Telecommunications service control point with code blocking

• US 6,603,851 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen A., Donelan, Joseph B., Foshe, Dale H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/368,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.03, 379/112.04, 379/112.1, 379/133, 379/134, 379/210.02, 379/221.06, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/112.09, 379/230
• US Class Current: 379/221.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 Congestion or overload control

Abstract

A telecommunications service control point having call blocking logic configured to block a percentage of call attempts to a called number and route a percentage of call attempts to the called number. The SCP comprises a processing system coupled to an interface. The processing system is configured to a process a plurality of query messages to generate a plurality of response messages containing call handling information for a plurality of call attempts to a called number. A first percentage of the call handling information includes instructions to block a corresponding first percentage of the plurality of call attempts to the called number. A second percentage of the call handling information includes instructions to route a corresponding second percentage of the plurality of call attempts to the called number. The interface is configured to receive the plurality of query messages and transmit the plurality of response messages.

Claims

1. A telecommunications service control point (SCP) comprising:

an interface configured to receive a first plurality of query messages for a first plurality of call attempts to a called number; and

a processing system comprising a called number data structure, a treatment data structure, and a destination data structure and configured to;

receive the first plurality of query messages;

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure; and

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a first plurality of response messages, wherein the first plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number;

wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the first plurality of response messages.

2. The SCP of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a second plurality of response messages, wherein the second plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number.

3. The SCP of claim 2, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to route all of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

4. The SCP of claim 2, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure; and

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

5. The SCP of claim 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a fourth plurality of response messages, wherein the fourth plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

6. The SCP of claim 3, wherein the called number comprises a toll free number.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a first communication device configured to transmit a first plurality of query messages for a first plurality of call attempts to a called number; and

a service control point (SCP) comprising a called number data structure, a treatment data structure, and a destination data structure and configured to;

receive the first plurality of query messages;

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure;

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a first plurality of response messages, wherein the first plurality of response messages include instructions to block a corresponding first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number; and

transmit the first plurality of response messages;

wherein the first communication device is further configured to receive the first plurality of response messages.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the SCP is further configured to:

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a second plurality of response messages, wherein the second plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second communication device connected to the SCP and configured to transmit a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

wherein the SCP is further configured to;

receive the second plurality of query messages from the second communication device;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages include instructions to route all of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second communication device connected to the SCP and configured to transmit a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

wherein the SCP is further configured to;

receive the second plurality of query messages;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure;

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the SCP is further configured to:

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a fourth plurality of response messages, wherein the fourth plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the called number comprises a toll free number.

13. A method of handling calls in a service control point (SCP), wherein the SCP comprises a called number data structure, a treatment data structure, and a destination data structure, the method comprising:

receiving a first plurality of query messages for a first plurality of call attempts to a called number from a first communication device;

processing the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure;

entering the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a first plurality of response messages, wherein the first plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number; and

transmitting the first plurality of response messages to the first communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

processing the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

entering the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a second plurality of response messages, wherein the second plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number from a second communication device;

processing the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure;

entering the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages include instructions to route all of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number; and

transmitting the third plurality of response messages to the second communication device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

processing the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure; and

entering the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

processing the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

entering the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a fourth plurality of response messages, wherein the fourth plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the called number comprises a toll free number.

19. A software product for use in operating a service control point (SCP), wherein the SCP comprises a called number data structure, a treatment data structure, and a destination data structure, the product comprising:

processing system instructions operational when executed by an SCP processing system to direct the SCP processing system to;

receive a first plurality of query messages for a first plurality of call attempts to a called number;

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure; and

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a first plurality of response messages, wherein the first plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding first percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number;

interface instructions operational when executed by the SCP processing system to direct an SCP interface to receive the first plurality of query messages and transmit the first plurality of response messages; and

a storage medium operational to store the processing system instructions and the interface instructions.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein the processing system instructions further direct the SCP processing system to:

process the first plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a second plurality of response messages, wherein the second plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding second percentage of the first plurality of call attempts to the called number.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the processing system instructions further direct the SCP processing system to:

receive a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to route all of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

22. The product of claim 20, wherein the processing system instructions further direct the SCP processing system to:

receive a second plurality of query messages for a second plurality of call attempts to the called number;

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to block, and to yield a pointer to the treatment data structure; and

enter the pointer to the treatment data structure into the treatment data structure to yield a third plurality of response messages, wherein the third plurality of response messages includes instructions to block a corresponding third percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the processing system instructions further direct the SCP processing system to:

process the second plurality of query messages in the called number data structure to determine a fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to route to the called number, and to yield a pointer to the destination data structure; and

enter the pointer to the destination data structure into the destination data structure to yield a fourth plurality of response messages, wherein the fourth plurality of response messages includes instructions to route a corresponding fourth percentage of the second plurality of call attempts to the called number.

24. The product of claim 21, wherein the called number comprises a toll free number.