Abstract:
System and method for communicating with and controlling disparate telecommunications devices in a telecommunications network. The system and method include and involve a first telecommunications device configured to communicate within a telecommunications network according to a first messaging format, a second telecommunications device configured to communicate within the telecommunications network according to a second messaging format, and an interfacing facility. The interfacing facility communications with the first and second telecommunications devices via the telecommunications network. The interfacing facility also is configured to detect and receive a first external message formatted in accordance with the first messaging format from the first telecommunications device, to extract data from the first external message, to generate an internal message based on the data extracted from the first external message, to generate a second external message based on the internal message and the second messaging format, and to send the second external message to the second telecommunications device. The second telecommunications device is configured to operate (e.g., be controlled by, etc.) in accordance with the second external message.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to systems and methods used to communicate with and control telecommunications devices in telephonic networks such as those configured to transport and process voice and data calls.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Modern telecommunications networks typically include and utilize a varied array of telecommunications devices such as call routing switches, hubs, routers, etc. Many, if not most, devices are intelligent in terms of their ability to generate and receive messages and instructions (directives) related to particular call processing, routing, and the like. Such intelligence is realized by a device&#39;s ability to be programmed such as via software logic and the like.  
           [0005]    For example, devices known as Interactive Voice Response Units (IVRUs) typically are used to automatically respond to calls such as by audibly prompting callers with pre-defined (digitally recorded) voice messages such as those used in call centers to route callers to particular response facilities or personnel. Such IVRUs typically work in conjunction with call routing switches and complex database facilities that generate and transmit messages, and directives which are realized in automatic call response. Such messages can includes directives and other information related to the existence of a new call arriving at a particular switch, how a particular set of IVRU facilities will respond to the call, and other call processing parameters such as billing and call tracking information.  
           [0006]    The intelligent nature of such telecommunications devices has allowed telecommunications providers such as Inter-Exchange Carriers (IXCs), etc. to offer wide varieties of communications services that connect people in ways never thought possible. Unfortunately, however, as telecommunications services providers face consumer desires for more and richer telecommunications services, they also are faced with significant problems in terms of interfacing and coupling disparate telecommunications devices to deliver expanded functionality. Such problems are exacerbated by the fact that telecommunications providers often must install and operate devices that are manufactured by a multitude of vendors, that operate based on a unique, possibly proprietary, messaging schemes, and that may not interface with other telecommunications devices without requiring significant effort in terms of customization and configuration.  
           [0007]    For example, in the debit card and pre-paid calling card industries, service providers such as IXCs often must integrate devices such as switches and IVRUs manufactured by numerous vendors to deliver a particular feature set. Such devices may be configured to operate upon messages formatted according to a proprietary or open-standards based scheme. Currently, the only way to integrate such devices is to manage the messages generated by and sent to the same using complex, customized software and computing platforms and the like. A particular device&#39;s vocabulary and messaging format may be totally and completely different from others thus making difficult the combination of device specific features to deliver new and feature rich services and the like. And, beside offering new services, billing and call tracking related to existing services also are compounded by the difficulty of combining disparate telecommunications devices manufactured by a multitude of vendors. The difficulties associated with billing and call tracking can prevent development and deployment of pre-paid card services, for example, which, ultimately, prevents callers from realizing and enjoying new, telecommunications services.  
           [0008]    Thus there exists a need to provide new and improved systems and methods that will allow telecommunications service providers to integrate disparate telecommunications devices and that will facilitate effective and efficient communications with and control of the same. To be viable such systems and methods must be capable of receiving disparate device messages, understanding the same, translating such disparate device messages, and generating outbound device specific directives so that such systems and methods act as interfaces. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems and needs squarely and provides such new and improved systems and methods as described below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention solves the aforementioned problems and provides new and improved systems and methods that permit telecommunications devices within a telecommunications network such as those communicating based on disparate messaging schemes relative to each other to be addressed and controlled via a generalized interfacing facility. Accordingly, the present invention permits telecommunications providers and other parties involved in enabling, deploying, provisioning, or otherwise operating telecommunications services such as debit card and pre-paid telephone card services to efficiently deploy hardware devices and systems that operate based on a multitude of communications protocols.  
           [0010]    The present invention&#39;s interfacing facility permits inbound device specific messages (e.g., vendor specific messages, etc.) to be received and parsed for data related to other telecommunications processes (e.g., call detail processes, call billing processes, database operations, etc.). Once data is parsed (e.g., extracted for use in performing other call related processes), an outbound message formatted in accordance with possibly another device specific messaging format (e.g., a vendor specific messaging format, etc.) may be generated and sent to another telecommunications device (e.g., a switch, router, hub, etc.) for processing thereby. In other words, the present invention permits disparate telecommunications to be addressed (“spoken to”) and controlled without requiring highly customized systems and the like.  
           [0011]    As such, significant benefits are realized as a result of deployment of the present invention. For example, telecommunications providers now can deploy feature rich services and gather and process data from a multitude of telecommunications devices which heretofore have been unable to easily and efficiently communicate with each other. By providing an interfacing facility coupled to telecommunications devices within a telecommunications network, service providers (e.g., Inter-Exchange Carriers, etc.) now can focus development efforts and resources on service features and functionalities instead of on device/vendor specific messaging schemes. Consumers of telecommunications services are now able to enjoy and utilize richer services as a result of the device interfacing capabilities provided by the present invention.  
           [0012]    In achieving the aforementioned benefits, the present invention provides new and improved systems and methods for communicating with and controlling disparate telecommunications devices in a telecommunications network. Such new and improved systems and methods include and involve a first telecommunications device configured to communicate within a telecommunications network according to a first messaging format, a second telecommunications device configured to communicate within the telecommunications network according to a second messaging format, and an interfacing facility. The interfacing facility communications with the first and second telecommunications devices via the telecommunications network. The interfacing facility also is configured to detect and receive a first external message formatted in accordance with the first messaging format from the first telecommunications device, to extract data from the first external message, to generate an internal message based on the data extracted from the first external message, to generate a second external message based on the internal message and the second messaging format, and to send the second external message to the second telecommunications device. The second telecommunications device is configured to operate (e.g., be controlled by, etc.) in accordance with the second external message.  
           [0013]    According to another aspect of the present invention, provided is an interfacing facility for use in a telecommunications network. The interfacing facility includes and involves a message receipt facility configured to receive a first device specific message from a first telecommunications device. The first device specific message is related to a call to be processed within the telecommunications network. The interfacing facility also includes a message translation facility which is configured to translate the first device specific message into an internal message configured to be processed by a task facility, and a message generation facility which is configured to receive the internal message from the message translation facility after the internal message has been processed by the task facility, and to generate and send a second device specific message corresponding to a second telecommunications device for processing thereby.  
           [0014]    And, according to another aspect of the present invention, provided is a method for communicating with and controlling disparate telecommunications devices in a telecommunications network. The method includes the steps of receiving a first device specific message from a first telecommunications device within the telecommunications network. The first device specific message is related to a call to be processed within the telecommunications network. The method further includes the steps of translating the first device specific message into an internal message configured to be processed by a task facility, and generating a second device specific message corresponding to a second telecommunications device after the task facility has processed the internal message.  
           [0015]    The present invention is discussed in detail below with regard to several attached drawing figures which are next briefly described. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURES  
       [0016]    The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, of which:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a network diagram of a telecommunications system in which disparate telecommunications devices may be instructed and controlled in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a diagram that illustrates physical relationships and data flows among component parts of the system shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrate logical relationships and data flows among component parts of the system shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4A is a diagram of software system used within the system shown in FIG. 1 to perform, among other things, translations of external device specific messages to internal messages which may be processed by call processing related task facilities (e.g., billing, tracking, routing, etc.) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4B is a diagram that illustrates physical and logical relationships that are derived as a result of the software objects shown in FIG. 4A;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a data processing system that is configured to translate external device specific messages to internal messages which may be processed by call processing related task facilities (e.g., billing, tracking, routing, etc.) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a diagram of a device specific message (external message) and its corresponding byte offsets (field specifications) prior to translation by translation facilities provided in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is a diagram of an internal message and its corresponding byte offsets (field specifications) after translation of the device specific message shown in FIG. 6 by translation facilities provided in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8A is a flowchart that illustrates a process by which external messages such as those shown in FIG. 6 are translated into internal messages such as those shown in FIG. 7 which may be used by internal processes (e.g., billing processes, call routing processes, etc.) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8B is the conclusion of the flowchart started in FIG. 8A. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    The present invention is now discussed in detail with regard to the attached drawing figures which were briefly described above. Unless otherwise indicated, like parts and processes are referred to with like reference numerals.  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 1, depicted therein is a diagram of a telecommunications system in which disparate telecommunications devices such as switches manufactured by a multitude of vendors may be instructed and controlled in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, system  100  includes a network such as the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN)  102 , central office systems  104 ,  106 , calling parties CP, switching systems and platforms  108 ,  110  and  112 , interactive response units and systems  114  and  116 , and an interfacing facility  118  which is shown as being coupled to two disparate switching system  108  and  112 . Interfacing facility  118  may include switch interfacing facilities to permit disparate telecommunications devices to be instructed and controlled in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0029]    The structures within system  100  are exemplary and it certainly is envisioned that numerous other telecommunications devices, data processing systems, networks, and other structures and systems may be included therein. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited in any way to the structures and corresponding interconnections shown in FIG. 1 and the other drawing figures attached to this patent document and discussed in detail below.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIG. 2, depicted therein is a diagram that illustrates physical relationships and data flows among component parts of system  100  as shown in FIG. 1. In particular, switches  108 ,  110 ,  112 , etc. which are manufactured by different manufactures, may be coupled to the PSTN via communications links in a conventional way. Such switches would normally require complex, specialized and often custom interfacing systems to permit telecommunication providers to interact with the same. In accordance with the present invention, however, interfacing facility (and systems)  118  is coupled to such switching systems by a network/communications links such as Ethernet connections, etc., to allow for corresponding control via a single user interface which understands and deciphers device specific messages and which can process the same internally.  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIG. 3, depicted therein is a diagram that illustrates logical relationships and data flows among the component parts of system  100  as shown in FIG. 1 and as described with reference to FIG. 2. In particular, switching systems  108 ,  110 ,  112 , etc., manufactured by disparate vendors, generate device specific messages, which are transmitted to interfacing facility  118 . Interfacing facility  118  will translate device specific messages into internal messages which may be processed by tasks and corresponding task facilities maintained within interfacing facility  118 , as part of the same or as separate devices and facilities which may be accessed via network communication links.  
         [0032]    Referring now to, FIG. 4A, depicted therein is a software system diagram that illustrates certain software modules found within interfacing facility  118  which may be used to perform, among other things, translations of external device specific messages to internal messages which may be processed by call processing related task facilities such as billing, tracking, routing, call processing tasks, etc. in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, software system  400  includes objects and facilities such as a switch interface facility  402 , a progress monitor  404 , an arbitrator  406 , interactive voice response processes  408 , and a data base server facility  410 . Such software modules may be implemented using a object oriented programming environment such as C and C++. Thus, the communications among tasks running within software system  400  will be immediately understood by those skilled in the art after reviewing this patent document.  
         [0033]    Switch interface facility  402  receives and sends all external messages within interfacing facility  118  (FIG. 1). For example, every peripheral connected to a telecommunications network—via a telephone switch, a router, or signaling box—reports to and excepts commands from switch interface facility  402 . Switch interface facility  402  also communicates with the arbitrator  406  and progress monitor  404  tasks to notify the presence of a new call and to receive instructions on what to do with a particular switch. Switch interface facility  402  is like a mid-level manager. It takes orders from the logical core of software system  400  (the arbitrator and progress monitor) and translates those orders into switch commands. When a switch coupled to switch interface facility  402  completes an action, switch interface facility  402  then reports back to the logical core of software  400 .  
         [0034]    Arbitrator  406  exists to make decisions (to arbitrate) as to whether a new call is valid or not. To do this task, arbitrator  406  receives notices from switch interface  402  that a new call with certain characteristics (in coming number, on a certain switch, etc.) has arrived. Arbitrator  406  then passes such information to database server  410  to see if everything related to the call is in proper order. If so, the new call accepted and, if not, the call is rejected. Together with progress monitor  404  (as discussed below), arbitrator  406  makes up part of the logical core of software system  400 .  
         [0035]    Progress monitor  404  is the brain of software system  400 . In particular, assuming arbitrator  406  excepts a new call into the system as valid, progress monitor  404  watches the state of the call and decides what, if anything, should be done to the call. It is one of the duties of progress monitor  404  to tell switch interface  402  what a particular switch should do relative to a particular call.  
         [0036]    Progress monitor  404  is the source of generated switch commands. Together with arbitrator  406 , progress monitor  404  makes up part of the logical core of software system  400 .  
         [0037]    Database server  410  dips into appropriate databases when requested relative to particular calls and other tasks that may be carried out in accordance with the present invention. Arbitrator  406  may ask the database server to validate a new call. Progress monitor  404  may ask the database how a string of digits should be modified. An IVRP system may ask database server  410  for IVR settings such as how long to wait for a digit before timing out, etc.  
         [0038]    Interactive voice response process  408  governs a part of a box called an IVRU (interactive voice response unit). When a call reaches an IVRP process, the IVRP talks with database server  410  to figure out how to behave (such as when to wait for digits and when to terminate a call, etc.). IVRP processes  408  govern DSP hardware (digital signal processor hardware) that collects digits and plays promptswhile such resources are necessary for a call.  
         [0039]    In the aforementioned discussion facilities found within interfacing facility  118  and, in particular, within software system  400 , the term “external message” or (EM) means any of the hardware or protocol formatted messages that are sent from hardware connected to software system  400 . Conversely, the term “internal message” (IM) refers to any of the messages sent within software system  400  from one application to another. For example, switch interface facility  402  talks to arbitrator  406  using IM, while switch interface facility talks to physical switches using XMs.  
         [0040]    It is important to note when reviewing this patent document, that the term “IVR” is a heavily overloaded term. Technically, it stands for “interactive voice response.” IVR however, can refer to the physical chassis that hold DSP cards to play prompts, prompting DSP cards themselves, and/or the application(s) written to control such DSP cards. To avoid confusion, the term IVRU is used within this document to mean the physical chassis that hold DSP cards and the term IVRP (interactive voice response process) to mean the instances of the applications that may be written in accordance with the present invention to control such devices and to operate the same. An IVRP may be an instance of a UNIX program while an IVRU may a piece of hardware. An IVRP controls at least part of the an IVRU.  
         [0041]    Referring now to FIG. 4B, depicted therein is a diagram that further illustrates the logical and physical relationships and data flows among the component parts of system  100  in view of software system  400  as shown in FIG. 4A. In particular, depicted in FIG. 4B are communications paths and dialogue paths between the software facilities making up software system  400 . Those skilled in the art will readily understand the data flows and communication paths defined and shown within FIG. 4B. Accordingly, for purposes of brevity, further description of FIG. 4B is omitted.  
         [0042]    Referring now to FIG. 5, depicted therein is a block diagram of a data processing system that may be configured to operate as interfacing facility  118  (FIG. 1) which is configured to translate external device specific messages into internal messages which may be processed by call processing related task facilities (e.g., billing, tracking, routing, call processing, etc.) in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, interfacing facility  118  may include a processor arrangement  502  including one or more processing elements such as central processing units, data storage subsystems  504  which may include disk and data processing systems storage facilities, and I/O  506  to allow interfacing facility  118  to interface with other structures and processes as shown within system  100  of FIG. 1 and the other figures attached to this patent document.  
         [0043]    Referring now to FIG. 6, depicted therein is a diagram of a device specific message (e.g., an external message) and its corresponding byte offsets (field specifications) prior to translation by translation and interfacing facilities provided in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 6 depicts, in particular, a sample VCO 4K switch message referred to as a “$dd” report indicating the presence of a new call at a switch platform such as a switch platform manufactured by SUMMA CORPORATION. Furthermore, when a new call arrives at a switch, the SUMMA switching platform generates an “impulse rule complete report” and shoves the report into a socket. The corresponding digital message corresponding to a $dd report is shown at reference numeral  600 . And, at reference numeral  602  a table illustrates the byte offsets and the corresponding data values that would be maintained therein. The parsing of the $dd report in accordance with the present invention is described in detail below with regard to FIGS. 8A and 8B.  
         [0044]    Referring now to FIG. 7, depicted therein is a diagram of a internal message referred to as an IM 38  message and its corresponding byte offsets (field specifications) after translation of the device specific message shown in FIG. 6 by translation and interfacing facilities provided in accordance with the present invention. In particular, the $dd report  600  shown in FIG. 6 will be converted into an internal message IM 38  as shown at reference numeral  700 . The corresponding byte offsets and field descriptions related to the internal message  700  are shown at a table  702 .  
         [0045]    The structural aspects of the present invention as described above and which are used to generate internal messages based upon device specific messages as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively, are designed and configured in accordance with the present invention to operate together. The operations necessary to carry out such translations and interfacing features are next described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B and the exemplary computer source code contained within this document.  
         [0046]    Referring now to FIG. 8A, depicted therein is a flow chart that illustrates a process by which external messages such as those shown in FIG. 6 are translated into internal messages such as those shown in FIG. 7 which may be used by internal processes (e.g., billing processes, call routing processes, etc.) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, processing starts at step S 8 - 1  and immediately proceeds to step S 8 - 2 .  
         [0047]    At step S 8 - 2  a call is received at a switching facility platform.  
         [0048]    Next at step S 8 - 3 , the switching facility generates a device specific message (e.g., a $dd message as shown in FIG. 6) indicating the existence of a new call at the switching platform.  
         [0049]    Next at step S 8 A, the switch sends the message to an interfacing facility such as interfacing facility  118  (FIG. 1) as provided by the present invention.  
         [0050]    Next at step S 8 - 5 , the interfacing facility (e.g., interfacing facility  118 ) receives the message from the switching platform.  
         [0051]    Thereafter, at step S 8 - 6 , interfacing facility  118  translates the external device specific message into an internal message. Such processes may be carried out in accordance with software modules such as those described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B which may be written in a computer language such as C/C++and which may run on a UNIX based data processing plafform such as one similar or like interfacing facility  118  as shown in FIG. 5. To illustrate the processes and, in particular, the programming constructs which may be implemented to perform such translations to provide the interfacing functionality of the present invention, below the reader will find computer software listings for translation routines that may be used to translate, among other messages, $dd reports such as those shown in FIG. 6 into internal messages which may be used by down stream systems and processes. In particular, the following source code listings illustrate the translation of external, device specific messages formatted relative to a SUMMA based switching platform (e.g., a SUMMA Switch) into internal messages. The below listed source code has been fully, commented to assist the reader in comprehending the structural and operational aspects of the translations necessary to achieve the interfacing capability of the present invention.  
         [0052]    The below listed source code is merely exemplary and does not limit the present invention in any way. At least portions of the below listed source code are copyrighted material of the belonging to the Assignee of record. Copyright © 1999 SIMPLIFIED TELESYS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
 
         [0053]    Next, at step.S 8 - 8 , interfacing facility  118  may convert the internal message to another external message type which may then routed to a second telecommunications device for appropriate processing thereby.  
         [0054]    Next, at step S 8 - 9 , a determination will be made as to whether or not a new external message has been generated. That is, a determination will be made as to whether or not an external message was generated to carry out a particular call processing sequence of operations (e.g., continued call routing and processing, etc.). It is absolutely possible within the context of the present invention that a device specific message may be translated into an internal message which may then be processed solely and completely be an internal process (e.g., IVRU billing, etc.) without ever directing a second or supplementary telecommunications device. Accordingly, the present invention should not be interpreted to require the generation of a second external message which may be sent to a particular secondary telecommunications device for appropriate processing.  
         [0055]    If a determination made at step S 8 - 9  is negative, processing ends at step S 8 - 11 . Otherwise, if the determination made at step S 8 - 9  is affirmative, processing proceeds to step S 810 .  
         [0056]    At step S 8 - 10 , interfacing facility such as interfacing facility  118  will send a new external message generated in accordance with the present invention to a second telecommunication device for appropriate processing thereby.  
         [0057]    Thereafter, processing ends at step S 8 - 11 .  
         [0058]    Thus, having fully described the present invention by way of example with reference to the attached drawing figures, it will be readily appreciated that many changes and modifications may be made to the invention and to any of the exemplary embodiments shown and/or described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.