NPA split management in intelligent network environment

• US 6,289,095 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Buttitta, Anthony, Samba, Augustine Sylvester
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/162,911
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 379/201, 379/230, 379/219, 379/136, 379/220, 379/221, 379/211, 379/229
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An NPA split management system and associated methods for receiving from a user descriptive instructions regarding an upcoming NPA split, and responsively updating components of the Intelligent Network to reflect corresponding changes in the NPA codes assigned to lines, subscribers, services, etc. A user interface operating in conjunction with a Service Management System allows the user to declare an NPA split and define its characteristics, including the old NPA code, the new NPA code, the central office codes to be “transferred” to the new NPA, and the dates of beginning and end of the permissive dialing period (PDP). The SMS contains indicia corresponding to SMS-managed databases, or tables, records, or fields thereof, which definitively specify whether the data contained therein is affected by an NPA split. The SMS determines which items require updating to the new NPA code, and on which components the affected databases or services reside. The SMS transmits to each affected Intelligent Network component instructions to update the affected databases (or other items) by replacing the old NPA code with the new NPA code. The Intelligent Network component executes the update instruction and installs a translation table entry. When transactions arrive during the PDP, the Intelligent Network component translates mentions of the old NPA to the new NPA before providing the requested service, as the updated database no longer has references to the old NPA.

Claims

1. A system for managing a numbering plan area (NPA) split in a telecommunications network Intelligent Network environment having at least one Intelligent Network element containing a plurality of information items relating to a telecommunications service including a representation of said at least one telephone directory number, and the NPA split requiring a change in a defined portion of at least one telephone directory number of said telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a service management system operatively coupled to said at least one Intelligent Network element;

said service management system having a user interface for receiving information about said NPA split, said information including a representation of a pre-split value of said defined portion and a post-split value of said defined portion;

said service management system further having indicia identifying information items of said Intelligent Network element which must be changed as a result of said NPA split;

said service management system further having an instruction generator responsive to said indicia and said information about said NPA split for providing an instruction to said intelligent network element to convert representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number to representations of said post-split value within said information items; and

said at least one Intelligent Network element further having a converter operative in response to said instruction to convert representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number to representations of said post-split value within said information items.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said defined portion includes an NPA code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said defined portion includes an NPA code and a central office code.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items comprises a first subset of information items of a type requiring change as a result of said NPA split and a second subset of information items of a type not requiring change as a result of said NPA split; and

said indicia of said service management system identifies said first subset.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said plurality of information items includes some information items containing a representation of a telephone directory number;

and said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such information items containing a representation of a telephone directory number.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items includes some information items containing a representation of a telephone billing number; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such information items containing a representation of a telephone billing number.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items includes some information items containing a representation of a telephone routing address; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such information items containing a representation of a telephone routing address.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items includes some information items containing a representation of an NPA code; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such information items containing a representation of a NPA code.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items includes some information items containing a representation of a central office code; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such information items containing a representation of a central office code.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items comprises a plurality of records, each having a plurality of data fields, at least one of said data fields containing a representation of a telephone directory number; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert such data fields containing a representation of a telephone directory number.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of information items comprises a database having defined therein a plurality of attributes, at least one of said attributes containing a representation of a telephone directory number; and

said generator is responsive to said indicia for generating an instruction to said at least one Intelligent Network element to convert attributes containing a representation of a telephone directory number.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said Intelligent Network element further comprises a receiver adapted to receive service requests from said telecommunications network; and

a translator for translating representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number contained in said service requests to representations of said post-split value.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said Service Management System further comprises a translation table entry generator responsive to said information about said NPA split for enabling said intelligent network element to translate representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number to representations of said post-split value.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said Intelligent Network element is responsive to a translation table entry provided by said Service Management System for translating representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number contained in said service requests to representations of said post-split value.

15. A method operable in conjunction with a numbering plan area (NPA) split for updating information items in elements of the Intelligent Network and in a Service Management System, comprising the steps of:

(a) said service management system receiving information defining an NPA split in which at least a defined portion of a telephone number must change as a result of said NPA split from a pre-split value to a post-split value;

(b) said service management system determining which information items of said Intelligent Network elements are of a type which must change as a result of said NPA split; and

(c) said service management system generating an instruction to said Intelligent Network elements to convert in said determined information items representations of said pre-split value into representations of said post-split value.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

(d) responsive to said instruction from said Service Management System, said Intelligent Network elements converting in said determined information items representations of said pre-split value into representations of said post-split value.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

(e) said Intelligent Network elements reporting to said Service Management System completion of said converting step.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

(f) said Service Management System performing a conversion on a local copy of the information items of said Intelligent Network elements, said conversion being equivalent to that performed by said Intelligent Network Element.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

(d) said service management system generating a translation table entry identifying said pre-split value and said post split value of said defined portion of a telephone number; and

(e) said service management system transmitting said translation table entry to said Intelligent Network Element.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

(f) said Intelligent Network element receiving said translation table entry;

(g) said Intelligent Network element receiving a request for service containing a telephone directory number affected by said NPA split; and

(h) said Intelligent Network element translating said defined portion of said telephone directory number of said request for service from said pre-split value to said post-split value.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

(i) providing a service responsive to said translated value of said defined portion of said telephone directory number of said request for service.

22. A system for managing a numbering plan area (NPA) split in a telecommunications network Intelligent Network environment having at least one Intelligent Network element containing a plurality of information items relating to a telecommunications service including a representation of said at least one telephone directory number, and the NPA split requiring a change in a defined portion of at least one telephone directory number of said telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a service management system operatively coupled to said at least one Intelligent Network element;

said service management system having a user interface for receiving information about said NPA split, said information including a representation of a pre-split value of said defined portion and a post-split value of said defined portion;

said service management system further having indicia identifying information items of said Intelligent Network element which must be changed as a result of said NPA split;

said service management system further having an instruction generator responsive to said indicia and said information about said NPA split for providing an instruction to said intelligent network element to convert representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number to representations of said post-split value within said information items;

said at least one Intelligent Network element further having a converter operative in response to said instruction to convert representations of said pre-split value of said defined portion of said at least one telephone directory number to representations of said post-split value within said information items;

said at least one Intelligent Network element being adapted to maintain for each of said information items subject to conversion the converted version of such information item without maintaining an unconverted version of such information unit once conversion is complete.

23. A method operable in conjunction with a numbering plan area (NPA) split for updating information items in elements of the Intelligent Network and in a Service Management System, comprising the steps of:

(a) said service management system receiving information defining an NPA split in which at least a defined portion of a telephone number must change as a result of said NPA split from a pre-split value to a post-split value;

(b) said service management system determining which information items of said Intelligent Network elements are of a type which must change as a result of said NPA split;

(c) said service management system generating an instruction to said Intelligent Network elements to convert in said determined information items representations of said pre-split value into representations of said post-split value; and

(d) responsive to said instruction from said Service Management System, said Intelligent Network elements converting in said determined information items representations of said pre-split value into representations of said post-split value, and maintaining for each of said information items subject to conversion the converted version of such information item without maintaining an unconverted version of such information unit once conversion is complete.