Intelligent communications networks

• US 5,530,742 A
• Filed: 09/14/1995
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Taylor, Andrew P., Hollywood, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/528,332
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/265, 379/266, 379/207, 379/211, 379/212, 379/221, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89
• US Class Current: 379/221.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13517 SLEE - service logic execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13526 resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A service node for use in an intelligent communications network provides services for customers and includes service defining apparatus for defining a plurality of services. A plurality of resources are each arranged to generate speech announcements in response to receipt of respective command signals and to provide an announcement finished signal when each generated speech announcement has been finished. A switch is arranged to connect the resources to incoming calls routed by the network to the service node. Control apparatus within the service node responds to incoming calls to place details of the various signals from the service defining apparatus and to receive a reserved resource announcement finished signal. In response, the service node updates details of the corresponding call and passes the updated details from a memory to the bottom of a corresponding service queue.

Claims

1. A service node for use in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers, said service node comprising:

service defining means arranged to define a plurality of services;

a plurality of resources, each arranged to generate speech announcements in response to receipt of respective command signals and to provide an announcement finished signal when each generated speech announcement has been finished;

a switch arranged to connect the resources to incoming calls routed by the network to the service node; and

controlling means having a memory and arranged to respond to said incoming calls to place details of the calls in respectively corresponding service queues, said controlling means receiving from the service defining means;

(a) a reserve resource request signal for reservation of a resource in respect of a call whose details have been passed to the service defining means by the controlling means from the top of a service queue, thereby associating the call with the service defining means, and to reserve an available one of the resources,

(b) a connection request signal for the reserved resource to be connected to the call and to control the switch,

(c) a command signal for the reserved resource to generate a corresponding speech announcement and to send the command signal to the reserved resource,

(d) a signal for disassociating the service defining means from the call and to store current details of the call in said memory,

(e) a signal indicating that the service defining means is ready to handle another call and to pass to the service defining means the call then at the top of a corresponding service queue,

and to receive from a reserved resource an announcement finished signal and to update details of the corresponding call and to pass the updated details from said memory to the bottom of a corresponding service queue.

2. The service node as in claim 1, wherein the controlling means comprises:

a common resource handler having a first part responsive to receipt of the reserve resource request signal to reserve the available one of the resources, said first part also providing the identity of the reserved resource to be stored in said memory as a current detail of the call, and to provide a resource reserved signal.

3. The service node as in claim 2, wherein the common resource handler also has a second part responsive to receipt of an announcement command signal to reserve an available one of a plurality of dialogue identities, to provide the reserved dialogue identity to be stored in said memory as a current detail of the call in association with a stored reserved resource identity, and to send the announcement command signal to the reserved resource in association with a reserved dialogue identity.

4. A method of operating a service node in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a switch of the service node a call routed to the service node by the network, identifying a requested service and placing details of the call in a corresponding service queue;

passing details of the call, when having highest priority in the service queue, to a service defining means of the service node when it is ready to process a call;

reserving an available one of a plurality of resources of the service node and associating the reserved resource with the call;

connecting the reserved resource to an incoming call by the switch in response to a command from the service defining means;

generating by the reserved resource a speech announcement corresponding to a command from the service defining means;

storing details of a current call at the time of commanding the reserved resource and releasing the service defining means to process another call;

generating by the reserved resource an announcement finished signal and in response updating stored details of the call;

placing updated call details at the bottom of a corresponding service queue; and

maintaining the reservation of the resource in association with that call until the call is terminated or the service defining means determines that the reserved resource is no longer required.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the step of reserving the available one of the resources comprises the substeps of:

removing by means of a first part of a common resource handler of the service node an available resource and providing, by said first part, an identity of the reserved resource and a resource reserved signal,

storing said identity as a current detail of the call, and

passing the resource reserved signal to the service defining means.

6. The method as in claim 5, including the steps of:

reserving by means of a second part of the common resource handler an available one of a plurality of dialogue identities,

providing by said second part a dialogue identity,

forwarding, by said second part, an announcement command to the reserved resource in association with said dialogue identity, and

storing said dialogue identity as a current detail of the call.