Call back service for a regulatory restrictive area

• US 5,661,790 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Hsu, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US08/552,368
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/209, 379/219, 379/220, 379/229, 379/230, 370/60, 370/62, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 379/209.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13533 multivendor and hybrid, e.g. public/private, networks, inc. international
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A telecommunications system receives a call back request though a separately maintained computer network, such as an X.25 based computer network, and initiates the actual call back toward the requesting subscriber using its own Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network. If the call back request fails, an X.25 packet containing an error code is transmitted back to the originating subscriber over the separately maintained computer network. An X.25<=>TCAP converter is used as an interface card to allow X.25 packets to communicate freely with TCAP based telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A system for providing call back subscriber features within a communications network, said system comprising:

a first local network in a first country for ordering a call back request;

a second local network in a second country for initiating a call setup to effectuate said call back request;

an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) within said first local network for receiving said call back request and formatting said call back request into a packet;

a computer communications link connecting said first local network to said second local network, for transporting said packet containing said call back request therebetween;

an interface module within said second local network for receiving said call back request packet over said computer communications link from said IP; and

a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network connecting said first local network to said second local network to establish a communications link effectuating said call back request from said second local network to said first local network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second local network is implemented using an Intelligent Network (IN) architecture, said network comprising:

a Service Switching Point (SSP) for providing telecommunications switching functions; and

a Service Control Point (SCP) for providing telecommunications subscriber features by controlling said Service Switching Point (SSP).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer communications link comprises a X.25 protocol based computer network.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said interface module comprises a converter that converts a X.25 packet to a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) based message to enable said call back request to be compatible with said SS7 telecommunications network.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said interface module connects said computer communications link to said SCP of said second local network.

6. A system for providing a communications link between a first subscriber within a first country and a second subscriber within a second country, said system comprising:

a first telecommunications network servicing said first subscriber, wherein said first telecommunications network comprises a local switch connected to said first subscriber;

a second telecommunications network servicing said second subscriber, wherein said second telecommunications network comprises;

a Service Switching Point (SSP) connected to said second subscriber for providing telecommunications switching functions; and

a Service Control Point (SCP) connected to said SSP for effectuating call back services;

a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications link between said first telecommunications network and said second telecommunications network for communicating voice data;

a computer communications network connecting said first country to said second country for communicating packet data;

a first interface device within said first country for receiving a call back request from said first subscriber and transmitting said call back request over said computer communications network; and

a second interface device within said second country for receiving said transmitted call back request over said computer communications network and sending the received call back request to said SCP.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said computer communications network comprises a X.25 protocol based communications network.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said second interface device comprises a converter that receives X.25 packets over said X.25 protocol based communications network and converts to Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) messages.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said first interface device comprises an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) for receiving subscriber data from said first subscriber.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said IP comprises:

a Dual Tone Multi frequency (DTMF) receiver; and

an announcement machine.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said IP comprises:

a voice recognition module; and

an announcement machine.

12. A method of providing subscriber call back services for a first subscriber within a first country toward a second subscriber within a second country, wherein said first country and said second country are connected using a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network and a X.25 based computer network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call back request from said first subscriber by an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) within said first country;

formatting said call back request into an X.25 based packet by said IP;

transmitting said X.25 based packet over said X.25 based computer network from said first country to said second country;

receiving said transmitted X.25 based packet by a converter within said second country;

converting said transmitted X.25 based packet into a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; and

effectuating a call back service toward said first subscriber by a Service Control Point within said second country with the information from said received TCAP message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of formatting said X.25 based packet further comprises the step of formatting in accordance with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) standard.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of effectuating call back service further comprises the steps of:

ringing said first subscriber located within said first country over said SS7 telecommunications network;

generating an announcement notifying said first subscriber that a call setup is being initiated toward said second subscriber;

initiating a call setup toward said second subscriber; and

establishing a telecommunications link between said first subscriber and said second subscriber.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of effectuating call back service further comprises the steps of:

queuing the call back requests if said second subscriber is busy; and

initiating a new call setup toward said second subscriber when said second subscriber becomes idle.

16. A system for providing subscriber call back services for a first subscriber within a first country toward a second subscriber within a second country, wherein said first country and said second country are connected using a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunication network and a X.25 protocol based computer network, said system comprising:

means for receiving a call back request from a first subscriber;

means for formatting said call back request into an X.25 based packet;

means for transmitting said X.25 based packet over said X.25 based computer network;

means for receiving said transmitted X.25 based packet within said second country;

means for converting said transmitted X.25 based packet into a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message;

means for sending said TCAP message to a Service Control Point (SCP) located within said second country; and

means for effectuating a call back service toward said first subscriber by said SCP with information from said received TCAP message.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for formatting said call back request into an X.25 based packet comprises the means for formatting in accordance with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) standard.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for effectuating call back comprises:

means for ringing said first subscriber located within said first country over said SS7 telecommunications network;

means for generating an announcement notifying said first subscriber that a call setup is being initiated toward said second subscriber; and

means for initiating a call setup toward said second subscriber; and

means for establishing a telecommunications link between said first subscriber and said second subscriber.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for effectuating call back further comprises:

means for queuing the call back request if said second subscriber is busy; and

means for initiating a new call setup toward said second subscriber when said second subscriber becomes idle.