Multi-threaded database system for an interactive voice response platform

• US 6,493,433 B2
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hogue, Kolin G., Clabaugh, Lonnie S., Kelsey, Gregory J., Patwardhan, Shailesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/144,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 379/2, 379/34, 379/88.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/88.26, 379/88.27, 379/93.02, 379/93.12, 379/93.29, 379/100.05, 379/126, 379/133, 379/157, 379/201, 379/203, 379/220, 379/223, 379/243, 379/279, 379/671, 379/76, 379/83, 379/88.04, 379/88.12, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.24, 379/9.05, 379/15.02, 379/15.03, 379/15.04, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/201.12, 379/220.01, 379/221.03
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

The multi-threaded database system manages access to a plurality of databases. A separate thread is assigned to each of the databases so as to encapsulate activities relative to the databases. Threads may be performing separate activities independently of each other. As a result, a first database may be modified, added, or deleted while a second database is being accessed. The database system is especially well-adapted for use with an interactive voice response platform.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system having an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services and a database system having multiple databases and a gateway including a thread manager for use by the interactive voice response platform, a method comprising the steps of:

assigning a separate thread to each of the databases to perform operations on the databases;

accessing a first of the databases to perform call processing with a first of the threads;

modifying a second of the databases concurrently with the first thread accessing the first database without affecting the call processing; and

managing the separate threads with the thread manager of the gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the second of the databases comprises modifying information included in the second of the databases.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive voice response platform is a voice response unit.

4. In a telecommunications system having an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a database system having multiple databases for use by the interactive voice response platform;

assigning a separate thread to each of the databases to perform operations on the databases;

accessing a first of the databases to perform call processing with a first of the threads; and

modifying a second of the databases concurrently with the first thread accessing the first database without affecting the call processing,

wherein the step of modifying the second of the databases comprises removing the second of the databases from use by the database system.

5. In a telecommunications system having an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services and a database system having multiple databases and a gateway including a thread manager for use by the interactive voice response platform, a method comprising the steps of:

assigning a separate thread to each of the databases to perform operations on the databases;

accessing a first of the databases with a first of the threads as a part of processing a call;

adding a new database to the database system without interrupting the processing of the call; and

managing the separate threads with the thread manager of the gateway.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the interactive voice response platform is a voice response unit.

7. A database system, comprising:

a plurality of databases holding information for use by an interactive voice response platform, said databases being logically grouped into subsets;

an interface to the interactive voice response platform to facilitate communications between the database system and the interactive voice response platform;

a separate thread assigned to each of the databases for performing operations on the database with which the thread is assigned;

a separate process for each of the subsets of the databases for communicating with the thread and the interactive voice response platform via the interface; and

a gateway including a thread manager for managing the separate threads.

8. The database system of claim 7 wherein the database system is an object-oriented database system.

9. The database system of claim 8 wherein each process is a separate instance of a same object class.

10. The database system of claim 7 wherein the gateway regulates access to the separate processes.

11. The database system of claim 10 wherein the gateway includes routing logic for routing messages to the separate processes.

12. The database system of claim 10 further comprising a configuration database holding configuration information for use by the gateway.

13. The database system of claim 7 further comprising a configuration database holding configuration information for use by the separate processes.

14. In a telecommunications network, a system comprising:

an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services to callers, said platform running applications;

a database system for use by the interactive voice response platform, including;

a plurality of databases holding applications for use by the interactive voice response platform,

a database management system for managing access to the databases,

a separate thread assigned to each of the databases for performing operations on the databases, and

a gateway including a thread manager for managing the separate threads.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the interactive voice response platform is a voice response unit.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the databases hold application'"'"'s data that are accessed by the interactive voice response services to assist in processing calls.

17. In a telecommunications systems having an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services and a database system having multiple databases and a gateway including a thread manager for use by the interactive voice response platform, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising the steps of:

accessing a first of the databases with a first of a plurality of threads to assist in processing a call;

modifying the databases of the database system concurrently with the first of the threads accessing the first database without affecting the call processing; and

managing the plurality of threads with the thread manager of the gateway.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the step of modifying the second of the databases comprises modifying information included in the second of the databases.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the interactive voice response platform is a voice response unit.

20. In a telecommunications systems having an interactive voice response platform for providing interactive voice response services and a database system having multiple databases for use by the interactive voice response platform, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising the steps of:

accessing a first of the databases with a first of a plurality of threads to assist in processing a call; and

modifying the databases of the database system concurrently with the first of the threads accessing the first database without affecting the call processing, wherein the step of modifying the second of the databases comprises removing the second of the databases from use by the database system.

21. A database system, comprising:

a plurality of databases holding information for use by an interactive voice response platform; and

a separate thread assigned to each of the databases for performing operations on the databases,

wherein a first of the databases is accessed to perform call processing with a first of the threads, and

a second of the databases is modified, including removing the second of the databases from use by the database system, concurrently with the first thread accessing the first database without affecting the call processing.

22. In a telecommunications network, a system comprising:

a plurality of databases holding information for use by an interactive voice response platform; and

a separate thread assigned to each of the databases for performing operations on the databases,

wherein a first of the databases is accessed to perform call processing with a first of the threads, and

a second of the databases is modified, including removing the second of the databases from use by the database system, concurrently with the first thread accessing the first database without affecting the call processing.