The present invention includes a method, system, and apparatus for providing communication control. The invention includes a method in which signaling is processed externally to a switch before it is applied by the network elements. The processor is able to select network characteristics and signal the network elements based the selections. A network employing the processing method is also included, as well as a signaling system that employs the processing method.

Method, system and apparatus for telecommunications control

A service node is described for use in an intelligent communications network for providing services for customers. The node comprises service defining means arranged to define a plurality of services; a first resource comprising a speech segment store containing, in use, speech segments, each segment having a corresponding identity, and resource controlling means arranged to convert a received command signal to a corresponding succession of speech segment identities for a speech announcement corresponding to the command signal, to access the speech segment store in accordance with said speech segment identities, to generate the corresponding speech segments for the speech announcement and to provide an announcement finished signal when a last speech segment of the announcement has been generated; a switch arranged to connect the first resource to an incoming call routed by the network to the service node; and node controlling means arranged to respond to such anincoming call to pass details of the call to the service defining means for processing, queueing the call as necessary, to pass signals from the service defining means to the first resource and to the switch, and to pass announcement finished signals from the first resource to the service defining means.

Intelligent communications networks

Data concurrence processes and systems for maintaining concurrence of parallel sets of data stored in telecommunication Network Elements. According to a preferred embodiment of such processes, a Network Element such as a Service Node sends a Request Message to a second Network Element such as a Source Service Control Point in order to update data on that Source. The Source then sends a Request Message to the other Network Element, such as a Target Service Control Point, in order to update the parallel data contained in that Service Control Point. The Network Elements whose data are updated may send appropriate Result Messages in order to verify integrity of the data. The processes and apparatus also allow resynchronization of the data to occur at desired predetermined interval. These data concurrence processes and systems are particularly useful for implementing new services such as Personal Number Calling services in an intelligent telecommunications network, because they allow updating of the parallel databases quickly, efficiently, and with a minimum of required coordination, management and opportunity for lost communications, stale data, and mishandled call processing.

Peer-to-peer data concurrence processes and apparatus

The intelligent peripheral (IP) is one of the most important components of the advanced intelligent network (AIN) infrastructure for implementing new network based services that cannot be easily provided by the traditional switching elements Bellcore has developed requirements for the IP interface in document TA-NWT-001129; this document recommends that all the IP-SCP communication be routed through the service switching point (SSP) This IP interface recommendation is unnecessarily expensive in terms of SSP central processing unit (CPU) resources as every message exchanged between the SCP and the IP is translated by the SSP Furthermore, the Bellcore recommended interface will not be available for a few more years from the major switching vendors This may delay the deployment of AIN services leading the customers to seek other competing technologies In GTEs AIN testbed we have implemented direct control of the IP from the service control point (SCP) as an alternative to Bellcore IP interface, and in our experience, this interface definitely proves a worthy alternative The paper gives an overview of alternative TP configurations and how they are used in services such as UPT registration and out-call A brief qualitative comparison of the Bellcore recommended architecture and the direct IP-SCP interface and a hybrid interface is presented >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/3056/8676/00383081.pdf

Exploring intelligent peripheral configurations

A key motivation for the intelligent network (IN) is rapid service development. IN services are implemented by exchanging protocol messages and data between network elements. Services must be specified in unambiguous detail without limiting flexibility for modification and customization. The service specification process interacts with many service development functions. A 3-level service specification methodology was developed and used successfully in the GTE IN Testbed to specify services. The methodology combines text, graphics, and finite state descriptions into a coherent set of specifications in increasing detail. Tools were developed to manage the specification process and facilitate the stabilization, derivation, validation, and presentation of information.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/3878/11301/00512858.pdf

Methodology and tools for intelligent network service specification

The authors provide an update on the intelligent network (IN) testbed under development by GTE, discuss their experiences in prototyping INs, and present some plans for the testbed. The testbed includes prototypes of AIN switch capabilities (on a GTD-5/sup 1/ EAX switching system), service logic execution environment, service creation environment, intelligent peripheral, and m-specific operations support systems. The testbed, originally based on the advanced intelligent network (AIN) release 1 architecture, as proposed by Bellcore, has evolved with the industry and is maintaining compatibility with AIN releases 0.1 and 0.2. Nonetheless, as the call model implemented in the first phase of testbed development represented a substantial subset of the AM release 1 call model, the testbed provides richer functionality, particularly for mid-call services, than other flavors of INs under consideration by the industry. >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/1047/7666/00318398.pdf

L. Lattanzi

Papers

Experiences in prototyping the intelligent network