Telecommunications service control point with code blocking

• US 6,741,694 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• 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): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US10/414,393
• Time in Patent Office: 406 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, 379/230
• 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 communication network that performs selective code blocking, the communication network comprising:

a first communication system configured to receive communication service requests, and transmit queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the first communication system;

a processing system configured to receive the queries from the first communication system, generate communication handling information that blocks a first percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system, and transmit the communication handling information to the first communication system; and

a second communication system configured to receive communication service requests, and transmit queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the second communication system;

the processing system configured to receive the queries from the second communication system, generate communication handling information that blocks a second percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system, and trait the communication handling information to the second communication system.

2. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to generate the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the fist communication system.

3. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to generate the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system.

4. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the first communication system comprises a switch.

5. The communication network of claim 4 wherein the switch comprises an originating switch for the communication service requests received by the first communication system.

6. The communication network of claim 1 further comprising:

a management network configured to generate control instructions for the selective code blocking and transmitting the control instructions to the processing system.

7. The communication network of claim 1 further comprising:

a third communication system configured to receive communication service requests, and transmit queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the third communication system;

the processing system configured to receive the queries from the third communication system, generate communication handling information that routes the communication service requests received by the third communication system without applying code blocking, and transmit the communication handling information to the third communication system.

8. The communication network of claim 1 wherein:

the communication service requests received by the first communication system and the communication service requests received by the second communication system are to a common destination.

9. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the processing system comprises a service control point (SCP).

10. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the communication service requests comprise call attempts to a called number.

11. A method of operating a communication network that performs selective code blocking, the method comprising:

in a first communication system, receiving communication service requests, and transmitting queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the first communication system;

in a processing system, receiving the queries from the first communication system, generating communication handling information that blocks a first percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system, and transmitting the communication handling information to the first communication system;

in a second communication system, receiving communication service requests, and transmitting queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the second communication system; and

in the processing system, receiving the queries from the second communication system generating communication handling information that blocks a second percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system, and transmitting the communication handling information to the second communication system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the processing system generating the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the processing system, generating the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first communication system comprises a switch.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the switch comprises an originating switch for the communication service requests received by the first communication system.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating control instructions in a management network for the selective code blocking; and

transmitting the control instructions from the management network to the processing system.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in a third communication system, receiving communication service requests, and transmitting queries for communication handling information for the communication service requests received by the third communication system; and

in the processing system, receiving the queries from the third communication system, generating communication handling information that routes the communication service requests received by the third communication system without applying code blocking, and transmitting the communication handling information to the third communication system.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication service requests received by the first communication system and the communication service requests received by the second communication system are to a common destination.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the processing system comprises a service control point (SCP).

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication service requests comprise call attempts to a called number.

21. A control system that performs selective code blocking, the control system comprising:

an interface configured to receive queries from a first communication system wherein the queries from the first communication system are for communication handling information for communication service requests received by the first communication system, and receive queries from a second communication system wherein the queries from the second communication system are for communication handling information for communication service requests received by the second communication system; and

a processing system configured to process the queries from the first communication system to generate communication handling information that blocks a first percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system, transmit the communication handling information to the first communication system, process the queries from the second communication system, to generate communication handling information that blocks a second percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system, and transmit the communication handling information to the second communication system.

22. The control system of claim 21 wherein the processing system is configured to generate the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system.

23. The control system of claim 21 wherein the processing system is configured to generate the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system.

24. The control system of claim 21 wherein the processing system is configured to receive control instructions for the selective code blocking from a management network and generate the communication handling information based on the control instructions.

25. The control system of claim 21 wherein the processing system is configured to process queries from a third communication system to generate communication handling information that routes communication service requests received by the third communication system without applying code blocking, and transmit the communication handling information to the third communication system.

26. The control system of claim 21 wherein the control system comprises a service control point (SCP).

27. A method of operating a control system that performs selective code blocking, the method comprising:

receiving queries from a first communication system wherein the queries from the first communication system are for communication handling information for communication service requests received by the first communication system;

receiving queries from a second communication system wherein the queries from the second communication system are for communication handling information for communication service requests received by the second communication system;

generating communication handling information that blocks a first percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system and transmitting the communication handling information to the first communication system; and

generating communication handling information that blocks a second percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system and transmitting the communication handling information to the second communication system.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

generating the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the first communication system.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

generating the communication handling information that routes the other percentage of the communication service requests received by the second communication system.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving control instructions for the selective code blocking from a management network; and

generating the communication handling information based on the control instructions.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving queries from a third communication system for communication handling information for communication service requests received by the third communication system, generating communication handling information that routes the communication service requests received by the third communication system without applying code blocking, and transmitting the communication handling information to the third communication system.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the control system comprises a service control point (SCP).