Management interface between a core telecommunication system and a local service provider

• US 20030074463A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Murphy, Christopher John, Swartz, Stephen J., Bakshi, Anil R., Baeth, Kevin Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for interfacing with a core telecommunication system and a local service provider. First, a core telecommunication system is interfaced for handling core telecommunication system requests and responses received from the core telecommunication system and translated to a predetermined protocol. Similarly, a local service provider is interfaced for handling local service provider requests and responses received from the local service provider. The local service provider requests and responses are also translated to the predetermined protocol. In use, the core telecommunication system requests and responses are communicated with the local service provider and the local service provider requests and responses are communicated with the core telecommunication system for management purposes.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with a core telecommunication system and a local service provider, the method comprising the steps of:

interfacing with a core telecommunication system for handling core telecommunication data received from the core telecommunication system;

translating the core telecommunication data to a predetermined protocol;

interfacing with a local service provider for handling local service provider data received from the local service provider;

translating the local service provider data to the predetermined protocol;

communicating the core telecommunication system data with the local service provider;

communicating the local service provider data with the core telecommunication system; and

automatically managing the transfer of data between at least one core telecommunication system and at least one local service provider wherein the management is accomplished using a knowledge base.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing the transfer of data between the core telecommunication system and local service provider further comprises the step of logging the data upon receipt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing the transfer of data between the core telecommunication system and local service provider further comprises the step of managing system requests and responses.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the managing system requests and responses further comprises the step of verifying the completeness of the requests and responses upon receipt.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of generating an error message upon at least one of the requests not being complete.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of managing pre-ordering duties wherein the pre-ordering duties are selected from the group of pre-ordering duties including address validation, feature verification, due-date reservation, telephone number reservation, and customer service record retrieval.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of handling errors in real-time.

8. A communications interface for interfacing with a core telecommunication system and a local service provider, comprising:

a request processor for interfacing with a core telecommunication system for handling core telecommunication data received from the core telecommunication system;

a first translator, connected to the request processor, for translating the core telecommunication data to a predetermined protocol;

a command processor interfacing with a local service provider for handling local service provider data received from the local service provider;

a second translator, connected to the command processor, translating the local service provider data to the predetermined protocol; and

a controller, interconnecting the request and the command processor, for automatically managing the transfer of data between at least one core telecommunication system and at least one local service provider wherein the management is accomplished using a knowledge base.

9. The communications interface of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises a storage medium for logging the data upon receipt.

10. The communications interface of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises a transaction processor for managing system requests and responses.

11. The communications interface of claim 10, wherein the transaction processor further comprises a message handler for verifying the completeness of the requests and responses upon receipt.

12. The communications interface of claim 10, wherein the transaction processor further comprises a transaction controller for generating an error message upon at least one of the requests not being complete.

13. The communications interface of claim 8 wherein the controller further manages pre-ordering duties wherein the pre-ordering duties are selected from the group of pre-ordering duties including address validation, feature verification, due-date reservation, telephone number reservation, and customer service record retrieval.

14. The communications interface of claim 13 further comprising an error handler for handling errors in real-time.

15. The communications interface of claim 8 further comprising a satellite interface for transmitting and receiving satellite information.

16. The communications interface of claim 15, wherein the satellite interface provides a plurality of communication services for relaying information to fixed and mobile stations.

17. A system for interfacing with a core telecommunication system and a local service provider comprising:

logic that interfaces with a core telecommunication system for handling core telecommunication system requests and responses received from the core telecommunication system;

logic that translates the core telecommunication system requests and responses to a predetermined protocol;

logic that interfaces with a local service provider for handling local service provider requests and responses received from the local service provider;

logic that translates the local service provider requests and responses to the predetermined protocol;

logic that communicates the core telecommunication system requests and responses with the local service provider;

logic that communicates the local service provider requests and responses with the core telecommunication system;

logic that automatically managing the transfer of data between at least one core telecommunication system and at least one local service provider wherein the management is accomplished using a knowledge base.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the requests and responses are logged upon receipt.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the requests and responses are verified for completeness upon receipt.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising logic that generates an error message upon one of the requests not being complete.

21. The system of claim 17 further comprising logic that handles pre-ordering duties selected from the group of pre-ordering duties consisting of address validation, feature verification, due-date reservation, telephone number reservation, and customer service record retrieval.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising logic that manages errors in real-time.

23. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for interfacing with a core telecommunication system and a local service provider comprising:

a code segment that interfaces with a core telecommunication system for handling core telecommunication system requests and responses received from the core telecommunication system;

a code segment that translates the core telecommunication system requests and responses to a predetermined protocol;

a code segment that interfaces with a local service provider for handling local service provider requests and responses received from the local service provider;

a code segment that translates the local service provider requests and responses to the predetermined protocol;

a code segment that communicates the core telecommunication system requests and responses with the local service provider; and

a code segment that communicates the local service provider requests and responses with the core telecommunication system.

a code that automatically managing the transfer of data between at least one core telecommunication system and at least one local service provider wherein the management is accomplished using a knowledge base.

24. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the requests and responses are logged upon receipt.

25. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the requests and responses are verified for completeness upon receipt.

26. The computer program of claim 25 further comprising a code segment that generates an error message upon one of the requests not being complete.

27. The computer program of claim 23 further comprising a code segment that handles pre-ordering duties selected from the group of pre-ordering duties consisting of address validation, feature verification, due-date reservation, telephone number reservation, and customer service record retrieval.

28. The computer program of claim 23 further comprising a code segment that manages errors in real-time.

29. An article of manufacture for providing a management interface between a core telecommunication system and a local service provider, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having management interface instructions comprising:

interfacing with a core telecommunication system for handling core telecommunication data received from the core telecommunication system;

translating the core telecommunication data to a predetermined protocol;

interfacing with a local service provider for handling local service provider data received from the local service provider;

translating the local service provider data to the predetermined protocol;

communicating the core telecommunication system data with the local service provider;

communicating the local service provider data with the core telecommunication system; and

automatically managing the transfer of data between at least one core telecommunication system and at least one local service provider wherein the management is accomplished using a knowledge base.