Advanced intelligent network with intelligent peripherals interfaced to the integrated services control point

A communication network, comprising:

• local communication lines;
• a plurality of separately located central office switching systems interconnected via trunk circuits for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of the local communication lines;
• a services control point, separate from the central office switching systems, comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication lines for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems;
• at least two peripheral platforms, each of which connects to at least one of the central office switching systems via a call connection channel, each of said at least two peripheral platforms comprising means for providing auxiliary call processing capabilities in response to instructions from said services control point;
• and
• a signalling communication system separate from said trunk circuits for two-way communications of data messages between the central office switching systems, between the central office switching systems and the services control point, between the at least two peripheral platforms and between the at least two peripheral platforms and the services control point.

In a communication system comprising:

• at least two switching offices, interconnected by trunk circuits, for selectively providing switched communication services over a plurality of communication lines connected thereto;
• a central control separate from the switching offices, said central control comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of said communication lines for control of call processing through one or more of said switching offices, a call processing method comprising the steps of:
• receiving a request for service via one of the communication lines;
• providing a call connection from said one of the communication lines to a peripheral platform, without obtaining instructions from said central control;
• communicating between said central control and said peripheral platform to identify an auxiliary call processing function to be executed by said peripheral platform in response to said request for service;
• and
• executing the identified auxiliary call processing function via said call connection.

In a communication system comprising:

• at least two switching offices, interconnected by trunk circuits, for selectively providing switched communication services over a plurality of communication lines connected thereto;
• a central control separate from the switching offices, said central control comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of said communication lines for control of call processing through one or more of said switching offices;
• and
• a first signalling communication network for two-way communication of messages, said first signalling communication network interconnecting the switching offices and connecting the switching offices to said central control, a call processing method comprising the steps of:
• receiving a request for service via a first one of the communication lines;
• providing a call connection from said one of the communication lines to a peripheral platform;
• communicating between said central control and said peripheral platform via a second signalling communication network, separate from the first signalling communication network, to identify an auxiliary call processing function to be executed by said peripheral platform responsive to said request for service;
• and
• executing the identified auxiliary call processing function via said call connection.

In a communication system comprising:

• at least two switching offices, interconnected by trunk circuits, for selectively providing switched communication services over a plurality of communication lines connected thereto;
• a central control separate from the switching offices, said central control comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of said communication lines for control of call processing through one or more of said switching offices, a call processing method comprising the steps of:
• during processing of a call from one of the communication lines, detecting a triggering event;
• if the triggering event is of a first predefined type, sending a query from one of the switching offices to the central control, transmitting call processing data from the database in the central control to the one switching office, and establishing a call connection from said one of the communication lines through at least the one switching office in response to the transmitted call processing data;
• and
• if the triggering event is of a second predefined type, providing a call connection from said one of the communication lines to a peripheral platform without obtaining instructions from said central control, communicating between said central control and said peripheral platform to identify an auxiliary call processing function to be executed by said peripheral platform, and executing the identified auxiliary call processing function via the call connection to the peripheral platform.