Method for controlling telecommunication services

• US 6,353,665 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Reber, Ulrich, Davutoglu, Can
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/462,536
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.12, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.12, 379/230
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network wherein both the telecommunication services that a service control point administers as well as the service switching points are allocated to specific network operators and an additional check of the network operator is proposed, which is implemented by the SCP before a service call is further-processed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network which is composed of network elements and which is operated by at least two network operators, the method comprising the steps of:

unambiguously allocating to one of the network operators some of the network elements for service switching;

unambiguously allocating to at least one of the network operators every offered telecommunication service;

designating at least one network element as a controlling network element for control of the telecommunication services;

checking, via the controlling network element, whether a service-switching point is allocated to the same network operator as a telecommunication service via which the service-switching point is called; and

implementing further actions for the called telecommunications service dependent on a result of the step of checking.

2. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

storing information in the service control point about the allocation of service switching points to network operators.

3. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

determining, via the service control point, information about the allocation of service switching points to network operators from the service request.

4. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending a service request to a service switching point of a network operator via a subscriber of the telecommunication network;

communicating the service request to the service control point via the service switching point;

checking, via the service control point, to see which first network operator the transmitting service switching point is allocated and to which second network operator the requested service is allocated; and

rejecting the call of the telecommunication service when the check shows that the first network operator is different from the second network operator.

5. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

sending an initialization message to service switching points, upon activation of a telecommunication service by the service control point, wherein the initialization message is only sent to those service switching points that are allocated to the network operator or to operators offering the telecommunication service.

6. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 5, the method further comprising the step of:

counting the plurality of incoming service calls via the service switching points that have received the initialization message.

7. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 5, the method further comprising the step of:

making calculations about the traffic load of the individual telecommunication services wherein the calculations are implemented network operator-dependent.

8. A method for controlling telecommunication services in a telecommunication network as claimed in claim 7, the method further comprising the step of:

allowing only a predetermined portion of the service calls via the service switching points that have received the initialization message.