Patent ID: 6038310
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A service node for use in a communications network for providing a service, the service node comprising:a plurality of peripheral devices;switching means for connecting said peripheral devices to external communication means of said communications network for receiving calls made by callers to a service provided by the service node;control processing means operable to generate a scan pattern representative of a plurality of individual patterns of characters corresponding to respective service commands relating to service options available to a caller, wherein said caller may originate any of said service commands during a call; anddistributed processing means operable to:receive the scan pattern from the control processing means;monitor signals received from said caller during said call for the presence of signaling information representative of characters;convert such signaling information received from said caller into resulting characters;perform pattern matching, of the resulting characters with said plurality of individual patterns; andupon the occurrence of a match with any of said plurality of individual patterns, to supply to said control processing means information identifying the corresponding service command.