Service and information management system for a telecommunications network

• US 5,729,597 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhusri, Gurcharan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/442,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/116, 379/119, 379/120, 379/121, 379/133, 379/144, 379/219, 379/220, 379/222, 379/229
• US Class Current: 379/114.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13521 fault management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A system for service control and operations for a telecommunications network. In particular, an architecture and method for a service control and operations element system. The system communicates with a plurality of interconnected telecommunications network elements via a switching and signaling subsystem. The system provides and controls the various functions of the telecommunications network, such as call processing and routing, automatic fault detection and correction, providing services to customers in an interactive manner, fraud detection and control, identification of patterns of abuse of the network, collecting data regarding call activity at each network element, and producing a record of each call placed within the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for servicing a telephone call made in a telecommunications network, comprising:

an interconnect bus;

a database for storing information relating to the telephone call, said database in communication with said interconnect bus; and

a communications unit in communication with a plurality of interconnected network elements in the telecommunications network and in communication with said interconnect bus,

wherein said communications unit instructs the network elements as to routing of the calls originating at the network elements, wherein information associated with each call is transmitted to said communications unit for storage in said database; and

wherein said information includes end-user information and wherein said telephone call includes regular calls.

2. An apparatus for servicing a telephone call made in a telecommunications network, comprising:

an interconnect bus;

a database for storing information relating to the telephone call, said database in communication with said interconnect bus; and

a communications unit in communication with a plurality of interconnected network elements in the telecommunications network and in communication with said interconnect bus,

wherein said communications unit instructs the network elements as to routing of the calls originating at the network elements,

wherein information associated with each call is transmitted to said communications unit for storage in said database and wherein said communications unit creates a record of the calls originating at the network elements for billing purposes including end-user billing.

3. An apparatus for servicing a telephone call, comprising:

means for communicating with a plurality of interconnected network elements associated with a telecommunications network;

means for collecting an information packet associated with the telephone call, the information packet being transmitted from the interconnected network elements to said means for communicating with the plurality of interconnected network elements, wherein the information packet includes end-user data and wherein said telephone call includes regular calls; and

means for routing of the call based on a signal within a message transmitted from the means for communicating to at least one of the interconnected network elements.

4. An apparatus for servicing a telephone call, comprising:

means for communicating with a plurality of interconnected network elements associated with a telecommunications network;

means for collecting an information packet associated with the telephone call, the information packet being transmitted from the interconnected network elements to said means for communicating with the plurality of interconnected network elements, wherein the information packet includes end-user data; and

means for storing the information packet, the stored information packet being used for creating a billing record of the call including end-user billing

means for routing of the call based on a signal within a message transmitted from the means for communicating to at least one of the interconnected network elements.