System method for facilitating intelligent network call processing using a call context database

• US 6,393,112 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkatraman, Arunachalam, Gottlieb, Louis G., Zimmerer, Eric E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Stella
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/432,039
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.02, 379/112.06, 379/114.01, 379/114.14, 379/133, 379/134, 379/220.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/221.14, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.28, 379/114.29
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

System and method for facilitating intelligent network call processing using a centralized call context database. The system and method include and involve a call context database and an intelligent telecommunications network that is coupled to the call context database. The network includes and involves an access network element capable of receiving a call, generating first call context data and a network call identifier related to the call, storing the call context data and the network call identifier in the call context database, transmitting the network call identifier, and processing the call. The network further includes and involves a plurality of network elements that are coupled to the call context database and to the access network element. Each network element is capable of receiving the call and/or data related to the call (e.g., signaling data) and the network call identifier from the access network element, generating second call context data related to the call, storing the second call context data in the call context database, transmitting the network call identifier to another network element, retrieving call context data stored in the call context database based on the network call identifier, and processing the call based on the call context data retrieved from the call context database.

Claims

1. A system for processing calls in a telecommunications system, comprising:

a call context database;

an intelligent telecommunications network coupled to said call context database;

a plurality of network elements incorporated in said intelligent telecommunications network, each network element operative to generate call context data;

a network call identifier related to a call within said telecommunications system;

storage means associated with said call context data and operative to store said call context data and said network call identifier therein;

retrieval means operative to retrieve said call context data from said call context database based on said network call identifier; and

a processor operative to process said call in accordance with said call context data,

wherein said call context database is distributed among a plurality of cooperating call context database management systems that are coupled to the intelligent telecommunications network, and

wherein each cooperating call context database management system of the plurality of call context database management systems manages a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call context database is managed by a centralized call context database management system that is coupled to said intelligent telecommunications network.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each cooperating call context database management system of said plurality of cooperating call context database management systems is redundant to other cooperating call context database management systems of said plurality of call context database management systems.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network call identifier is a unique identifier assigned to said call.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call context data includes data generated automatically in real-time by said network element in response to receiving and processing said call.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call is placed by a caller and said call context data includes data retrieved from said caller during said call.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein one network element of said plurality of network elements acts as an access network element for said call, said access network element operable to assign said network call identifier to said call.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein each network element of said plurality of network elements is further capable of transmitting said network call identifier to other network elements of said plurality of network elements and receiving said network call identifier from another network element of said plurality of network elements.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a management system capable accessing said call context database after completion of said call to perform a management function related to said call context data.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said management function is a billing operation related to said call.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a management system capable of accessing said call context database during said call to perform a management function related to said call.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said management function is a statistical analysis operation related to said call.

13. A system for processing calls in a telecommunications system, comprising:

a call context database; and

an intelligent telecommunications network coupled to said call context database;

an access network element incorporated in said intelligent telecommunications network and operative to receive a call and generate first call context data and a network call identifier related to said call;

storage means associated with said call context database and operative to store said first call context data and said network call identifier in said call context database;

a plurality of network elements coupled to said call context database and said access network element, each network element of said plurality of network elements operative to receive said call from said access network element and to generate second call context data related to said call and said network call identifier related to said call within said telecommunications system;

storage means associated with said call context database and operative to store said call context data and said network call identifier therein;

retrieval means operative to retrieve said call context data from said call context database based on said network call identifier;

a processor operative to process said call in accordance with said call context data; and

a plurality of cooperating call context database management systems, each of the plurality of cooperating call context database management systems coupled to the intelligent telecommunications network and configured to manage a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers,

wherein the call context database is distributed among the plurality of cooperating call context database management systems.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said call context database is managed by a centralized call context database management system that is coupled to said intelligent telecommunications network.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein each cooperating call context database management system of said plurality of cooperating call context database management systems is redundant to other cooperating call context database management systems of said plurality of call context database management systems.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said network call identifier is a unique identifier assigned to said call by said access network element.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said call context data includes data that is generated automatically.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said call is placed by a caller and said call context database stores data retrieved from said caller during said call.

19. A method for processing calls in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving a call;

generating call context data and a network identifier related to said call;

storing said call context data and said network call identifier in a call context database;

retrieving said call context data from said call context database based on said network call identifier; and

processing said call based on said call context data,

wherein said call context database is distributed among a plurality of cooperating call context database management systems that are coupled to the telecommunications network, and

wherein each cooperating call context database management system of the plurality of call context database management systems manages a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said call context database is managed by a centralized call context database management system that is coupled to said telecommunications network.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein each cooperating call context database management system of said plurality of cooperating call context database management systems is redundant to other cooperating call context database management systems of said plurality of call context database management systems.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said network call identifier is a unique identifier assigned to said call by an access network element coupled to said telecommunications system.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein said call context data includes data generated automatically in real-time during said call.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein said call is placed by a caller and said call context data includes data retrieved from said caller during said call.

25. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of accessing said call context database after completion of said call to perform a management function related to said call context data.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said management function is a billing operation related to said call.

27. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of accessing said call context database during said call to perform a management function related to said call.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said management function is a statistical analysis operation related to said call.

29. A method for processing calls in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving a call at an access network element coupled to said telecommunications network;

generating first call context data and a network call identifier related to said call;

storing said first call context data and said network call identifier in a call context database;

processing said call;

transmitting said network call identifier;

at a network element, receiving said call and said network call identifier from said access network element;

generating second call context data related to said call;

storing said second call context data in said call context database;

retrieving all call context data stored in said call context database based on said network call identifier; and

processing said call based on said all context data retrieved from said call context database,

wherein said call context database is distributed among a plurality of cooperating call context database management systems that are coupled to the telecommunications network, and

wherein each cooperating call context database management system of the plurality of call context database management systems manages a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said call context database is managed by a centralized call context database management system that is coupled to said intelligent telecommunications network.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein each cooperating call context database management system of said plurality of cooperating call context database management systems is redundant to other cooperating call context database management systems of said plurality of call context database management systems.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein said network call identifier is a unique identifier assigned to said call.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein said call context data includes data that is generated automatically.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein said call is placed by a caller and said call context database stores data retrieved from said caller during said call.

35. A system for managing a telephone network, comprising:

a call context database for storing call context data related to calls being processed by network elements within the telephone network and network call identifiers related to said calls; and

a plurality of management systems coupled to said call context database and operative to access said call context database during said call, to retrieve said call context data from said call context database, and to process said call context data by performing a management operation, each of the plurality of management systems also being operative to manage a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein said management operation is a billing operation related to a set of calls being processed within said telephone network.

37. The system according to claim 35, wherein said management operation is a statistical analysis operation related to a set of calls processed within said telephone network.

38. The system according to claim 35, wherein said call context data includes network event records generated and stored by said network elements, said network event records being retrievable based on network call identifiers associated with said network event records.

39. A method for managing a telephone network, comprising:

storing call context data related to calls being processed by network elements within said telephone network in a call context database;

accessing said call context database during said calls;

retrieving said call context data from said call context database based on network call identifiers associated with the calls; and

processing said call context data by performing a management operation,

wherein the management operation is performed by at least one of a plurality of call context database management systems, each of the plurality of call context database management systems being configured to manage a subset of the call context database, the subset of the call context database corresponding to a range of network call identifiers.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said management operation is a billing operation related to a set of calls being processed.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein said management operation is a statistical analysis operation related to a set of calls being processed.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein said call context data includes network event records generated and stored by said network elements, said network event records being retrievable based on network call identifiers associated with said network event records.