Intelligent network

• US 6,363,411 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Syed, Sami, Deo, Ajay P., Robb, Terence A., Holmes, Allen M., Dugan, Andrew, Wong, Wendy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,666
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/54 Object oriented software
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/052 software update
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0037 involving call modelling techniques, e.g. modifications to the basic call state model [BCSM]

Abstract

In a telecommunications switching network having a resource complex including network switches, an intelligent service platform for providing intelligent call processing and service execution for call events received at the switches and requiring call processing services. A centralized administration system is provided that comprises a system for storing one or more reusable business objects that each encapsulate a distinct call-processing function, and any associated data required by the business object; a system for distributing selected business objects and associated data to selected nodes in the switching network based on pre-determined node configuration criteria; and, a system for activating the business objects in preparation for real-time use. A computing platform is provided within each node for executing those business objects required to perform a service in accordance with an event received at the network switch. Also within a node is a storage and retrieval system for sorting and retrieving selected objects and any associated data distributed by the administration system, and making them locally available to the computing platform when required to perform a service. An underlying location-independent communication system is provided to coordinate interaction of one or more business objects to perform the service in response to needs of the received event.

Claims

1. An intelligent service platform for a telecommunications network including a plurality of interconnected nodes for providing telecommunications services, said telecommunications network including having network elements for receiving telecommunications events requiring service processing, said service platform comprising:

a) an administration system including a repository of service components that include service objects encapsulating distinct service processing functions and any associated data required for providing said service, said administration system including distribution mechanism for distributing said service component and associated data from said repository to selected one or more service nodes in said network, a service node comprising;

i) one or more service execution environments each for executing those service components required to perform a service in accordance with a received event;

ii) a local data storage and retrieval system for receiving sand storing said service components and any associated data from said administration system and, making said service components and associated data available to said service execution environment in response to a received event; and

,

b) a platform-independent communication system for providing inter-process communications between service components at a service node and between service nodes in said telecommunications network and tracking availability of service components at service nodes, said service platform enabling a service to be performed at a service node having available network element that received said event.

2. The service platform as claimed in claim 1, wherein said administration system further comprises:

interface device for receiving said service components from a service creation platform enabling users to create services capable of being executed at a service node, each said service having an associated service profile information defining service node resources required for storing, maintaining and executing said service;

interface device for receiving configuration criteria including physical resource capacity of each service node of said network, said repository including a database device for storing said received service components, said service node configuration criteria, and service profile information associated with said service components,

said distribution mechanism distributing copies of said service components to one or more service nodes according to said service profile information and a configuration criteria of said service node.

3. The service platform as claimed in claim 2, wherein said administration system further comprises a trigger mechanism for initiating activation and deactivation of service components distributed to said service node, a service component being activated at service nodes during periods of high demand for an associated service and deactivated at service nodes during periods of low demand for said service.

4. The service platform as claimed in claim 3, wherein said service profile information includes:

a specified time range indication for indicating when a particular service component is to be activated for execution at said service node; and

,

a number range for indicating the minimum and maximum number of re-usable object threads associated with said service component that may be instantiated at said service node during a specific time range.

5. The service platform as claimed in claim 4, wherein said associated data includes customer specific data, said administration system further comprising:

interface device for receiving said customer specific data from an external order entry system, a service profile input from an external service creation entity which develops said service component and, for receiving said service node configuration criteria from an environment provisioning system which specifies service node capabilities.

6. The service platform as claimed in claim 5, wherein said service execution environment includes one or more computing systems having an operating system and an associated local memory storage device for storing service components and associated data.

7. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein said service components further include customer specific data for provision of customer specific services at a service node, said service administration system further comprising:

inventory manager device for receiving said customer specific data, service components and associated service profile information, and said service node configuration criteria from said interface devices, assigning unique logical names to said service components, and forwarding said service components to said database device for storage thereat.

8. The service platform as claimed in claim 7, wherein said trigger mechanism utilizes said unique logical names for initiating activation, deactivation and removal of said customer specific data, service components and associated data at a service node.

9. The service platform as claimed in claim 8, wherein said location-independent communication system includes registry device at said service node for registering service components and associated data upon activation.

10. The service platform as claimed in claim 9, wherein said unique logical name includes a version number of a particular service component, each service component receiving a unique version number for multiple versions of a component.

11. The service platform as claimed in claim 7, wherein said database device includes one or more database formats, said service administration system further including a database manager device for receiving requests to perform database functions upon service components stored in said database device, and performing database functions associated with said requests, said database manager device utilizing said unique logical name to adapt a requested database function to a format utilized by a specific database type to enable said requested database function to be performed.

12. The service platform as claimed in claim 11, wherein a database function includes one or more of:

adding service process components to said database device, deleting service process components from said database device, and modifying service process components included in said database device.

13. The service platform as claimed in claim 11, wherein said distribution mechanism generates requests for distributing service components from said database device to a local memory storage device at one or more service nodes according to said service profile configuration criteria, said database manager device utilizing said unique identifier to adapt a requested database function to a format utilized by a specific database type to enable retrieval of said requested service component.

14. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein said service administration system further comprises:

audit mechanism for automatically identifying inconsistencies between service component stored in said database device and service component copies distributed to said local memory storage device at a service node, said audit mechanism including re-synchronizer for updating service component copies at said service nodes with current versions thereof upon determination of inconsistencies.

15. The service platform as claimed in claim 14, wherein said service administration system further comprises:

monitoring device for recording all activity in relation to receiving, storing, distributing, and auditing of all service components and service node profile information, said monitoring device implemented for fault analysis and reporting of service administration system processes.

16. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein said local data storage and retrieval system comprises:

a data server for receiving said distributed service components and associated data and storing said service components and associated data in a first memory component of said local memory storage device;

a cache manager device for provisioning service components and associated data from said first component to a second memory component of said local memory storage device, said second memory component including memory locally accessible by currently executing service components in performance of a service at a node; and

,

a client interface object for retrieving data from said second component local memory storage in support of a current executing service at a node, and initiating retrieval of said requested data from said first component of said memory storage via said cache manager device when requested data is unavailable in said second component.

17. The service platform as claimed in claim 16, wherein said cache manager device implements a client side local caching strategy for storing service information in said second component of said local memory storage device, wherein said cache manager device dynamically allocates space in said second component device when caching data from said first memory component.

18. The service platform as claimed in claim 17, wherein a service object requests associated data by a unique logical name, said client interface object determining if requested data is available from said second memory component or from said first memory component.

19. The service platform as claimed in claim 18, wherein said cache manager device implements a query server routine for retrieving data from said first memory component through intermediary of said data server.

20. The service platform as claimed in claim 19, wherein said trigger mechanism comprises a service activation trigger, said data server receiving said service activation trigger for activating a service, and responding to said administration system with an activation request success indicator indicating successful activation of said service distributed to said node or, failure indicator indicating unsuccessful activation of said service information distributed to said node.

21. The service platform as claimed in claim 19, wherein said trigger mechanism comprises a service deactivation trigger, said data server receiving said service deactivation trigger for deactivating a service, and responding to said administration server with a deactivation request success indicator indicating successful deactivation of services distributed to said node or, failure indicator indicating unsuccessful deactivation of said service information distributed to said node.

22. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein said platform-independent communications system includes:

a first level processing device associated with a service execution environment for instantiating and executing one or more activated service objects at a computing system, said first level processor further generating status information relating to resource capacity of a service execution environment; and

,

a second level processing device associated with a service node and communicably linked to said first level processor for receiving said status information from each said first level processor and tracking availability of services at each node, said second level processor determining within which of said one or more computing systems a requested service is to be executed based upon said resource capability and service object availability.

23. The service platform as claimed in claim 22, further including third level processing device communicably linked with each said second level processing device at each service node in said intelligent network for tracking capability of executing services at nodes in said intelligent network, said capability including a list of service execution environments and which types of services are programmed to run on each local execution environment.

24. The service platform as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first level processor generates alarm status information indicating level of usage of a service execution environment and characterized according to levels of severity based on a number of currently executing service object threads, said second level processor receiving said alarm status information, storing and updating said alarm status information in a data storage device.

25. The service platform as claimed in claim 24, wherein said capability tracked at said third level processing device includes:

an active service status for indicating that which service objects may be instantiated at each said service node; and

,

an overload status indicating no further service object instantiations may be performed at a service node based upon said alarm status information.

26. The service platform as claimed in claim 25, wherein said second level processing device receives a service configuration file for each service capable of being provided at a service node, each said service file indicating:

a number of service object instantiations to be executing at each service execution environment, and

a time information for indicating when to instantiate said service objects, said second level processor instantiating one or more said service objects at times indicated by said configuration file.

27. The service platform as claimed in claim 26, wherein said service profile indicates a time duration for service object instantiations, said system processor initiating termination of executing one or more said service objects at times indicated by said service profile.

28. The service platform as claimed in claim 27, wherein said platform-independent communication system receives requests for a particular service in the form of a unique logical name associated with said services said system determining from said first level processing device if a requested service received at a service node is currently active at said service execution environment, and translating said logical name into an object reference for enabling said first level processor to instantiate a service object thread associated with the requested service in a computing system if currently active.

29. The service platform as claimed in claim 28, whereupon determination that said requested service object is not currently active at said service execution environment, said platform-independent communication system enabling communication with said second level processing device to determine availability and status of said requested service object at another service execution environment at said node, and instantiating a service object at a computing system at said another service execution environment based upon availability and status of that service object.

30. The service platform as claimed in claim 29, whereupon determination that said requested service object may not be instantiated at said service node, said platform-independent communication system enabling communication with said third level processing device to determine availability of said requested service object at another service node of said network.

31. The service platform as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first level processing device includes:

a first object for loading one or more service objects from said local memory storage device and instantiating said one or more objects for execution within a computing system; and

a second object corresponding to a particular service for allocating one or more service threads for each service instance corresponding to each received request for that service, each service thread instance having a unique identifier associated therewith.

32. The service platform as claimed in claim 31, wherein said platform-independent communication system includes mechanism for providing real-time communication of messages and events between executing object instances, said second object corresponding to a particular service for channeling events and messages between said service instances, said events and messages including said unique identifier for coordinating received messages and events to the proper service instances.

33. The service platform as claimed in claim 32, further including an event queue mechanism allocated for each service thread instance for queuing events associated with said service instance that are received in the course of service execution,

wherein events have an associated priority indicating order in which said event should be performed, said event queue device enabling processing of received events according to its associated priority.

34. The service platform as claimed in claim 31, wherein said first level processing device comprises:

a registry of active service object threads corresponding to instances of services executing at a computing system at each said execution environment; and

,

mapping device for mapping a service logical name with an object reference, said platform-independent communication system utilizing said object reference for enabling instantiation of a requested service object thread instance in a service execution environment.

35. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein a network element includes an originating switch platform for receiving a telecommunications service request in the form of a call event, said service objects including:

a) platform-independent communication system for enabling communication between object instances executing at service nodes in said intelligent network;

a) an operating system agent object instance executing in an execution environment associated with said originating switch for communicating call origination information corresponding to call events received at said switch platform to one or more object instances executing in an execution environment provided at a service node associated with said switch via said platform-independent communication system, said one or more object instances including;

i) a first line object instance for maintaining the state of a communications line associated with said originating switch; and

,

ii) a service object encapsulating functions for performing a service for a customer;

said local memory storage device accessible by said service object for retrieving call routing information in support of said requested service and terminating locations according to a call routing plan, said local memory storage device including a terminating switch location address for said call based on said retrieved call routing information, and initiating instantiation of a second line object instance for maintaining the state of a communications line associated with said terminating switch,

said platform-independent communication system communicating call routing commands between said service object and said first and second line object instances, said first and second line object instances establishing a call connection between said enabling connection between said originating and terminating switches.

36. The service platform as claimed in claim 35, further including a call object instance for maintaining a current state of a call, and further enabling communication among said service object and said first and second line object instances via said platform-independent communication system.

37. The service platform as claimed in claim 36, wherein said origination information includes a unique identifier for identifying a received call, said call object instance tracking execution of services performed for a call event based on said unique identifier.

38. The service platform as claimed in claim 37, further including an event logic object instance for maintaining and storing call context data associated with services object execution for each object thread instance, said call context data identified by said unique identifier.

39. The service platform as claimed in claim 37, wherein said system agent object instance first communicates said call origination information to a feature discriminator object instance executing in said service execution environment, said feature discriminator object instance performing a database storage lookup to find a logical name associated with each of a service object, a first line object and a call object capable of performing a service associated with said received service request.

40. The service platform as claimed in claim 37, wherein said platform-independent operating system provides name translation function for converting a logical name of an object to an address location for executing an instance of said object.

41. The service platform as claimed in claim 37, wherein said event logic object for receiving call context data related to service processing from one or more of said first and second line object instances, said call object instance, said service object instance, and said switch platform.

42. The service platform as claimed in claim 41, wherein said event object forwards said call context data to a database storage for future use.

43. The service platform as claimed in claim 37, wherein each said first and second line object instances check for customer subscribed features regarding a physical line associated with respective originating and terminating switches.

44. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an operator service system including:

a first component for logically assigning a received event requesting an operator resource to one or more event queue devices, each event queue device representing a logical storage for a received event when an operator resource is not available; and

,

a second component for assigning said available operator resource to an event queue device logically holding said received event call when a network operator resource having said specific capability becomes available,

wherein said operator resource is represented by a termination address, said event being forwarded to said operator resource at a termination address.

45. The service platform as claimed in claim 44, wherein said first component comprises:

an available capability list for maintaining logical termination addresses of available operator resources; and

,

a service processor device for receiving requests from received events, each request including one or more operator resource capabilities, and for querying said available capability list to determine if a requested operator resource having a requested capability is currently available,

wherein said service processor device forwards said received event into an event queue device when a requested operator resource is not currently available.

46. The service platform as claimed in claim 45, wherein said event queue devices are organized according to capabilities of operator resources, a received event being placed in an event queue device according to a representing an operator resource having the requested capability.

47. The service platform as claimed in claim 46, wherein said first component further comprises an event queue selection device for receiving notification from said service processor when a resource is not available for a received event, and assigning an event queue device to handle a request for operator services when an available operator is not currently available to handle the request.

48. The service platform as claimed in claim 45, further comprising a capability process for querying capabilities of events logically stored in said event queue devices and assigning an available operator resource having the requested capability to a received event logically stored in an event queue device.

49. The service platform as claimed in claim 45, wherein said second component comprises a service capability assignment device for assigning available operator resources to various services, said service capability assignment device determining which event queue device is to receive an available operator resource based on current system demands and processing rules.

50. The service platform as claimed in claim 49, wherein said service capability assignment device receives available operator resource information from said available capability list, and re-assigns a said operator resources to an assigned event queue device.

51. The service platform as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a system for performing virtual network (Vnet) services relating to a Vnet request event received at a network element, said system comprising:

Vnet service agent object executing within a service execution environment and responsible for instantiating a Vnet service object thread instance for each Vnet request received and associating a unique transaction identifier therewith, said platform-independent communication system transferring information relating to each Vnet service request to said Vnet service agent object instance, said information including Vnet service request originator and a destination number for said request, said Vnet service agent object instance forwarding said information to an executing Vnet service thread instance according to said unique identifier;

a mechanism for determining a route plan for each received Vnet call based upon said transferred information and on one or more factors as determined by said Vnet service thread instance; and

,

a mechanism for routing said Vnet call from said resource complex to a destination number based on said determined route plan.

52. The service platform as claimed in claim 51, wherein said Vnet service thread instance includes mechanism for performing local database look-up to verify that a calling party is entitled to request said Vnet service according to a Vnet subscription.

53. The service platform as claimed in claim 51, wherein said Vnet wherein said information includes a port ID number and a Terminal ID number, said mechanism for performing a database lookup including querying a source address screening database utilizing said port ID number and a Terminal ID number as keys to determine that a calling party is entitled to make said Vnet service request;

said executing Vnet service thread terminating said Vnet service request if said calling party is not entitled to perform said request.

54. The service platform as claimed in claim 51, wherein said Vnet service thread instance includes mechanism for performing a database look-up verify that said called party may receive a Vnet service call according to a Vnet subscription;

and, terminating said Vnet service request if said called party is not entitled to receive said call.

55. The service platform as claimed in claim 51, wherein said Vnet service thread instance includes mechanism for performing a closed user group database query to determine if said and calling party is entitled to call said called party according to a Vnet service subscription.

56. The service platform as claimed in claim 51, wherein said Vnet service thread instance further determines a current time for the received Vnet service request.

57. The service platform as claimed in claim 56, wherein said one or more factors includes the current time of year, said mechanism for determining a route plan including performing a time of year database query to find a routing choice based on a time of year of said received request.

58. The service platform as claimed in claim 56, wherein said one or more factors includes the current time of day, said mechanism for determining a route plan including performing a time of day database query to find a routing choice based on a time of day of said received request.

59. The service platform as claimed in claim 58, wherein said mechanism for determining a route plan includes mechanism for performing a database lookup to determine a switch to enable routing of said Vnet call from said resource complex to said destination number based on said routing choice.

60. The service platform as claimed in claim 59, wherein said mechanism for determining a route plan includes mechanism for performing a database lookup to determine an outdial path for routing said Vnet call from said resource complex to said destination number based on said routing plan.