Virtual end office in a switched telephone network

• US 6,240,173 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wixted, Sally R., Trumbo, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/168,128
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/242, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/229, 379/230, 379/231, 379/232, 379/265
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• 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 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Methods and apparatus implementing a technique for a virtual end office. The virtual end office includes one or more pre-switch adjuncts forming a single logical construct. Each pre-switch adjunct is connected to a local exchange switch in a telephone network and provides special services to subscribers. The pre-switch adjuncts have a common exchange prefix code and so a subscriber can access special services from anywhere in the network by using the same exchange prefix code, so long as the switch the subscriber is using is connected to a pre-switch adjunct.

Claims

1. A method of providing special services in a telephone network through a virtual end office, comprising:

receiving a subscriber request for special services from a subscriber at a subscriber terminal, where the subscriber request includes an exchange prefix code indicating the virtual end office;

transmitting the subscriber request to a local exchange switch connected to the subscriber terminal;

transmitting the subscriber request to a pre-switch adjunct which is assigned the exchange prefix code of the virtual end office, where the pre-switch adjunct is connected to the local exchange switch and to the subscriber terminal; and

providing special services to the subscriber terminal directly from the pre-switch adjunct.

2. The method of claim 1, where the special services are implemented completely within the pre-switch adjunct.

3. The method of claim 1, where the pre-switch adjunct is connected to a second network for providing special services to the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, where the special services are provided directly to the subscriber terminal from the pre-switch adjunct and not through the local exchange switch.

5. The method of claim 1, where the telephone network includes a plurality of local exchange switches, each having one corresponding pre-switch adjunct, and where each of the plurality of pre-switch adjuncts is assigned the exchange prefix code indicating the virtual end office and so collectively logically function as the virtual end office.

6. A method of providing special services in a telephone network through a virtual end office, comprising:

receiving a subscriber request for special services from a subscriber at a subscriber terminal, where the subscriber request includes a code indicating the virtual end office;

transmitting the subscriber request to a local exchange switch connected to the subscriber terminal;

transmitting the subscriber request to a pre-switch adjunct which is assigned the code of the virtual end office, where the pre-switch adjunct is connected to the local exchange switch and to the subscriber terminal; and

providing special services to the subscriber terminal directly from the pre-switch adjunct.

7. The method of claim 6, where the code is translated to a translated code which directly indicates the pre-switch adjunct.

8. A method of providing special services in a telephone network through a virtual end office, comprising:

connecting a subscriber terminal to a local exchange switch, where a user accesses the telephone network through the subscriber terminal;

connecting a pre-switch adjunct directly to the subscriber terminal, where the pre-switch adjunct provides special services to the subscriber;

connecting the pre-switch adjunct to the local exchange switch with an adjunct trunk group; and

assigning an adjunct exchange prefix code to the adjunct trunk group, such that the adjunct exchange prefix code indicates the pre-switch adjunct, and the adjunct exchange prefix code is the same for each pre-switch adjunct in the telephone network, forming a virtual end office.

9. A telephone network comprising:

a subscriber terminal for subscriber access which provides a subscriber request which includes an exchange prefix code indicating a virtual end office;

a local exchange switch connected to the subscriber terminal; and

a pre-switch adjunct for providing special services, connected directly to the subscriber terminal and to the local exchange switch, where the pre-switch adjunct is connected to the local exchange switch by an adjunct trunk group and is assigned an adjunct local exchange prefix such that the adjunct exchange prefix code is the same for each pre-switch adjunct in the telephone network, forming the virtual end office.

10. The telephone network of claim 9, where the local exchange switch is directly connected to the subscriber terminal.

11. The telephone network of claim 9, where the telephone network includes a plurality of local exchange switches, each having one corresponding pre-switch adjunct, and where each of the plurality of pre-switch adjuncts is indicated by the same exchange prefix code and so collectively logically function as the virtual end office.

12. The telephone network of claim 9, where the pre-switch adjunct initiates a call to a subscriber terminal to provide a special service.

13. A telephone network for providing special services through a virtual end office, comprising:

means for receiving a subscriber request for special services from a subscriber using a subscriber terminal, where the subscriber request includes an exchange prefix code indicating the virtual end office;

means for transmitting the subscriber request to a local exchange switch which is connected to the subscriber terminal;

means for transmitting the subscriber request to a pre-switch adjunct which is assigned the exchange prefix code of the virtual end office, where the pre-switch adjunct is connected to the local exchange switch and to the subscriber terminal; and

means for directly providing special services to the subscriber terminal from the pre-switch adjunct.