Telecommunications switching system utilizing a channelized database access mechanism

• US 6,311,186 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Priority Call Management, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Priority Call Management, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Theresa H., Fisher, Duncan S., Penfield, Robert F., MeLampy, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/122,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/228, 709/223, 709/217, 709/220, 379/714, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 455/445, 455/417, 455/422, 455/461, 707/5, 707/10, 707/100, 707/200, 710/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A telecommunications database system is provided which permits an intelligent peripheral(IP) platform to have channelized database access to a plurality of databases. The IP platform can locate data in any one of the plurality of databases through a channel map that is derived from configuration data supplied by a default database and data supplied by an incoming call or request to the IP platform. Once the channel map is derived, the IP platform can select a channel to access a local or remote database based on the data supplied by the incoming call or request. This data may be a request for information, service circuit id, DNIS of the incoming call, address entered by a caller, OCN/Redirect of the call, ANI of the call, and/or progress indicators.

Claims

1. A database system comprising:

at least one intelligent peripheral device;

at least one database connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device through a communications medium;

a default database connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device through said communications medium, said default database containing configuration data about said at least one database;

said at least one intelligent peripheral device accessing data stored in said at least one database by acquiring said configuration data from said default database and communicating with said at least one database in accordance with said configuration data; and

said at least one intelligent peripheral device accessing data stored in said at least one database based on a database map derived from said configuration data and a data request received by said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

2. The database system of claim 1 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a computer system.

3. The database system of claim 1 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a telecommunications switch.

4. The database system of claim 1 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device stores said database map in a cache memory.

5. The database system of claim 1 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a DNIS of a call that generated said data request.

6. The database system of claim 1 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a OCN/Redirect of a call that generated said data request.

7. The database system of claim 1 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a ANI of a call that generated said data request.

8. The database system of claim 1 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and an address inputted by a caller that initiated said data request.

9. The database system of claim 1 wherein said at least one database is a first database and a second database, said first database having a different access protocol than said second database.

10. The database system of claim 1 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device combines default data with data that is retrieved from at least one accessed database such that said default data replaces any missing data fields in said retrieved data.

11. The database system of claim 10 wherein said default data is contained in the configuration data acquired by said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

12. A database system comprising:

at least one intelligent peripheral device;

a plurality of databases connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device through a communications medium;

a default database connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device through said communications medium, said default database containing configuration data about said plurality of databases;

said at least one intelligent peripheral device accessing data stored in said at least one of said plurality of databases by acquiring said configuration data from said default database and communicating with at least one of said plurality of databases in accordance with said configuration data; and

said at least one intelligent peripheral device accesses data stored in said at least one of said plurality of databases based on a database map derived from said configuration data and a data request received by said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

13. The database system of claim 12 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a computer system.

14. The database system of claim 12 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a telecommunications switch.

15. The database system of claim 13 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device stores said database map in a cache memory.

16. The database system of claim 13 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a DNIS of a call that generated said data request.

17. The database system of claim 13 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a OCN/Redirect of a call that generated said data request.

18. The database system of claim 13 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a ANI of a call that generated said data request.

19. The database system of claim 13 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and an address inputted by a caller that initiated said data request.

20. The database system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of databases includes at least two databases having different accessing protocol.

21. The database system of claim 12 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device combines default data with data that is retrieved from at least one accessed database of said plurality of databases such that said default data replaces any missing data fields in said retrieved data.

22. The database system of claim 21 wherein said default data is contained in the configuration data acquired by said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

23. A channelized database system comprising:

at least one intelligent peripheral device;

a plurality of communication channels connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device, each communication channel associated with a database;

a memory element connected to said at least one intelligent peripheral device for providing configuration data about said plurality of communication channels to said at least one intelligent peripheral device such that said at least one intelligent peripheral device can locate and access data stored in at least one database associated with said at least one of said plurality of communication channels; and

said at least one intelligent peripheral device accesses data stored in said at least one database based on a channel map derived from said configuration data and a data request received by said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

24. The database system of claim 23 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a computer system.

25. The database system of claim 23 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device is a telecommunications switch.

26. The database system of claim 25 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device stores said channel map in a cache memory.

27. The database system of claim 25 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a DNIS of a call that generated said data request.

28. The database system of claim 25 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a OCN/Redirect of a call that generated said data request.

29. The database system of claim 25 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and a ANI of a call that generated said data request.

30. The database system of claim 25 wherein said database map is derived from said configuration data and an address inputted by a caller that initiated said data request.

31. The database system of claim 23 wherein said at least one database is a first database and a second database, said first database having a different access protocol than said second database.

32. The database system of claim 23 wherein said at least one intelligent peripheral device combines default data with data that is retrieved from at least one accessed database such that said default data replaces any missing data fields in said retrieved data.

33. The database system of claim 32 wherein said default data is contained in the configuration data provided by said memory element.

34. A method for accessing a plurality of databases comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for data from a user;

accessing a default database for configuration data for said plurality of databases;

deriving a database map from said requested data, said configuration data, and user information;

accessing at least one database of said plurality of databases for said requested data based on said database map;

receiving said requested data from said at least one database; and

transmitting said requested data to said user.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

storing said database map in a cache memory.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

combining said data received from said at least one database with default data contained within said configuration data to generate said requested data.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein said user information is a DNIS of a call from said user.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein said user information is an OCN/Redirect of a call from said user.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein said user information is an address inputted by said user.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein said user information is the DNIS of a call from said user.