Method and system for processing data records from a telephone data repository to a receiving system

• US 6,067,354 A
• Filed: 10/09/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Button, Ross Edward, Sauve, Steve, Sommers, Francis Cornelius, Holmes, Ralph, Cavanagh, Mike, Kalyn, William, Germann, Kevin, Howlette, Samuel S., Bauer, Deborah, Ernst, Susan Jane McQuigge
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/169,466
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/115, 379/116, 379/119, 379/121, 379/126, 379/133, 379/134, 379/135, 379/196, 379/197, 379/207, 379/219, 379/265, 379/266, 707/1, 707/7, 707/10, 707/523
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/951 Calendar or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for processing data records from a telephone data repository to a receiving system having a message queue and a response queue. The method for processing data records comprising the steps of reading a response from the response queue and whenever the response is successfully read, processing the response. This step is then repeated until there are no more responses to be read. Next, a data record is retrieved from the telephone data repository and whenever the data record is successfully retrieved, the data record is formated into a message and putting the message in the message queue. This step is then repeated until a specified number of data records have been retrieved or there are no more data records to be retrieved. The system comprises a data processor, a first communications link connecting the data processor to a telephone data repository, a second communications link connecting the data processor to a message queue, and a third communications link connecting the data processor to a response queue. The data processor is configured to retrieve a data record from the telephone data repository via the first communications link, format the data record into a message and send the message to the message queue via the second communications link.

Claims

1. A method for processing data records from a telephone data repository to a receiving system having a message queue and a response queue, the method for processing data records comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a response from the response queue and whenever the response is successfully read, processing the response;

(b) repeating step (a) until there are no more responses to be read;

(c) retrieving a data record from the telephone data repository and whenever the data record is successfully retrieved, formatting the data record into a message and putting the message in the message queue; and

(d) repeating step (c) until a specified number of data records have been retrieved or there are no more data records to be retrieved.

2. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) until a terminate signal is received.

3. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the response corresponds to a previously sent message.

4. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 3, wherein the response indicates a status of the previously sent message and step (a) includes updating a message queue table to indicate the status of the previously sent message.

5. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message was successfully stored in the receiving system.

6. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message was rejected by the receiving system.

7. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message should be resent to the receiving system.

8. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 3, wherein step (a) includes resending the previously sent message whenever the response indicates that the previously sent message should be resent to the receiving system.

9. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data records retrieved in step (c) have a specific status.

10. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(b.1) retrieving a previously sent data record from the telephone data repository and whenever the previously sent data record is successfully retrieved, formatting the previously sent data record into a resend message and putting the resend message in the message queue; and

(b.2) repeating step (b.1) until there are no more previously sent data records to be retrieved.

11. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

(b.1.1) whenever a specified number of previously sent data records have been retrieved, reading the response from the response queue and whenever the response is successfully read, processing the response and removing the response from the response queue; and

(b.1.2) repeating step (b.1.1) until there are no more responses to be read.

12. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 11, wherein steps (b.1.1) and (b.1.2) are invoked only if a specified amount of time has elapsed without invoking step (c).

13. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises assigning a tracking number to the message and recording the data record and tracking number in a message status file.

14. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 13, further comprising updating the message status file based on a current status of the message.

15. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises telephone porting data that defines how to route a call from a first service provider to a second service provider.

16. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises a change in the telephone data repository.

17. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises:

telephone network data; and

subscription information.

18. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises an activated telephone number.

19. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises a deactivated telephone number.

20. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises a modified telephone number.

21. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, wherein the data record comprises a local number portability request.

22. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting to the telephone data repository, the message queue and the response queue.

23. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of disconnecting from the telephone data repository, the message queue and the response queue.

24. A method for processing data records from a telephone data repository to a receiving system having a message queue and a response queue, the method for processing data records comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a response from the response queue and whenever the response is successfully read, processing the response;

(b) repeating step (a) until there are no more responses to be read;

(c) whenever a specified amount of time has elapsed without invoking step (d);

(c.1) retrieving a previously sent data record from the telephone data repository and whenever the previously sent data record is successfully retrieved, formatting the previously sent data record into a resend message and putting the resend message in the message queue;

(c.2) whenever a specified number of previously sent data records have been retrieved, reading the response from the response queue and whenever the response is successfully read, processing the response and removing the response from the response queue;

(c.3) repeating step (c.2) until there are no more responses to be read;

(c.4) repeating steps (c.1), (c.2) and (c.3) until there are no more previously sent data records to be retrieved;

(d) retrieving a data record from the telephone data repository and whenever the data record is successfully retrieved, formatting the data record into a message and putting the message in the message queue;

(e) repeating step (d) until a specified number of data records have been retrieved or there are no more data records to be retrieved; and

(f) repeating steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) until a terminate signal is received.

25. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the response corresponds to a previously sent message.

26. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 25, wherein the response indicates a status of the previously sent message and step (a) includes updating a message queue table to indicate the status of the previously sent message.

27. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 26, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message was successfully stored in the receiving system.

28. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 26, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message was rejected by the receiving system.

29. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 26, wherein the status indicates that the previously sent message should be resent to the receiving system.

30. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 25, wherein step (a) includes resending the previously sent message whenever the response indicates that the previously sent message should be resent to the receiving system.

31. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data records retrieved in step (d) have a specific status.

32. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein step (d) further comprises assigning a tracking number to the message and recording the data record and tracking number in a message status file.

33. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 32, further comprising updating the message status file based on a current status of the message.

34. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises telephone porting data that defines how to route a call from a first service provider to a second service provider.

35. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises a change in the telephone data repository.

36. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises:

telephone network data; and

subscription information.

37. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises an activated telephone number.

38. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises a deactivated telephone number.

39. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises a modified telephone number.

40. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, wherein the data record comprises a local number portability request.

41. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, further comprising the step of connecting to the telephone data repository, the message queue and the response queue.

42. The method for processing data records as recited in claim 24, further comprising the step of disconnecting from the telephone data repository, the message queue and the response queue.

43. A data record processing system comprising:

a data processor;

a first communications link connecting the data processor to a telephone data repository;

a second communications link connecting the data processor to a message queue;

a third communications link connecting the data processor to a response queue;

the message queue and response queue being connected to a receiving system; and

the data processor being configured to retrieve a data record from the telephone data repository via the first communications link, format the data record into a message and send the message to the message queue via the second communications link.

44. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises telephone porting data defining how to route a call from a first service provider to a second service provider.

45. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises:

telephone network data; and

subscription information.

46. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises an activated telephone number.

47. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises a deactivated telephone number.

48. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises a modified telephone number.

49. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the data record comprises a local number portability request.

50. The system as recited in claim 43, further comprising an application for updating an internal transaction table in the telephone data repository to reflect a current status of the data record.