System for providing communications services in a telecommunications network

• US 5,528,677 A
• Filed: 03/11/1994
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Keffer, Renee J., Jadhav, Sanjiv B., Lamm, Isaac W., Hacker, Lloyd K., Butler, Thomas W., Jessup, Alan B., O'Brien, Michael A., Weber, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/212,627
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/210, 379/212, 379/88, 379/89, 379/196, 379/216, 379/221, 379/202
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 customer-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/007 customer-controlled

Abstract

A configuration for a telecommunications network is disclosed in which service requests from subscribers are received into the network in a service manager which distributes the requests to appropriate service modules for composition of network instructions usable by network elements for providing telecommunications services corresponding to the requests.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network operable for providing communications services using network elements, a method of operating the network comprising the steps of:

(a) configuring a plurality of service modules operable for processing service requests concerning corresponding communications services;

(b) receiving service requests concerning communications services into the network by way of a service manager configured so that substantially all of said requests received in the network are received within said service manager;

(c) determining in said service manager in response to receipt of said requests which of said service modules are operable for processing said service requests and selecting said modules for receipt of said requests;

(d) transferring said service requests from said service manager to said selected service modules in response to selection thereof;

(e) receiving said service requests into said selected service modules and, in response, developing therein network instructions usable by network elements for implementing communications services corresponding to said service requests; and

(f) providing said network instructions to said network elements in response to development thereof and thereby providing communications services in the network corresponding to said service requests.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of configuring an access manager for receiving said service requests before receipt thereof by said service manager.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the step of configuring said access manager for receiving service requests from subscribers of network communications services.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including the step of configuring said access manager for determining whether a subscriber is authorized to present service requests to the network.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including the step of configuring said access manager for storing information representative of allowable communications services for each subscriber and determining, in response to a service request from a subscriber, whether said service request corresponds to communications services allowable for that subscriber.

6. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including the step of configuring said access manager for interacting with subscriber terminals for data flow therebetween.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of configuring said service manager for storing information representative of predetermined communications services plans respectively associated with a subscriber of network communications services.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further including the step of configuring said service manager for implementing said predetermined plans in response to subscriber requests therefor.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, further including the step of configuring said service manager for implementing certain ones of said predetermined plans in response to a disruption within the network affecting communications services without a service request therefor from the subscriber.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, further including the step of configuring said service manager for designating certain ones of said predetermined plans in response to a disruption within the network affecting communications services.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of configuring said service manager for storing information in a database of substantially all communications services of the network implemented by way of said service modules.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing call direction services.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing special message routing arrangements.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing special circuit arrangements.

15. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing special billing arrangements.

16. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing special reporting formats.

17. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of configuring at least one of said service modules for developing network instructions for implementing a selected bandwidth for telecommunications between an originating station and a called station.

18. The method as set forth in claim 1, said network elements including telecommunications switches, said method further including the step of developing said network instructions as switching instructions for switched services.

19. The method as set forth in claim 1, said network elements including means for defining a bandwidth for selected telecommunications transmissions, said method further including the step of developing said network instructions as instructions defining a selected bandwidth for selected transmissions.