The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.

Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service

http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~muffy/papers/calder-kolberg-magill-reiff.pdf

Feature interaction: a critical review and considered forecast

Distributed Feature Composition (DFC) is a new technology for feature specification and composition, based on a virtual architecture offering benefits analogous to those of a pipe-and-filter architecture. In the DFC architecture, customer calls are processed by dynamically assembled configurations of filter-like components: each component implements an applicable feature, and communicates with its neighbors by featureless internal calls that are connected by the underlying architectural substrate.

/pdf/distributed-feature-composition-a-virtual-architecture-for-1lmb1n2lhz.pdf

Distributed feature composition: a virtual architecture for telecommunications services

Today's telecommunication systems are enhanced by a large and steadily growing number of supplementary services, each of which consists of a set of service features. A situation where a combination of these services behaves differently than expected from the single services' behaviors, is called service interaction. This interaction problem is considered as a major obstacle to the introduction of new services into telecommunications networks. We present a survey of the work carried out in this field during the last decade (1988-98). After a brief review of classification criteria that exist for feature interactions so far, we use a perspective called the emergence level view. This perspective pays respect to the fact that the sources for interactions can be of many different kinds, e.g., requirement conflicts or resource contentions. It is used to rationalize the impossibility of coping with the problem with one single approach. We also present a framework of four different criteria in order to classify the approaches dealing with the problem. The general kind of approach taken, a refinement of the well known detection, resolution, and prevention categories, serves as the main classification criterion. It is complemented by the method used, the stage during the feature lifecycle where an approach applies, and the system (network) context. The major results of the different approaches are then presented briefly using this classification framework. We finally draw some conclusions on the applicability of this framework and on possible directions of further research in this field.

The feature and service interaction problem in telecommunications systems: a survey

The problems of defining features, services, and feature interactions in telecommunication systems are discussed. Several ways of classifying feature interactions are surveyed. Existing approaches for solving the feature-interaction problem are reviewed. It is seen that no full approach exists; they are all partial solutions. The approaches are divided into three classes: avoidance, detection, and resolution. Avoidance looks at ways to prevent undesired feature interactions. Detection assumes that feature interactions will be present, and determines methods for identifying and locating them. Resolution assumes that feature interactions will be present and detected, and looks at mechanisms for minimizing their potential adverse effects. >

Feature interactions in telecommunications systems

It is argued that the goal of the intelligent network (IN) is to accelerate the introduction of new telecommunications features in a multisupplier competitive environment. One major roadblock to fulfilling such requirements is the feature interaction problem-a new feature may interact with existing features in some undesirable ways, resulting in adverse behavior. Feature interaction examples are categorized by their causes, since problems arising from the same cause may have the same solution. These examples and taxonomies are developed to improve understanding of the problem's scope and to provide a benchmark for analyzing the coverage of a proposed approach to solving the problem. Informal definitions of the concepts given, feature, service, and feature interaction, are presented. Prototypical examples of feature interactions and their categorization by causes are also presented. Possible approaches to the problem are discussed. >

A feature-interaction benchmark for IN and beyond

The feature interaction problem is a major obstacle to the rigid deployment of telecommunications features. For a feature to function correctly, its logic and assumptions must be checked against those of other existing features to detect potential interaction problems. Innovations in the detection of feature interactions, are described, including techniques generically applicable to detection of feature interactions in other domains, as well as those specifically developed for telephone networks. These techniques have been implemented in a software system called FIDO whose architecture, functionality, and operation are described. >

Y.-J. Lin

Papers

A feature-interaction benchmark for IN and beyond

Feature interaction detection