Feature interaction manager

In a telecommunications network serving a plurality of subscribers,

• a service switching platform including logic for the completion of calls between said subscribers;
• software blocks for providing feature logic for the implementation of a plurality of call features in response to network events produced by actions taken by said subscribers;
• a feature manager associated with said call features for receiving signals from the network indicative of events produced by actions by said subscribers and for providing control signals to said call feature logic;
• a data base for storing information related to each subscriber within the network having the capability of invoking and controlling said call features, said information comprising:
• a next event list containing all events to which said feature logic is responsive;
• a connection view indicative of the current connection state of said subscriber;
• a list of all call features which can be invoked by said subscriber;
• and
• a list of all call features currently active for said subscriber;
• and
• a feature interaction manager connected between said feature manager and said data base for receiving signals from said feature manager indicative of events received by said manager and including means responsive to said received events and said information stored within said data base related to the subscriber which caused said events for instructing said manager on what signals to send to said feature logic in order to interactively implement the features invoked by the events produced by the actions of said subscriber.

A method for managing the interaction of call features within a telecommunications network including a service switching platform having logic for implementing at least two call features in response to network events associated with subscriber actions, a feature manager associated with said features, a feature interaction manager associated with said feature manager and a data base, said method comprising:

• storing in the data base a set of information associated with at least one subscriber having access to said call features, said information including a next event list containing all the events to which said features are responsive, an indication of the current connection state of said subscriber, a list of all of said features that can be invoked by said subscriber, and a list of said features currently active for said subscriber;
• receiving at said feature manager signals from the network indicative of events occurring within said network;
• storing said received events in a data buffer within said feature manager;
• sequentially comparing within said feature manager each successive event stored in said buffer with information on said next event list stored in the data base and associated with said subscriber;
• transferring an indication of the occurrence of each said stored event to said feature interaction manager in response to a correspondence between each said stored event and information on said next event list;
• determining in accordance with an algorithm the information to be transferred to said feature logic by said feature manager in order to implement said features for said subscriber;
• updating said next event list in said data base in accordance with said information to be transferred to said feature manager;
• and
• transferring said information to said feature manager.

A system for managing the interaction of call features within a telecommunications network including a service switching platform having logic for implementing at least two call features in response to network events associated with subscriber actions, a feature manager associated with each feature, a feature interaction manager associated with said feature manager and a data base, said system comprising:

• means for storing in the data base a set of information associated with at least one subscriber having access to said call features, said information including a next event list containing all the events to which said features are responsive, an indication of the current connection state of said subscriber, a list of all of said features that can be invoked by said subscriber, and a list of said features currently active for said subscriber;
• means for receiving at said feature manager signals from the network indicative of events occurring within said network;
• means for storing said received events in a data buffer within said feature manager;
• means for sequentially comparing within said feature interaction manager each successive event stored in said buffer with information on said next event list stored in the data base and associated with said subscriber;
• means for transferring an indication of the occurrence of each said event to the feature interaction manager in response to a correspondence between each said stored event and information on said next event list;
• means for determining in accordance with an algorithm the information to be transferred to said feature logic by said feature manager in order to implement said features for said subscriber;
• means for updating said next event list in said data base in accordance with said information to be transferred to said feature manager;
• and
• means for transferring to said feature manager said information.

A feature interaction manager for a telecommunications network which provides subscribers with call features responsive to subscriber initiated actions, said feature interaction manager comprising:

• a central processor software unit;
• data files within said software unit for storing the desired results of feature interactions with one another, said results defined by operator commands to provide flexibility in resolving feature interaction conflicts;
• and
• means for periodically providing within said software unit signals representative of the current connection view state of each subscriber having a plurality of active features to supply logic branching parameters within said data files and produce said desired results of interaction between said features.

A feature interaction manager strategically placed within a telecommunications network to control events generated by said network and administrate features active within subscriber switching platforms, said feature interaction manager comprising:

• means for receiving signals communicating call events from said network;
• means for invoking features from feature platforms in response to reception of said signals communicating call events;
• means for receiving responses from said subscriber switching platforms regarding the status of features;
• and
• means for analyzing said events and said responses from said subscriber switching platforms to resolve feature interaction conflicts.

A method of controlling events and administrating features within a telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:

• strategically placing a feature interaction manager in a location within said network to communicate with network switches, adjuncts, and other feature platforms;
• receiving signals within said feature interaction manager communicating events from said network;
• requesting features from subscriber switching platforms in response to reception of said signals communicating call events;
• receiving responses within said feature interaction manager from said feature platforms regarding the status of features;
• and
• analyzing within said feature interaction manager said events and said responses from said subscriber switching platforms to resolve feature interaction conflicts.

A system for controlling events and administrating features within a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

• a feature interaction manager strategically placed in a location within said network to communicate with network switches, adjuncts, and other feature platforms;
• means for receiving signals within said feature interaction manager communicating events from said network;
• means for requesting features from subscriber switching platforms in response to reception of said signals communicating call events;
• means for receiving responses within said feature interaction manager from said feature platforms regarding the status of features;
• and
• means for analyzing within said feature interaction manager said events and said responses from said subscriber switching platforms to resolve feature interaction conflicts.