System and method for providing text descriptions to electronic databases

• US 6,343,292 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Tidwell, Paul, Roach, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US09/146,419
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/201, 707/10, 707/103, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 395/200.61, 709/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0058 using service-independent building blocks (SIBBs) or "primitives"
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A development tool for creating telecommunication subscriber services or other operations. The tool reads a subscriber service logic diagram containing function primitives which define the service and creates data structures containing text descriptions of primitive operation and parameters pertaining thereto. The tool then examines the data structures and determines the appropriate text descriptions for the function primitives and corresponding parameters, based upon parameter values assigned by a user in creating the subscriber service logic diagram. The tool also validates parameters against available constraints. The text descriptions are then ported into the subscriber service logic diagram, thereby clarifying the operation of the subscriber service defined by the logic diagram.

Claims

1. A development system for creating an electronic database defining an operation, comprising:

a means for defining a subscriber service diagram of an operation as a representation of interrelated primitives, each said primitive performing a single function and having a plurality of parameters which define a behavior of said function, the value of at least one said parameter being user-assignable, and text descriptions defining said parameters and said function;

a means for creating a data structure of each primitive utilized in said subscriber service diagram of said operation, each said data structure comprising a set of one or more nodes, with each node including data fields containing a description of a function of said primitive and a description of a parameter thereof;

a means for examining said data structures for said primitives and for determining text descriptions of said parameters and said functions of said primitives based upon said primitive parameter values assignable by the user;

a means for providing said determined text descriptions of said parameters and said functions for said primitives into the subscriber service diagram of the operation; and

a means for validating a parameter value corresponding to said determined parameter constraint against said determined parameter constraint.

2. The development system of claim 1, wherein:

said data structure for at least one primitive includes a plurality of text descriptions for said parameter and a plurality of text descriptions for said function, and said examining and determining means selects a text description of said parameter and a text description of said function based upon said parameter value assignable by the user for said primitive.

3. The development system of claim 1, wherein:

said data structure for at least one primitive comprises a set of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes including data fields containing a description of said function, a description of a parameter, and links to other of said nodes in said set of nodes for said primitive.

4. The development system of claim 3, wherein:

said data field of said node which links said node to another node in said set of nodes for said primitive includes a data field specifying a value of said parameter whose value is user-assignable, and a data field containing a pointer to said another node for examining by said examining means if said user-assignable parameter value does not match said specified parameter value in said node having said pointer.

5. The development system of claim 3, wherein:

said data field of said node which links said node to another node in said set of nodes for said primitive includes a data field specifying a value of said parameter whose value is user-assignable, and a data field containing a pointer to said another node for examining by said examining means if said user-assigned parameter value matches said specified parameter value in said node having said pointer.

6. The development of claim 1, wherein:

said examining and determining means comprises a means for creating a working node for each primitive, each said working node having an identical structure to nodes corresponding to said primitive, a means for examining each node in said set of nodes for each primitive and for writing data into data fields in said working node based upon said parameter value assignable to said parameter by the user.

7. The development system of claim 6, wherein:

said data structure for at least one first primitive includes a set of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes in said data structure including data fields containing a description of said function, a description of a parameter and a condition for said parameter whose value is user-assignable for said first primitive; and

said data writing means writes data from data fields of a node corresponding to said first primitive into said working node therefor based upon an affirmative determination that said parameter value assignable by the user matches said condition in said node.

8. The development system of claim 6, wherein:

said data fields in said working nodes for said primitives contain said determined text descriptions of said parameters and said functions for said corresponding primitives following said examining and said determining of said data structure of said primitives; and

said providing means comprises a means for porting said data fields of said working nodes into said subscriber service diagram.

9. The development system of claim 1, wherein:

one or more nodes of said data structure for at least one primitive includes a data field containing a constraint for a parameter of said at least one primitive.

10. The development system of claim 9, wherein:

said determining means includes a means for determining said parameter constraint for said at least one primitive based upon said parameter value specified by the user; and

said providing means provides said determined parameter constraint to a user of said system.

11. A method of creating an electronic database defining an operation, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user-created subscriber service diagram defining an operation as a representation of interrelated primitives, each said primitive performing a single function and having a plurality of parameters which define a behavior of said function, the value of at least one of said parameters being user-assignable, and text descriptions defining said parameters and said function of said primitive;

creating a data structure of each primitive utilized in said user-created subscriber service diagram of said operation, each said data structure comprising a set of one or more nodes, with each node including data fields containing a description of a function of said primitive and a description of a parameter thereof;

examining said data structures for said primitives and determining text descriptions of said parameters and said functions of said primitives based upon said primitive parameter values assignable by the user; and

providing said determined text descriptions of said parameters and said functions for said primitives into the user-created subscriber service diagram;

wherein said data structure for at least one primitive comprises a set of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes including data fields containing a description of said function, a description of a parameter, and links to other of said nodes in said set of nodes for said primitive.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said data field of said node which links said node to another node in said set of nodes for said primitive includes a data field specifying a value of said parameter whose value is user-assignable, and a data field containing a pointer to said another node for examining by said examining means if said user-assignable parameter value does not match said specified parameter value in said node having said pointer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said data field of said node which links said node to another node in said set of nodes for said primitive includes a data field specifying a value of said parameter whose value is user-assignable, and a data field containing a pointer to said another node for examining by said examining means if said user-assigned parameter value matches said specified parameter value in said node having said pointer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said determining step comprises the steps of creating a working node for each primitive, wherein each said working node has an identical structure to nodes corresponding to said primitive, examining nodes in said set of nodes, and writing data into data fields in each said working node based upon said value assigned to said parameter of said respective primitives by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data structure for at least one first primitive includes a set of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes in said data structure including data fields containing a description of said function, a description of a parameter and a condition for said parameter whose value is user-assignable for said first primitive; and

said data writing step comprises the step of writing data from data fields of a node corresponding to said first primitive into said working node therefor based upon an affirmative determination that said parameter value assignable by the user matches said condition in said node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said data fields in said working nodes for said primitives contain said determined text descriptions of said parameters and said functions for said corresponding primitives following said examining and said determining of said data structure of said primitives; and

said providing step comprises the step of porting said data fields of said working nodes into said user-created subscriber service diagram of said operation.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

one or more nodes of said data structure for at least one primitive includes a data field containing a constraint for a parameter of said at least one primitive.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said determining step includes the step of determining said parameter constraint for said at least one primitive based upon said parameter value specified by the user; and

said providing step includes the step of providing said determined parameter constraint into said user-created subscriber service database.

19. A method of creating an electronic database defining an operation, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user-created subscriber service diagram defining an operation as a representation of interrelated primitives, each said primitive performing a single function and having a plurality of parameters which define a behavior of said function, the value of at least one of said parameters being user-assignable, and text descriptions defining said parameters and said function of said primitive;

creating a data structure of each primitive utilized in said user-created subscriber service diagram of said operation, each said data structure comprising a set of one or more nodes, with each node including data fields containing a description of a function of said primitive and a description of a parameter thereof and one or more nodes of said data structure for at least one primitive including a data field containing a constraint for a parameter of said at least one primitive;

examining said data structures for said primitives and determining text descriptions of said parameters and said functions of said primitives based upon said primitive parameter values assignable by the user, said determining including determining said parameter constraint for said at least one primitive based upon said parameter value specified by the user;

providing said determined text descriptions of said parameters and said functions for said primitives into the user-created subscriber service diagram, and providing said determined parameter constraint into said user-created subscriber service diagram; and

validating a parameter value corresponding to said determined parameter constraint against said determined parameter constraint.

20. A computer program product capable of being embodied on a computer readable medium, for a system for creating a subscriber service diagram database defining an operation and utilizing a library set of functional primitives having user-assignable parameters therefor, said computer program product including instructions for:

creating data structures from functional primitives in the subscriber service diagram database, each said data structure comprising a set of one or more nodes, with each node including data fields containing description data extracted from the subscriber service diagram database pertaining to a behavior of the corresponding functional primitive and a parameter therefor;

examining said created data structures and for determining text descriptions from said description data pertaining to said behavior of the corresponding functional primitive and a parameter therefor based upon values for the user-assignable parameters for the functional primitives;

providing said determined text descriptions into the subscriber service diagram database;

wherein at least one functional primitive includes a constraint upon a user-assignable parameter value for the functional primitive; and

said product further includes instructions for validating the user-assignable parameter value against the parameter constraint corresponding thereto, and for providing validation information into said subscriber service diagram.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein:

the instructions for examining and determining includes instructions for creating a working data structure node for each functional primitive and for writing data into data fields in said working data structure node based upon the user-assignable parameter values.

22. A computing method for use in a system for creating a subscriber service diagram utilizing a library set of functional primitive building blocks having user-assignable parameters therefor, said method comprising the steps of:

creating data structures from the subscriber service diagram, each said data structure comprising a set of one or more nodes, with each node including data fields containing description data extracted from the subscriber service diagram pertaining to a behavior of a functional primitive building block and a parameter therefor;

examining said created data structures and determining text descriptions from said description data pertaining to said behavior of a functional primitive building block and a parameter therefor based upon values for the user-assignable parameters for the functional primitive building blocks;

automatically providing said determined text descriptions into the subscriber service diagram;

wherein at least one functional primitive building block includes a constraint upon a user-assignable parameter value for the functional primitive building block; and

validating the user-assignable parameter value against the parameter constraint corresponding thereto, and providing validation information into said subscriber service diagram.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said examining and determining step includes the steps of creating a working data structure node for each functional primitive building block in the subscriber service diagram and writing data into data fields in said working data structure node based upon the user-assignable parameter values.