IMS application for multi-channel services

• US 9,276,966 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Tenenti, Silvia, Pecorone, Mabel
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US12/760,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 707/607
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications

Abstract

An Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application executes services, such as (Internet Protocol) IP contact center services, accessible over different access channels. An IMS application server includes a service creation layer operable to provide components for creating a hosted service, testing the hosted service and deploying the hosted service into a service execution layer. The service execution layer includes service logic components operable to execute the hosted service, and communication components operable to connect to an external service involved in executing the hosted service.

Claims

1. An Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server, accessible over multiple different access channels, comprising:

a data layer comprising a repository configured to store information associated with multiple existing hosted services that are accessible through multiple different protocols and multiple different physical connections;

a service creation layer comprising multiple different service creation environments, each of the multiple service creation environments associated with a different node library customized to a different external client and providing a drag-and-drop functionality, wherein the service creation layer is operable to;

receive input at a first service creation environment of the multiple service creation environments;

create a new hosted service in response to the input received at the first service creation environment, wherein the new hosted service is customized to a first external client associated with a second service creation environment that sent the input received at the first service creation environment, and wherein the new hosted service is accessible from the multiple different protocols and the multiple different physical connections;

test the new hosted service; and

provide the new hosted service to a service execution layer comprising;

service logic circuitry comprising;

deployment management circuitry configured to deploy and remove the existing hosted services and the new hosted service;

a building block library configured to execute the existing hosted services and the new hosted service;

rule engine circuitry comprises rules defining execution of the existing hosted services and the new hosted service;

session management circuitry configured to enterprise-to-enterprise sessions during execution of the existing hosted services and of the new hosted service; and

monitoring management circuitry configured to provide server fault and performance data to an external server; and

communication circuitry operable to connect to an external service provided by other network nodes involved in executing the multiple existing hosted services, the new hosted service, or both, the communication circuitry comprising;

a first adapter configured to provide hypertext transfer protocol (http) communication with the external clients;

a second adapter configured to provide session initiation protocol (SIP) communication; and

a third adapter configured to provide simple network management protocol (SNMP) communication.

2. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein the IMS application server is located in a service layer of an IMS network.

3. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein the service logic circuitry is further operable to interact with the service creation layer for creating a first hosted service and at least one of deploying or undeploying the first hosted service for communication through the communication circuitry.

4. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein a first hosted service of the multiple existing hosted services is an Internet Protocol (IP) contact center service.

5. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein the new hosted service comprises an internet protocol television service.

6. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein the first service creation environment comprises a different service creation environment from the second service creation environment.

7. The IMS application server of claim 1, wherein the new hosted service comprises a self-activated service.

8. The IMS application server of claim 1, further comprising transport layer circuitry configured to support an internet protocol layer allowing transport over multiple network types.

9. A method, comprising:

at an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server;

providing a set of existing hosted services that are accessible from multiple different protocols and multiple different physical connections;

providing multiple different service creation environments, each service creation environment being associated with a different node library customized to a different external client and provides a drag-and-drop functionality;

receiving input at one or more of the service creation environments;

creating a new hosted service in response to input received at a first service creation environment, wherein the new hosted service is customized to an external client associated with a second service creation environment that sent the input that was received by the first service creation environment, and wherein the new hosted service is accessible from the multiple different protocols and the multiple different physical connections;

testing the new hosted service;

deploying the new hosted service into a service execution layer of the IMS application server;

receiving a request from a user for a first hosted service of the hosted services in the set of existing hosted services or for the new hosted service over at least one of the multiple different protocols and the multiple different physical connections at the IMS application server;

retrieving a user profile corresponding to the user;

executing the first hosted service, wherein the execution is automatically adapted according to the user profile; and

connecting to an external service provided by other network nodes involved in executing the set of existing hosted services or the new hosted service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the IMS application server is located in a service layer of an IMS network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first hosted service is an Internet Protocol (IP) contact center service.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user profile comprises a dynamic user profile that specifies interest in the first hosted service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic user profile specifies interest in the first hosted service by indicating a subscription to the first hosted service.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving a request from a user comprising receiving a request from a home subscriber server of a public land mobile network that hosts a mobile device of the user.

15. A product comprising:

a machine-readable medium other than a transitory signal; and

computer-readable instructions stored on the machine-readable medium that, when executed, cause a processor to;

provide a set of existing hosted services that are accessible from multiple different protocols and multiple different physical connections;

provide multiple different service creation environments, each service creation environment being associated with a different node library customized to a different external client and provides a drag-and-drop functionality;

receive input at a first service creation environment of the service creation environments;

create a new hosted service in response to input received at the first service creation environment, wherein the new hosted service is customized to an external client associated with a second service creation environment that sent the input received at the first service creation environment, and wherein the new hosted service is accessible from the multiple different protocols and the multiple different physical connections;

test the new hosted service;

deploy the new hosted service into a service execution layer of an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server;

receive a request from a user for a first hosted service of the hosted services in the set of existing hosted services or the new hosted service over at least one of the multiple different protocols and the multiple different physical connections at the IMS application server;

retrieve a user profile corresponding to the user;

execute the first hosted service, wherein the instructions are configured to automatically adapt the execution according to the user profile; and

connect to an external service provided by other network nodes involved in executing the set of existing hosted services or the new service.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the IMS application server is located in a service layer of an IMS network.

17. The product of claim 15, wherein the first hosted service is an Internet Protocol (IP) contact center service.

18. The product of claim 15, wherein the user profile comprises a dynamic user profile that specifies interest in the first hosted service.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the instructions are configured to automatically adapt the execution by adapting to user interactions stored in the dynamic user profile.

20. The product of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to support an internet protocol layer allowing transport over multiple network types.