Special need processing of services provided by an advanced intelligent network

• US 6,574,323 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Manuel, James A., Middleswarth, Susan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/482,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,201.01,201.02,201.05,201.12,207.02,207.13,219
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An advanced intelligent network (AIN) stores, at time of service provisioning, call processing records (CPRs) associated with select special needs services. The CPR initiates alternative processing or suppresses processing of a CPR associated with a called party to provide special services. For example, public safety and emergency readiness and response organizations are identified at time of initial service provisioning with an appropriate passive user service CPR stored in a service control point thereby invoking special call processing requirements when calling another subscriber. Thus, subscriber AIN services which might block or reroute a call placed by an emergency organization would be suppressed by operation of the CPR associated with the calling telephone line. Other special need calls might also be accommodated. For example, hearing-impaired services may be provided by a called subscriber subject to identification of a calling party requiring such services by a passive user service CPR associated with the calling party.

Claims

1. An intelligent switching network for providing subscriber specific telephone services comprising:

a telecommunications network having at least one signal switching office and a signaling system, said one signal switching office for routing calls and detecting a call from a calling subscriber number to a called subscriber number on a call-by-call basis;

a service controller interfaced to said signal switching office via said signaling system and including a database of subscriber service information records corresponding to each said calling and called subscriber numbers, said services controller operative to execute network service logic programs for routing communications in said telecommunications network, at least one of said network service logic programs being responsive to a query from said at least one signal switching office for controlling a routing of a call from said calling subscriber number to said called subscriber number based on said subscriber information corresponding to both said calling and called subscriber numbers.

2. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein said service controller is operative to selectively (i) cause a rerouting of said call from said calling subscriber number to an alternative telephone number in response to said service information record of said called party and (ii) suppress said rerouting of said call from said calling subscriber number to said alternative telephone number in response to said subscriber service information record of said calling party so as to cause said call from said calling subscriber number to be routed to said called subscriber number.

3. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein each of said subscriber service information records includes information for one of (i) alternative processing of incoming calls and (ii) alternative processing of outgoing calls performed in response to said alternative processing information of another of said subscriber service information records.

4. The intelligent switching network according to claim 3 wherein said another of said subscriber service information records corresponds to a called subscriber.

5. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein an output of said service logic program causing said call to be routed other than to said called subscriber number is inhibited in response to a special service indicator of said subscriber information corresponding to said calling subscriber number.

6. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 further comprising a service order processor operative to accept subscriber service order information and, in response, provide portions of said subscriber service order information to a plurality of subsystems including said service controller.

7. The intelligent switching network according to claim 6 wherein said service order processor provides information to a maintenance subsystem for the activation of subscriber telephone services and provides corresponding special service feature information to said service controller.

8. The intelligent switching network according to claim 7 wherein said special service feature information includes information to one of (i) selectively inhibit a call completion to said called subscriber number and (ii) selectively bypass an inhibiting of call completion to said called subscriber number in response to special service feature information of said calling subscriber number.

9. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein said service controller (i) is responsive to said service information record of said called party to initiate a routing of said call from said calling subscriber to one of a predetermined plurality of telephone numbers, and (ii) is responsive to said service information record of said calling party to select said one telephone number from amongst said plurality of telephone numbers.

10. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein said service controller (i) is responsive to said service information record of said called party to initiate a rerouting of said call from said calling subscriber to one of a plurality of telephone numbers and resources and (ii) is responsive to said service information record of said calling party to select one of said plurality of telephone numbers and resources.

11. The intelligent switching network according to claim 1 wherein said signal switching office includes a trigger detection point including a plurality of subscribed triggers corresponding to each of said called subscriber numbers.

12. An intelligent telephone network comprising:

a first plurality of telephone lines;

a first service switching point servicing said first plurality of telephone lines;

a second plurality of telephone lines;

a second service switching point servicing said second plurality of telephone lines and including a trigger detection point having a plurality of subscribed triggers corresponding to said second plurality of telephone lines;

communications and signaling networks connecting said first and second service switching points; and

a service control point connected to said signaling network and having a database of call processing records corresponding to said first and second plurality of telephone lines and service logic responsive to said trigger detection point for accessing (i) a calling one of said call processing records corresponding to a call originating one of said first plurality of telephone lines and (ii) a terminating one of said call processing records corresponding to a called one of said second plurality of telephone lines and, in response to both said calling and terminating call processing records, providing call processing information to said second service switching point.

13. The intelligent telephone network according to claim 12 further comprising a service order processor providing service order information including said call processing records and subscriber information corresponding to respective ones of said processing records.

14. The intelligent telephone network according to claim 12 further comprising a voice platform configured to play an announcement to a calling party in response to said routing information causing a telephone call to be inhibited from completing to said called one of said second plurality of telephone lines.

15. An intelligent switching network comprising:

a service order system for processing subscriber order requests;

an intelligent telephone network including a plurality of service switching points (SSP) interconnected by a signal transfer point (STP) for routing calls between said SSPs;

a plurality of telephone lines having associated therewith respective telephone numbers serviced by said SSPs; and

a database storing a plurality of subscriber service profiles associated with respective ones of said telephone numbers and including, for each of said telephone numbers, at least one of (i) enhanced services for processing calls to an associated one of said telephone numbers, and (ii) passive user services information for processing of calls made from said associated ones of said telephone numbers to another one of said telephone numbers;

wherein

said service order system includes an interface to said database for storing said subscriber service profiles wherein said intelligent telephone network is responsive to said subscriber service profiles for selectively routing said call to associated ones of said telephone numbers.

16. The intelligent switching network according to claim 15 wherein said intelligent telephone network is operative to selectively route a call from (i) a calling terminal assigned a first one of said telephone numbers and having associated therewith a one of said passive user services information to (ii) a called terminal assigned a second one of said telephone numbers and having associated therewith a one of said enhanced services, said network responsive to both of said one of said passive user services information and said one of said enhanced services for selectively routing said call.

17. The intelligent switching network according to claim 15 wherein said intelligent telephone network is operative to selectively (i) cause a rerouting of said call from said calling subscriber number to an alternative telephone number in response to said service information record of said called party and (ii) suppress said rerouting of said call from said calling subscriber number to said alternative telephone number in response to said subscriber service information record of said calling party so as to cause said call from said calling subscriber number to be routed to said called subscriber number.

18. The intelligent switching network according to claim 15 wherein each of said subscriber service information records includes information for one of (i) alternative processing of incoming calls and (ii) alternative processing of outgoing calls performed in response to said alternative routing information of another of said subscriber service information records.

19. The intelligent switching network according to claim 18 wherein said another of said subscriber service information records corresponds to a called subscriber.

20. The intelligent switching network according to claim 15 wherein an output of said service logic program causing said call to be routed other than to said called subscriber number is inhibited in response to a special service indicator of said subscriber information corresponding to said calling subscriber number.

21. The intelligent switching network according to claim 15 further comprising a service order processor operative to accept subscriber service order information and, in response, provide portions of said subscriber service order information to a plurality of subsystems including said service controller.

22. The intelligent switching network according to claim 21 wherein said service order processor provides information to a maintenance subsystem for the activation of subscriber telephone services and provides corresponding special service feature information to said service controller.

23. The intelligent switching network according to claim 22 wherein said special service feature information includes information to one of (i) selectively inhibit a call completion to said called subscriber number and (ii) selectively bypass an inhibiting of call completion to said called subscriber number in response to special service feature information of said calling subscriber number.

24. A method of providing services in an advanced intelligent network, comprising the steps of:

triggering exception processing at a communication node associated with a called subscriber;

retrieving, from a common database, call processing records (CPR) associated with (i) said subscriber and (ii) a calling party; and

in response to said CPR of said calling party, selectively executing said CPR of said subscriber.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising a step of provisioning network service for said calling party so as to provide access to said calling party to said network and including a step of storing in said database said CPR of said calling party.

26. The method according to claim 24 wherein said CPR of said calling party inhibits execution of said CPR of said subscriber.