Communication network method and apparatus having intelligent peripheral resource platform with variable number of ports assigned to concurrent different services
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications network including a plurality of network switches, a service platform connected by a signalling interface to the plurality of network switches, and a service resource platform, the method comprising:
- when a service provisioned for a party to a call requires service resources from the service resource platform then, under control of the service platform, connecting a party to the call via a network switch to the service resource platform;
for each of a plurality of different services requiring the service resources of the service resource platform, maintaining a count of the respective number of ongoing calls concurrently connected to the service resource platform;
storing for at least one of the plurality of services a maximum count value; and
connecting a further call to the service resource platform when the count maintained for the said service is less than the maximum count value.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A service platform in a communications network connects callers to a service resource platform when implementing services requiring specialized resources. A number of different services use a common service resource platform. The service platform is programmed with respective maximum values for the number of calls originating from each service that may be connected to the service resource platform at one time and allows the call to be connected to the service resource platform only when the count value for the respective service is less than the maximum count value. The service resource platform may have a single network address and a common range of ports that are freely allocated to calls generated by the different services running on the service platform.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications network including a plurality of network switches, a service platform connected by a signalling interface to the plurality of network switches, and a service resource platform, the method comprising:
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when a service provisioned for a party to a call requires service resources from the service resource platform then, under control of the service platform, connecting a party to the call via a network switch to the service resource platform; for each of a plurality of different services requiring the service resources of the service resource platform, maintaining a count of the respective number of ongoing calls concurrently connected to the service resource platform; storing for at least one of the plurality of services a maximum count value; and connecting a further call to the service resource platform when the count maintained for the said service is less than the maximum count value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification