Service brokering system for intelligent telecommunications network

• US 6,560,326 B1
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US09/295,570
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/207.2
• US Class Current: 379/221.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques

Abstract

An intelligent telecommunications network includes a plurality of switching nodes and service control points containing one or more service programs (SPs) responsive to connection query messages from the switching nodes. Each SP provides connection control messages that allow the switching nodes to make connections that implement a selected intelligent network service. A service brokering system is incorporated in the network for managing the SPs to provide individual intelligent network services, or combinations thereof, to network users in association with individual call trigger events. The service brokering system includes a service combination manager service control point (SCM_SCP) containing a service combination manager (SCM) that acts as a gateway for incoming connection query messages from the switching nodes. The SCM preferably, but not necessarily, includes at least one feature combination manager (FCM) configured to manage the invocation of at least two of the SPs and, as necessary, to format the connection control messages generated thereby into appropriate multi-service connection control messages for use by the switching nodes. The SCM returns the multi-service connection control messages to the switching nodes, and the switching nodes make appropriate connections based on the combination of intelligent network services associated with the SPs managed by the FCM.

Claims

1. In an intelligent telecommunications network having a plurality of switching nodes, and service control points containing at least two service programs (SPs) responsive to connection query messages from the switching nodes, each SP providing connection control messages that allow the switching nodes to make connections that implement a selected intelligent network service, a service brokering system for managing the SPs to provide combinations of the selected network services, comprising:

a service combination manager (SCM) acting as a gateway for incoming connection query messages generated by said switching nodes, said SCM being configured with one or more feature combination managers (FCMs) to manage the invocation of at least two of said SPs and to return appropriate multi-service connection control messages to said requesting switching nodes, said multi-service connection control messages containing instructions for controlling said switching nodes to make appropriate connections based on the combination of intelligent network services associated with said at least two SPs, said SCM having one FCM for each combination of said SPs.

2. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said SCM is resident at a SCM service control point (SCM_SCP) that communicates with said switching nodes.

3. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said SPs are resident at service control points (SCPs) that are separate from said SCM_SCP.

4. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said SPs is resident at a separate SCP, each of which is separate from said SCM_SCP.

5. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said switching nodes connect to said SCPs as well as said SCM_SCP and said intelligent telecommunications network is configured to direct connection query messages on behalf of single-service subscribers to selected ones of said SCPs and to direct connection query messages on behalf of multiple-service subscribers to said SCM_SCP.

6. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said switching nodes include a service switching point (SSP) that is configured to generate connection query messages in response to user connection requests and to forward said connection query messages to a service transfer point (STP), said STP being configured to perform global title translation (GTT) on said connection query messages to generate a destination point code (DPC) that determines which of said SCPs should receive said connection query messages as a receiving SCP, and a subsystem service number (SSN) to determine which service should be rendered at said receiving SCP.

7. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said SCM_SCP is configured to generate DPC and SSNs to communicate with SCPs containing SPs managed by said FCMs, said SCM_SCP being further configured to generate said DPCs and said SSNs without performing GTT.

8. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said FCMs are configured to receive selected ones of said incoming connection query messages from said SCM, and wherein said FCMs uses said connection query messages to selectively invoke plural SPs in serial fashion.

9. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said FCMs are configured to receive selected ones of said incoming connection query messages by said SCM, and wherein said FCMs use said connection query messages to selectively invoke plural SPs in parallel.

10. A service brokering system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said FCMs are configured to receive selected ones of said incoming connection query messages by said SCM, and wherein said FCMs use said connection query messages to selectively invoke plural SPs in alternating fashion.

11. In an intelligent telecommunications network having a plurality of switching nodes, and service control points containing at least two service programs (SPs) responsive to connection query messages from the switching nodes, each SP providing connection control messages that allow the switching nodes to make connections that implement a selected network service, a service brokering method for managing the SPs to provide combinations of the selected intelligent network services, comprising:

receiving connection query messages from said switching nodes;

managing the invocation of at least two of said SPs based on services that are identifiable from said connection query messages using feature combination managers (FCMs) assigned to each combination of said SPs;

formatting the connection control messages generated by said at least two SPs into appropriate multi-service connection control messages for use by said switching nodes; and

returning said multi-service connection control messages to said switching nodes, whereby said switching nodes are able make appropriate connections based on the combination of intelligent network services associated with said at least two SPs.

12. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said receiving, managing, combining and returning steps are performed at a service combination manager service control point (SCM_SCP) that communicates with said switching nodes.

13. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said SPs are resident at service control points (SCPs) that are separate from said SCM_SCP.

14. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 13 wherein each of said SPs is resident at a separate SCP, each of which is separate from said SCM_SCP.

15. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said switching nodes connect to said SCPs as well as said SCM_SCP and said intelligent telecommunications network is configured to direct connection query messages relative to single-service subscribers to selected ones of said service control SCPs and to direct connection query messages relative to multiple-service subscribers to said SCM_SCP.

16. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 15 wherein said switching nodes include a service switching point (SSP) that generates connection query messages in response to user connection requests and passes said connection query messages to a service transfer point (STP), said STP performing global title translation (GTT) on said connection queries to generate a destination point code (DPC) that determines which of said SCPs should receive said connection query messages, and a subsystem service number (SSN) to determine which service should be rendered at said SCP.

17. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 16 further including the step of generating DPCs and SSNs at said SCM_SCP to communicate with SCPs containing SPs managed by said FCMs, said DPC and SSN generating step being performed without performing GTT.

18. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said managing step includes employing at least one FCM within said SCM to invoke plural SPs serially.

19. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said managing step includes employing at least one FCM within said SCM to invoke plural SPs in parallel.

20. A service brokering method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said managing step includes employing at least one FCM within said SCM to invoke plural SPs in alternating fashion.

21. An intelligent telecommunications network, comprising:

a plurality of service switching points (SSPs), each of which acts as a representative for one or more network users;

a plurality of service transfer points (STPs), each of which acts as a message routing agent for one or more of said SSPs;

a plurality of service control points (SCPs), each of which acts as a call setup resource for one or more of said SSPs;

a plurality of interconnections for exchanging messages between said SSPs, said STPs and said SCPs;

said SCPs each containing at least one service program (SP) for providing user-specific connection control messages that are used by said SSPs to implement an intelligent network service subscribed to by one or more network users;

a service combination manager SCP (SCM_SCP) connected to said STPs;

said SCM_SCP containing at least one service combination manager SP (SCM SP) acting as a gateway for incoming connection query messages generated by said SSPs;

a plurality of feature combination managers (FCMs) within said SCM_SP, each of which manages at least two of said SPs by selectively invoking said SPs and formatting the connection control messages generated thereby into appropriate multi-service connection control messages, there being one FCM for each combination of said SPs; and

p1 said SCM_SP being configured to return said multi-service connection control messages to said SSPs, whereby said SSPs are able make appropriate connections based on the combination of intelligent network services associated with said at least two SPs.