Method of and system for providing services in a communications network

• US 6,636,597 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Porter, Kelvin, Waller, Carol
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/885,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 379/242-245, 379/207.02, 379/219-220, 379/221-1-2, 379/222, 379/229-230
• US Class Current: 379/243
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13056 Routines, finite state machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13144 Searching path through number of switching stages or nodes, e.g. revertive blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1325 Priority service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13342 Arrangement of switches in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13344 Overflow
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1338 Inter-exchange connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A system for providing services in a communications network includes a service processing function, a universal directory function, and a nodal resource manager. The service processing function receives service requests, formulates requests for interworking functions based upon service requests, and formulates resource requests based upon service requests and interworking functions. The universal directory function receives addresses from the service processing function and returns interworking functions based upon addresses. The nodal resource manager receives resource requests and allocates resources to the service processing function in response to resource requests. The nodal resource manager maintains a resource database that includes an entry corresponding to each network resource managed by the nodal resource manager.

Claims

1. A method of providing services in a communications network, comprising:

receiving a request for a service;

determining a criterion for resource necessary to provide the requested service;

determining an evaluation function by which to rank the resource;

searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criteria, wherein each resource of said resource data structure comprises a resource identifier, a set of static attributes, and a set of dynamic attributes;

using the evaluation function, determining the best candidate resource; and

allocating said best candidate resource to meet said request for service.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of allocating said best candidate resource further comprises:

setting a dynamic attribute of the allocated resource to indicate said allocated resource is in use.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dynamic attributes comprise a free/in-use attribute.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said in-use attribute comprises a priority identifier.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining a criterion further comprises setting a priority criterion, and wherein said step of searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criteria comprises selecting candidate resources with a priority attribute identified by said priority identifier less than said priority criterion.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

de-allocating a presently in-use best candidate resource with a priority attribute less than said priority criterion.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of allocating said best candidate resource further comprises:

setting the priority attribute of said best candidate resource to said priority criterion.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

configuring an allocated resource.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

de-allocating an allocated resource when said requested service is completed.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

de-allocating an allocated resource when said requested service is completed.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

idling a de-allocated resource.

12. A method of providing services in a communications network, which comprises the steps of:

receiving a request for a service;

determining criteria for a resource necessary to provide the requested service;

searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criteria wherein each resource of said resource data structure comprises a resource identifier, a set of static attributes, and a set of dynamic attributes;

evaluating said set of candidate resources to find a best candidate resource; and

,

allocating said best candidate resource to meet said request for service.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of allocating said best candidate resource further comprises:

setting a dynamic attribute of the allocated resource to indicate said allocated resource is in use.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said dynamic attributes comprise a free/in-use attribute.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said in-use attribute comprises a priority identifier.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of determining a criterion further comprises setting a priority criterion, and wherein said step of searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criteria comprises selecting candidate resources with a priority attribute identified by said priority identifier less than said priority criterion.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

de-allocating a presently in-use best candidate resource with a priority attribute less than said priority criterion.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said step of allocating said best candidate resource further comprises:

setting the priority attribute of best candidate resource to said priority criterion.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

configuring an allocated resource.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

de-allocating an allocated resource when said requested service is completed.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

idling a de-allocated resource.

22. A method of providing services in a communications network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a service;

determining at least one criterion for a resource necessary to provide the requested service, wherein the criterion is not explicitly provided as a part of the request for service;

searching a resource data structure for a set of candidate resources meeting said criterion;

allocating at least one resource from the set of candidate resources to meet said request for service.

23. A method of invoking a service in a communications network comprising:

receiving a request for service at a first service processing function;

passing address-related information pertaining to the service request from the service processing function to a directory function;

from the directory function receiving at the first service processing function an interworking interface to a second service processing function; and

commencing, through the interworking interface, interoperation among the first and second service processing functions to fulfill the service request.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining what type of interworking function is compatible with the first service processing function; and

creating, by the directory function, an interworking function that is compatible with the first service processing function.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining what type of interworking function is compatible with the first service processing function; and

locating, by the directory function, an instance of an interworking function that is compatible with the first service processing function.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the directory function configures the second service processing function in preparation for fulfilling the service request.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the directory function determines the type of address for the address-related information and, regardless of the type of address, finds a logical address corresponding to the address-related information and provides the interworking interface to the second service processing function specified by the logical address.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said interoperation comprises the passing of messages among the first and second service processing functions.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the first service processing function and the second service processing functions may be divergent types.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein said interoperation comprises calls through application programming interfaces.

31. A system for providing services in a communications network, which comprises:

a service processing function, said service processing function having means for receiving service requests, and formulating resource requests based upon service requests;

a nodal resource manager having means for receiving resource requests and allocating resources to said service processing function in response to source requests; and

,

a resource data structure accessible by said nodal resource manager, said resource data structure including an entry corresponding to each network resource available to said nodal resource manager.