US 3,944,746 AGranted

Collecting switching system call data

AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated

InventorsThomas Victor Burns, Donald Ray Shea

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A stored program digital signal processor (e.g., Digital Equipment Corporation PDP 11/40) is used to collect billing data (e.g., Initial Entry data for Automatic Message Accounting) from a common control circuit (e.g., marker) of a common control automatic telephone switching system (e.g., the Bell System No. 5 Crossbar system). Ten marker control status indicating leads are scanned by the signal processor fast enough to detect any change in the signals on the 10 status leads which, in signal content as a group, represent the control status of the marker at any given time. When two successive prescribed control status changes occur, a large number of marker data leads are scanned by the signal processor so as to allow collection of that data and the storage thereof in a marker core buffer area of the signal processor. The stored data, previously registered in the marker incident to the assumption by the marker of certain control statuses, includes such Initial Entry data as calling circuit identity, called circuit identity, type of call, trunk circuit used, et cetera. The collected data is involved in subsequent processing (not disclosed) of the entire billing data for a call responsive to answer and disconnect timing entries.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An arrangement for collecting call connection data from a common control circuit of a common control switching system wherein the common control circuit (1) assumes a busy control status when seized for the purpose of performing control functions associated with establishing a call connection between calling and called circuits, (2) assumes other control statuses while performing the control functions, (3) assumes an idle control status when released after performing the control functions, and (4) includes registration therein of certain call connection data incident to assumption of certain control statuses, the arrangement comprising

A. a plurality of status word scan terminals for receiving from a plurality of circuit parts of the common control circuit a simultaneously existing plurality of binary status signals representing in signal content as a plural bit binary status word the control status of the common control circuit;
B. data word scan terminals for receiving from corresponding circuit parts of the common control circuit corresponding binary data signals representing in signal content as plural bit binary data words corresponding call connection data registered in the common control circuit;
C. and, signal processing means comprising
1. means for repeatedly scanning the status word scan terminals at least as fast as any change can occur in the signal content of the status word,
2. means controlled by the status word scanning means for detecting each change in the signal content of the status word,
3. data control means effective when enabled for scanning data word scan terminals and for storing the signal content of scanned data words,
4. and means controlled by the detecting means for enabling the data control means only if the signal contents of a succession of changed status words represent a prescribed succession of control statuses.

4 more elements

A method of collecting call connection data from a common control circuit of a common control switching system wherein the common control circuit (1) assumes a busy control status when seized for the purpose of performing control functions associated with establishing a call connection between calling and called circuits, (2) assumes other control statuses while performing the control functions, (3) assumes an idle control status when released after performing the control functions, and (4) includes registration therein of certain call connection data incident to asumption of certain control statuses, the method comprising

A. deriving from a plurality of circuit parts of the common control circuit a simultaneously existing plurality of binary status signals representing in signal content as a plural bit binary status word the control status of the common control circuit,
B. deriving from corresponding circuit parts of the common control circuit corresponding binary data signals representing in signal content as plural bit binary data words corresponding call connection data registered in the common control circuit,
C. repeatedly scanning the derived status word at least as fast as any change can occur in the signal content of the status word,
D. detecting each change in the signal content of the scanned status word,
E. and scanning and storing data words only if the signal contents of a succession of detected changed status words represent a prescribed succession of control statuses.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.