Mnemonic and synonymic addressing in a telecommunications system
First Claim
1. A call-processing arrangement in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints, means for accessing each of the endpoints, and a numbering plan according to which a selected endpoint is accessed in response to a user providing a sequence of symbols associated with the selected endpoint,CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:
- the numbering plan assigns, to at least some of the endpoints, at least one predefined sequence of symbols that includes a plurality of strings of symbols arranged in the sequence in any order,so that the accessing means access a selected endpoint, selected from said at least some of the endpoints, irrespective of the order in which the user provides the strings of symbols of the sequence of symbols associated with said selected endpoint.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Symbol sequences of varying lengths and having logical meanings other than as network addresses (e.g., subscriber names), are assigned and used as actual telecommunications network addresses, without imposition of predefined fixed lengths, formats, or orderings on their constituent segments (e.g., given name, surname), in a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of individual address segments, called symbol strings, which have logical meanings. Each string'"'"'s definition includes a string length range (332), a string type (331), and an indicator (VNI 334) of the string'"'"'s influence on call treatment (e.g., route) selection. The grammar definitions include a matrix (400) that defines permissible sequences of string types, including string types (256) which cannot be dialed by users but only result from receipt of permissible sequences of strings of user-dialable types, and a matrix (410) that defines which string types'"'"' influences on call treatment selection may be combined to select a treatment for a call. A network digit analysis function (210) parses a received call-control symbol sequence by using the stored syntax and grammar definitions to select a treatment for the call.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A call-processing arrangement in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints, means for accessing each of the endpoints, and a numbering plan according to which a selected endpoint is accessed in response to a user providing a sequence of symbols associated with the selected endpoint,
CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: -
the numbering plan assigns, to at least some of the endpoints, at least one predefined sequence of symbols that includes a plurality of strings of symbols arranged in the sequence in any order, so that the accessing means access a selected endpoint, selected from said at least some of the endpoints, irrespective of the order in which the user provides the strings of symbols of the sequence of symbols associated with said selected endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A call-processing arrangement for use in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol string that is defined for the network numbering plan, comprising:
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defining means for defining the network numbering plan, the plan comprising a plurality of types of symbol strings, and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; identifying means cooperative with the defining means and responsive to receipt of a symbol sequence including a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol strings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, for using the defining means'"'"' definition of the network numbering plan to identify the included strings irrespective of their order in the received symbol sequence; and means responsive to the identification, for effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A call-processing arrangement for use in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, comprising:
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data storage means for storing contents defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan, the plan comprising a plurality of types of defined symbol strings, the contents that define the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, each definition including an identification of the string type of the defined symbol string, and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; means connected to the data storage means and responsive to receipt from a caller of a sequence of symbols associated with a call, for parsing the received symbol sequence by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the data storage means to identify in the received symbol sequence a plurality of symbol strings of the network numbering plan irrespective of the order of the plurality of the symbol strings in the received symbol sequence and to determine a meaning within the network numbering plan of each said identified symbol string; and means connected to the data storage means and to the parsing means and responsive to the determined meaning of the plurality of identified symbol strings, for specifying a treatment to be given to the call, by using the determined meaning of the plurality of identified symbol strings and the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the data storage means, and including means for effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of call-processing in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol string that is defined for the network numbering plan, comprising the steps of:
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defining for the system a network numbering plan comprising a plurality of types of symbol strings, and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; in response to receipt of a symbol sequence including a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol swings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, using the definition of the network numbering plan to identify the included strings irrespective of their order in the received/symbol sequence; and in response to the identification, effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of call-processing in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, comprising the steps of:
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storing information defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan, the plan comprising a plurality of types of defined symbol strings, the information that defines the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, each definition including an identification of the string type of the defined symbol string, and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; in response to receipt from a caller of a sequence of symbols associated with a call, parsing the received symbol sequence by using the stored syntax-and grammar-defining information to identify in the received symbol sequence a plurality of symbol strings of the network numbering plan irrespective of the order of the plurality of the symbol swings in the received symbol sequence and to determine a meaning within the network numbering plan of each said identified symbol string; and in response to the determined meaning of the plurality of identified symbol strings, specifying a treatment to be given to the call, by using the determined meaning of the plurality of identified symbol swings and the stored syntax-and grammar-defining information, and including the step of effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A call-processing arrangement for use in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol string that is defined for the network numbering plan, comprising:
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defining means for defining the network numbering plan, the plan comprising a plurality of types of symbol strings, the symbol strings of individual types having variable lengths in terms of numbers of symbols that make up individual symbol strings of the individual type, the individual symbol strings each comprising alphabetic symbols or numeric symbols within a predefined digital alphabet and said string being a member either of a natural human language or of a proper name so that said symbol string has a logical meaning outside of the network numbering plan, and addresses of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising at least one symbol string of at least one of the types and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; identifying means cooperative with the defining means and responsive to receipt of a symbol sequence including a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol strings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, for using the defining means'"'"' definition of the network numbering plan to identify symbol strings of the network numbering plan that are included in the received symbol sequence irrespective of their order in the received symbol sequence; and connecting means responsive to the identifying means, for effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A call-processing arrangement for use in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, comprising:
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data storage means for storing contents defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan, the plan comprising a plurality of types of defined symbol strings, the symbol strings of individual types having variable lengths in terms of numbers of symbols that make up individual symbol strings of the individual type, the individual symbol strings each comprising alphabetic symbols or numeric symbols within a predefined digital alphabet and said string being a member either of a natural human language or of a proper name so that said symbol string has a logical meaning outside of the network numbering plan;
the contents that define the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, each definition including an identification of the string type of the defined symbol string, and addresses within the network numbering plan of the endpoints of the system each comprising at least one symbol string of at least one of the types and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types;means connected to the data storage means and responsive to receipt from a caller of a symbol sequence associated with a call, that includes a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol strings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, for parsing the received symbol sequence by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the data storage means to identify the included strings irrespective of their order in the received symbol sequence and to determine a meaning of the received symbol sequence within the network numbering plan; and means connected to the data storage means and to the parsing means and responsive to the determined meaning of the received symbol sequence for specifying a treatment to be given to the call, by using the determined meaning and the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the data storage means, and including means responsive to the identification, for effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence.
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34. A method of call-processing in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol swing that is defined for the network numbering plan, comprising the steps of:
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defining for the system a network numbering plan comprising a plurality of types of symbol strings, the symbol strings of individual types having variable lengths in terms of numbers of symbols that make up individual symbol strings of the individual type, the individual symbol strings each comprising alphabetic symbols or numeric symbols within a predefined digital alphabet and said string being a member either of a natural human language or of a proper name so that said symbol string has a logical meaning outside of the network numbering plan, and addresses of the endpoints of the system within the network numbering plan each comprising at least one symbol string of at least one of the types and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; in response to receipt of a symbol sequence including a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol strings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, using the definition of the network numbering plan to identify symbol strings of the network numbering plan that are included in the received symbol sequence irrespective of their order in the received symbol sequence; and in response to the identification, effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method of call-processing in a telecommunications system having a plurality of endpoints and having a network numbering plan for addressing the endpoints, comprising:
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storing information defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan the plan comprising a plurality of types of defined symbol strings, the symbol strings of individual types having variable lengths in terms of numbers of symbols that make up individual symbol strings of the individual type, the individual symbol strings each comprising alphabetic symbols or numeric symbols within a predefined digital alphabet and said string being a member either of a natural human language or of a proper name so that said symbol string has a logical meaning outside of the network numbering plan, the information that defines the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, each definition including an identification of the string type of the defined symbol string, and addresses within the network numbering plan of the endpoints of the system each comprising at least one Symbol string of at least one of the types and addresses of at least some of the endpoints of the system each comprising a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types; in response to receipt from a caller of a symbol sequence, associated with a call, that includes a plurality of symbol strings of a plurality of the types, the included symbol strings appearing in the symbol sequence in any order, parsing the received symbol sequence by using the stored syntax-and grammar-defining information to identify the included strings irrespective of their order in the received symbol sequence and to determine a meaning of the received symbol sequence within the network numbering plan; and in response to the determined meaning of the received symbol sequence, specifying a treatment to be given to the call, by using the determined meaning and the stored syntax-and grammar-defining information, and including the step of in response to the identification, effecting establishment of a connection to an endpoint of the system having an address within the network numbering plan formed by the identified included symbol strings, irrespective of the order of the identified included symbol strings in the received symbol sequence.
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Specification