Flexible software architecture for a call processing system

A method of resolving by a call processing system the interaction of at least one subroutine program with an operating program at a predefined time during the execution of the operating program, both programs and data pertaining to the programs and the predefined time being stored in a memory of the system, comprising the steps of:

• a. executing, at the predefined time, an operation using the data stored in the memory to activate a respective subroutine program, said activation operation being independent of the type of subroutine program to be activated;
• b. accessing the data stored in the memory for the activation operation of the executing step, said data being arranged in the memory in logical table and bit map format so as to enable the interaction of the respective subroutine program to be customized;
• and
• c. executing the respective subroutine program upon the activation of said program.

A method of implementing at least one feature service for a call connection between subscribers of a call processing system having a call processor that governs the operation of connecting subscribers via the use of a basic call program and a memory that stores data regarding the basic call program and the feature services, comprising the steps of:

• a. determining which feature services are available to be accessed at a respective trigger time during the execution of the basic call program;
• b. blocking certain available feature services from being accessed at the respective trigger time based on feature services that are currently accessed;
• and
• c. accessing, at the respective trigger time, each respective feature service which is available to be accessed and is not blocked, in a priority order for the feature services established at the most recent formatting of the system.

A method of executing in a call processing system call feature software, that governs the operation of call features, by basic call software, that governs the operation of connecting system subscribers, said system having a processor that operates the software and a memory that stores the software and data pertaining thereto, comprising the steps of:

• a. executing, upon a feature request by the basic call software, a first data operation to determine the respective call features that can be executed;
• b. executing a second data operation to inhibit certain respective call features from being executed based on call feature software that is currently being executed;
• c. performing a data search of the result of the second data operation to determine the highest priority-ordered call feature;
• and
• d. executing the call feature software for the respective call feature determined to be the highest priority-ordered, said priority order being established at the most recent formatting of the system.

A processor for a call processing system, having a processor and a memory, that governs the operation of a call connection between subscribers and the implementation of at least one feature service for the call connection, comprising:

• a. means for establishing a call connection between system subscribers;
• b. means for triggering, at a predefined trigger time during the call connection, at least one feature service in a manner independent of the type of feature service to be triggered;
• c. means for accessing respective feature service data stored in the memory and arranged in an administrable format for use by the means for triggering;
• and
• d. means for directing, upon the triggering of a feature service, the interaction of a respective feature service with the operation of the call connection.

A call processing system for a telecommunications network that establishes call paths, via transmission lines, between a plurality of subscriber telecommunications terminals, comprising:

• a. means for establishing and operating a connection of a call path between respective subscriber terminals;
• b. means for providing a feature service for the respective call path;
• c. a memory that stores data regarding the network, the system subscribers, and the feature services and arranges the data in a format so as to enable the feature services to be customized;
• and
• d. means for triggering the means for providing a feature service to provide certain feature services based on data stored in the memory and for interacting the respective feature services with the call path based on data stored in the memory, said means for triggering and interacting being independent of the type of feature services provided.