US 5,448,631 AGranted

Apparatus for handling features in a telephone network

AssigneeU S West Advanced Technologies, Inc.

InventorMichael E. Cain

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A feature manager that handles the interactions between features in a telephone network is disclosed. A basic call processor transmits a sequence of event messages to the feature manager. The event messages are then transmitted from the feature manager to a subset of feature modules for processing. The feature modules, following receipt of an event message, each formulate a response message that is returned to the feature manager. The response messages contain information that instructs the basic call processor to act. Information contained within the response message is utilized to determine what other feature modules, if any, must be polled. The feature manager formulates a call processor response from the response messages received and returns the call processor response to the basic call processor. The call processor response includes information that instructs the basic call processor to act accordingly.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A feature manager for managing the interactions between a plurality of features in a telephone network, each of said plurality of features implemented by a corresponding feature module, each feature module including control logic for responding to an event message, said feature manager adapted for receiving said event message and, said event message provided by a basic call processor that generates said event message in response to user and network actions, said feature manager comprising:

means for receiving said event message;
means for transmitting said event message to said feature modules;
means for receiving response messages from said feature modules;
means for transmitting a call processor response to said basic call processor;
a memory;
a microprocessor for controlling the transmission and reception of said event message, said response messages, and said call processor response, said microprocessor operating in accordance with a predetermined sequence of instructions stored in said memory, said predetermined sequence of instructions operative to poll selective feature modules;
and
wherein each of said selective feature modules are sequentially polled by transmitting said event message to each of said selective feature modules, said selective feature modules processing said event message, formulating said response messages and returning said response messages, and further wherein said response messages that are received from said selective feature modules are compiled into said call processor response and said call processor response is transmitted to said basic call processor.

5 more elements

Am apparatus for providing a plurality of features to a telephone network having a basic call processor, said basic call processor formulating an event message in response to user actions, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of feature modules, each of said feature modules implementing one of said plurality of features, each of said feature modules including control logic for responding to said event message;
and
a feature manager for receiving from said basic call processor said event message and managing interactions between said plurality of features, said feature manager comprising:
means for receiving said event message from said basic call processor;
means for transmitting said event message to said plurality feature of modules;
means for receiving response messages from said feature modules;
means for transmitting a call processor response to said basic call processor;
a memory;
a microprocessor for controlling the transmission and reception of said event message, said response messages, and said call processor response, said microprocessor operating in accordance with a predetermined sequence of instructions stored in said memory, said predetermined sequence of instructions operative to poll selective feature modules;
and
wherein each of said selective feature modules are sequentially polled by transmitting said event message to each of said selective feature modules, said selective feature modules processing said event message, formulating said response messages and returning said response messages, and further wherein said response messages that are received from said selective feature modules are compiled into said call processor response and said call processor response is transmitted to said basic call processor.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.