the transmitting by said means for transmitting of a second query over said signaling network, to a second one of said data base systems for finding data and transmitting a response message comprising said found data for responding to said second query to a user of said response, wherein said second query comprises information so that the second data base system can respond directly to a source of said first query.