Telecommunication resource allocation system and method

• US 6,560,325 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: T-Netix, Inc. (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Hogg, John S., Brown, Barry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/115,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20020106068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 379/201.01, 379/201.05, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 379/220.01, 709/104
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0018 Computer Telephony Resource Boards
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13144 Searching path through number of switching stages or nodes, e.g. revertive blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54516 Initialization, software or data downloading G06F9/445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A telecommunication system includes a plurality of applications, a plurality of telecommunication resources, and a telecommunication services kernel. At least one telecommunication resource is capable of generating an event and each application is capable of responding to an event. The telecommunication services kernel couples a requested application triggered by the event with telecommunication resource required by the application. The telecommunication service kernel also de-couples the requested application and the required telecommunication resource in response to the requested application completing execution. The required telecommunication resource is now available to other applications. A method for allocating a telecommunication resource to an application in a telecommunications system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. In a telecommunication system, a sub-system for communications between an application from a plurality of applications and a telecommunication resource from a plurality of telecommunication resources, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a virtual command from the application, translate the virtual command to a resource specific command, and transmit the resource specific command to the telecommunication resource, and configured to receive the resource specific command from the telecommunication resource, translate the resource specific command to the virtual command, and transmit the virtual command to the application; and

a hardware manager module coupled to the plurality of telecommunication resources configured to determine the availability of the telecommunication resource wherein the hardware manager module initially determines the availability of each telecommunication resource from the plurality of telecommunication resources following at least one from a group consisting of a powering-up and an initialization.

2. The sub-system of claim 1, wherein the hardware manager module further comprises an identification unit configured to identify the telecommunication resource.

3. The sub-system of claim 1, wherein the hardware manager module identifies the telecommunication resource coupled to the telecommunication system after at least one from a group consisting of the powering-up and the initialization.

4. The sub-system of claim 1, wherein the hardware manager module further comprises an available pool unit configured to determine whether the telecommunication resource of the plurality of telecommunication resources is functional.

5. The sub-system of claim 4, wherein the hardware manager module further determines whether the telecommunication resource is currently in use.

6. The sub-system of claim 1, wherein the hardware manager module notifies a resource manager module of the availability of the telecommunication resource.

7. In a telecommunication system, means for communicating between an application from a plurality of applications and a telecommunication resource from a plurality of telecommunication resources, comprising:

a means for receiving a virtual command from the application, further comprising,

a means for translating the virtual command to a resource specific command,

a means for transmitting the resource specific command to the telecommunication resource,

a means for receiving the resource specific command from the telecommunication resource,

a means for translating the resource specific command to the virtual command, and

a means for transmitting the virtual command to the application; and

a means for determining the availability of the telecommunication resource.

8. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises a means for identifying the telecommunication resource.

9. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for determining the availability of the telecommunication resources further comprises a means for identifying the telecommunication resource coupled to the telecommunication system following at least one from a group consisting of the powering-up and the initialization.

10. The means of claim 7, wherein means for determining the availability of the telecommunications resource further comprises a means for determining whether the telecommunication resource is functional.

11. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for determining the availability of the telecommunications resource further comprises a means for determining whether the telecommunication resource is currently in use.

12. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises a means for notifying a means for requesting the telecommunication resource of the availability of the telecommunication resource.

13. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for receiving the virtual command from the application comprises an interface.

14. The means of claim 7, wherein the means for determining the availability of the telecommunication resource comprises a hardware manager module.

15. The means claim 12, wherein the means for requesting the telecommunication resource comprises a resource manager.

16. In a telecommunication system, a method for communicating between an application from a plurality of applications and a telecommunication resource from a plurality of telecommunication resources, comprising:

receiving a virtual command from the application, further comprising,

translating the virtual command to a resource specific command,

transmitting the resource specific command to the telecommunication resource,

receiving the resource specific command from the telecommunication resource,

translating the resource specific command to the virtual command, and

transmitting the virtual command to the application; and

determining the availability of the telecommunication resource.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises identifying the telecommunication resource.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises identifying the telecommunication resource coupled to the telecommunication system following at least one from a group consisting of the powering-up and the initialization.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises determining whether the telecommunication resource is functional.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises determining whether the telecommunication resource is currently in use.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the availability of the telecommunication resource further comprises notifying a resource manager module of the availability of the telecommunication resource.

22. A virtual device interface in a telecommunications system, comprising:

a hardware manager module coupled to a plurality of telecommunications resources configured to update a pool of available telecommunication resources without re-initialization;

a resource manager module coupled to the hardware manager module configured to allocate an available telecommunication resource from a plurality of applications to a requesting application; and

a translation unit configured to translate a virtual command from the application to a resource specific command for the telecommunication resource, and configured to translate the resource specific command from the telecommunication resource to the virtual command for the application.

23. The virtual device interface of claim 22, wherein the hardware manager assigns an identification reference to each telecommunication resource.

24. The virtual device interface of claim 23 wherein the identification reference is at least partially based on at least one from a group consisting of a manufacturer and a vendor of the telecommunication resource.

25. The virtual device interface of claim 23, wherein the resource specific commands are based on at least one from a group consisting of a manufacturer and a vendor of the telecommunication resource.