Intelligent communications networks
First Claim
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;
resource means comprising a plurality of speech applications platforms (SAPs) and a plurality of digit collecting means;
a switch connected by a speech path means to said resource means; and
node controlling means connected to the switch by a signalling link and arranged to respond to an incoming call from a customer routed by the network to the service node by passing details of the call to the service defining means for processing, queuing the call if required due to already ongoing call processing, logically connecting the service defining means to the resource means and to the switch for the passage of command signals and response signals, and commanding the switch to connect the resource means to the incoming call;
the node being characterised in that;
each SAP comprises a store for storing speech segments, each segment having a corresponding identity, and a controlling means arranged to respond to receipt of a predetermined command signal containing the identity of a predetermined speech announcement by;
(i) converting the identity of the predetermined speech announcement to a corresponding succession of speech segment identities,(ii) accessing its speech segment store in accordance with the speech segment identities,(iii) controlling the SAP to generate the corresponding speech segments for the speech announcement,(iv) commanding the connection of a digit collecting means to the incoming call and activating it to collect from the customer a predetermined number of digits, and(v) commanding a corresponding response signal, including the predetermined number of collected digits, to be sent to the node controlling means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A service node is used in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers. The node defines a plurality of services; a first resource including a speech segment store containing, in use, speech segments, each segment having a corresponding identity, and a resource controller arranged to convert a received command signal to a corresponding succession of speech segment identities for a speech announcement corresponding to the command signal, to access the speech segment store in accordance with speech segment identities, to generate corresponding speech segments for the speech announcement and to provide an announcement finished signal when a last speech segment of the announcement has been generated; a switch arranged to connect the first resource to an incoming call routed by the network to the service node; and a node controller arranged to respond to such an incoming call to pass details of the call to the service apparatus for processing, queuing the call as necessary, to pass signals from the service apparatus to the first resource and to the switch, and to pass announcement finished signals from the first resource to the service apparatus.
30 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A service node for use in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers, said service node comprising:
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service defining means arranged to define a plurality of services; resource means comprising a plurality of speech applications platforms (SAPs) and a plurality of digit collecting means; a switch connected by a speech path means to said resource means; and node controlling means connected to the switch by a signalling link and arranged to respond to an incoming call from a customer routed by the network to the service node by passing details of the call to the service defining means for processing, queuing the call if required due to already ongoing call processing, logically connecting the service defining means to the resource means and to the switch for the passage of command signals and response signals, and commanding the switch to connect the resource means to the incoming call; the node being characterised in that; each SAP comprises a store for storing speech segments, each segment having a corresponding identity, and a controlling means arranged to respond to receipt of a predetermined command signal containing the identity of a predetermined speech announcement by; (i) converting the identity of the predetermined speech announcement to a corresponding succession of speech segment identities, (ii) accessing its speech segment store in accordance with the speech segment identities, (iii) controlling the SAP to generate the corresponding speech segments for the speech announcement, (iv) commanding the connection of a digit collecting means to the incoming call and activating it to collect from the customer a predetermined number of digits, and (v) commanding a corresponding response signal, including the predetermined number of collected digits, to be sent to the node controlling means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a service node in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving from a customer an incoming call routed by the network to the service node and passing details of the incoming call to a service defining means for processing, queuing the call if required due to already ongoing call processing; connecting a digit collecting means, and a speech applications platform (SAP), to the incoming call in response to a request from the service defining means; sending a command signal containing the identity of a predetermined speech announcement from the service defining means to the SAP; the method being characterised by the steps of responding to receipt of the command signal by the SAP, by; converting the identity of the predetermined speech announcement to a corresponding succession of speech segment identities; accessing, in accordance with said speech segment identities, a speech segment store and retrieving speech segments corresponding to the speech segment identifies; generating the retrieved speech segments; collecting with the digit collecting means a predetermined number of digits dialed by the customer; and sending to the service defining means a response signal including the predetermined number of digits. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification