Mediated AIN control of short code access to information service providers
First Claim
1. A method comprising the steps of:
- detecting dialing from a calling communication station of a predetermined short code number prior to dialing of any other digits at the start of a call at one of a plurality of switching offices of a communication network;
sending a first query containing information relating to the call through an interoffice signaling network to a mediation point;
based on predetermined criteria, selecting one of a plurality of information service providers capable of providing an independent information service to the calling communication station and sending a second query containing at least some of the information relating to the call to a database of the selected information service provider via the interoffice signaling network;
accessing data in the database of the selected information service provider in response to the second query to obtain a call processing instruction;
sending a first response containing the call processing instruction from the database of the selected information service provider to the mediation point via the interoffice signaling network;
processing the first response to validate the call processing instruction;
sending a second response containing the validated call processing instruction to a call processing node of the communication network; and
processing the call in the communication network in accord with the validated call processing instruction.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an Advanced Intelligent Network, a central mediation point stores call processing records for controlling call routing and other call processing functions. To provide short code access to information service providers, each information service provider will operate an independent database which stores additional call processing records. When an established subscriber dials the short code, e.g. an N11 code, the mediation point identifies the information provider that the subscriber has previously selected from the subscriber'"'"'s call processing record stored in the mediation point. The mediation point communicates with that service provider'"'"'s database to obtain call processing information. The mediation point validates the call processing information for compatibility with network operations. The mediation point forwards validated call processing information to a node of the network to process the call in accord with the information from the provider'"'"'s database. If the caller has not pre-selected one of the provider'"'"'s or the caller dials one alternate short code, the network will prompt the caller for a selection, and then obtain the necessary call processing information from the database of the selected provider.
155 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
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detecting dialing from a calling communication station of a predetermined short code number prior to dialing of any other digits at the start of a call at one of a plurality of switching offices of a communication network; sending a first query containing information relating to the call through an interoffice signaling network to a mediation point; based on predetermined criteria, selecting one of a plurality of information service providers capable of providing an independent information service to the calling communication station and sending a second query containing at least some of the information relating to the call to a database of the selected information service provider via the interoffice signaling network; accessing data in the database of the selected information service provider in response to the second query to obtain a call processing instruction; sending a first response containing the call processing instruction from the database of the selected information service provider to the mediation point via the interoffice signaling network; processing the first response to validate the call processing instruction; sending a second response containing the validated call processing instruction to a call processing node of the communication network; and processing the call in the communication network in accord with the validated call processing instruction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system, comprising:
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a network, said network comprising; (A) local communication links, (B) a plurality of separately located central office switching systems interconnected via trunk circuits for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links, (C) a mediation point, separate from the central office switching systems, and (D) a signalling communication system for two-way communications of data messages, said signalling communication system interconnecting the central office switching systems and connecting the central office switching systems to the mediation point; first and second information service provider systems connected to at least one central office switching system of the network for providing selected information via communication through the network; and first and second service control databases coupled for communication with the mediation point via the signaling communication system, said first service control database containing control data related to services of the first information service provider system and said second service control database containing data related to services of the second information service provider system, wherein; the central office switching systems transmit query messages to the mediation point via the signaling network in response to receipt of a predetermined short code number from a calling communication station prior to dialing of any other digits; and in response to each query relating to receipt of the predetermined short code, the mediation point selects one of the first service control database and the second service control database depending on whether a parameter relating to the particular call meets a first predetermined criteria or a second predetermined criteria respectively, the mediation point obtains and validates call processing control information from the selected service control database, and the mediation point transmits validated call processing control information to a node of the network to control processing of a call. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a system comprising:
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(A) local communication links, (B) a plurality of separately located central office switching systems interconnected via trunk circuits for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links, (C) a mediation point, separate from the central office switching systems, (D) a signalling communication system for two-way communications of data messages, said signalling communication system interconnecting the central office switching systems and connecting the central office switching systems to the mediation point, (E) first and second information service provider systems connected to at least one of the central office switching systems for providing selected information, and (F) first and second service control databases coupled for communication with the mediation point via the signaling communication system, said first control database containing control data related to services of the first information service provider system and said second control database containing data related to services of the second information service provider system, the method of routing a call to a selected one of the first and second information service provider systems comprising the steps of; at one central office switching system, detecting input digits of a predetermined short code number on one of the connected local communication lines prior to input of any other digits at the start of a call; sending a first query containing information relating to the call from the one central office switching system through the signaling communication system to the mediation point; selecting one of the first and second service control databases based at least in part on the information relating to the call; sending a second query containing the information relating to the call from the mediation point to the selected service control database through the signaling communication system; in response to the second query, accessing control information stored in the selected service control database; sending a first response from the selected service control database to the mediation point through the signaling communication system, said first response including the control information; validating the control information included in the first response; sending a second response from the mediation point to the one central office switching system through the signaling communication system, said second response including validated control information; and processing the call in response to the validated control information. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. In a system comprising:
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(A) local communication links, (B) a plurality of separately located central office switching systems interconnected via trunk circuits for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links, (C) a mediation point, separate from the central office switching systems, (D) a signalling communication system for two-way communications of data messages, said signalling communication system interconnecting the central office switching systems and connecting the central office switching systems to the mediation point, (E) first and second information service provider systems connected to at least one of the central office switching systems for providing selected information, and (F) first and second service control databases coupled for communication with the mediation point via the signaling communication system, said first control database containing control data related to services of the first information service provider system and said second control database containing data related to services of the second information service provider system, the method of routing a call to a selected one of the first and second information service provider'"'"'s systems comprising the steps of; at one central office switching system, detecting input digits of a short code number on one of the connected local communication lines prior to input of any other digits at the start of a call; sending a first query containing information relating to the call from the one central office switching system through the signaling communication system to the mediation point; if the information relating to the call satisfies a first predetermined condition, then selecting one of the first and second service control databases based on information stored in the mediation point; if the information relating to the call satisfies a second predetermined condition, then prompting a calling party to input a selection and selecting one of the first and second service control databases in response to the input selection; sending a second query containing information relating to the call from the mediation point to the selected service control database through the signaling communication system; in response to the second query, accessing control information stored in the selected service control database; sending a first response from the selected service control database to the mediation point through the signaling communication system, said first response including the control information; validating the control information included in the first response; and processing the call in response to the validated control information. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification