Mediation of traffic in an intelligent network

• US 6,731,742 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Barnard, Herman Johannes, Tilanus, Paulus Anthonius Josephus
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US09/807,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.08, 379/221.11, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/221.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An infrastructure for telephony is described, comprising a network (n) and a service provider (SP) coupled thereto. The network comprises a service switching function (SSF^N) as well as a service control function (SCF^N) for controlling said service switching function. The service provider comprises a service switching function (SSF^S) as well as a service control function (SCF^S) for controlling said service switching means. The service provider comprises an inter-working unit (IWU). In communication with a service switching function (SSF^S) of the service provider, the inter-working unit (IWU) behaves as service control function. In communication with a service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider, the inter-working unit (IWU) behaves as service switching function. In communication with the network, the inter-working unit (IWU) behaves as special resource point (SRP).

Claims

1. An infrastructure for data transmission, comprising:

a network (N) with connection points (11, 12) for subscribers (A, B);

a service provider (SP) coupled to the network (N);

in which the network (N) comprises a service switching function (SSF^N) as well as a service control function (SCF^N) for controlling the service switching function (SSF^N);

in which the service provider (SP) comprises a service switching function (SSF^S) as well as a service control function (SCF^S) for controlling the service switching function (SSF^S);

in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) has at its disposal a set of generic instructions which are available to the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP);

in which the service provider (SP) comprises an inter-working unit (IWU), said inter-working unit (IWU);

being connected, via a first functional interface (CM₁), to a service switching function (SSF^S) of the service provider (SP), said first functional interface (CM₁) being such that the inter-working unit (IWU), in the communication with the service switching function (SSF^S) of the service provider (SP), behaves as service control function (SCF^S);

being connected, via a second functional interface (CM₂), to a service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP), said second functional interface (CM₂) being such that the inter-working unit (IWU), in the communication with the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP), behaves as service switching function;

being connected, via a third functional interface (CM₃), to a service control function (SCF^N) of the network, and being connected, via a fourth functional interface (CM₄), to a service switching function (SSF^N) of the network, said third and fourth functional interfaces (CM₃, CM₄) being such that the inter-working unit (IWU), in the communication with the service control function (SCF^N) and the service switching function (SSF^N), behaves as special resource function (SRF).

2. An infrastructure according to claim 1, in which the service switching function (SSF^S) of the service provider (SP) is arranged to transmit messages, destined for the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP), via the first functional interface (CM₁) to the inter-working unit (IWU), in which the inter-working unit (IWU) is arranged to forward said received messages, possibly after a suitable conversion, via the second functional interface (CM₂) to the service control function (SCF^S).

3. An infrastructure according to claim 1, in which the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) is arranged to transmit commands, destined for the service switching function (SSF^S) of the service provider (SP), via the second functional interface (CM₂) to the inter-working unit (IWU), in which the inter-working unit (IWU) is arranged to forward said received commands, possibly after a suitable conversion, via the first functional interface (CM₁) to the service switching function (SSF^S).

4. An infrastructure according to claim 1, in which the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) is arranged to transmit commands, destined for the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N), via the second functional interface (CM₂), to the inter-working unit (IWU), in which the inter-working unit (IWU) is arranged to forward said received commands, possibly after a suitable conversion, via the third functional interface (CM₃) to the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N), and in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to translate the received information to a suitable command for the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N) and to transmit said command to the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network.

5. An infrastructure according to claim 1, in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to issue a command, upon reception of a certain triggering signal from a calling subscriber (A), to the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N) to establish a temporary connection with the inter-working unit (IWU) of the service provider (SP) via the fourth functional interface (CM₄);

and in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to transmit an instruction, after establishing said temporary connection and after the reception of a response from the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP), to the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP).

6. An infrastructure according to claim 5, in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to interpret a reply, transmitted by the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) in response to said instruction either as the telephone number of a called subscriber, as a request for activating one or more DetectionPoints, or as a stop signal.

7. An infrastructure according to claim 6, in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to, if the said reply of the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) is interpreted as a stop signal, issue a command to the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N) to drop the connection with the inter-working unit (IWU) of the service provider (SP) and to drop the connection with the calling subscriber (A).

8. An infrastructure according to claim 6, in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to, if the said reply of the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) is interpreted as the telephone number of a called subscriber (B) issue a command to the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N) to drop the connection with the inter-working unit (IWU) of the service provider (SP) and to establish a connection with the called subscriber (B).

9. An infrastructure according to claim 6, in which the service control function (SCF^N) of the network (N) is arranged to, if the said reply of the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP) is interpreted as a request for activating one or more DetectionPoints, issue a command to the service switching function (SSF^N) of the network (N) to switch on the related DetectionPoints and transmit a further instruction to the service control function (SCF^S) of the service provider (SP).