US 5,673,310 AGranted

Hierarchical switch support of services for subscribers of separate centrex exchanges

AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.

InventorsDonald Lee Andruska, Liane Toy Tsai

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Abstract

A telecommunication network serves first subscribers by a first Centrex telephone exchange (CTX) via a first telecommunication switch. A first signal is received at the first switch from the first CTX which indicates that call origination services are to be provided directly by a second public network switch for a first subscriber. The second switch is disposed at a hierarchical level above the first switch. A second signal is received at the second switch from the first CTX indicative of the identity of the first subscriber. A record is located in a database coupled to the second switch based on the identification of the first subscriber. A group affiliation parameter stored in said record is identified; the group affiliation parameter defines one organization of which the first subscriber is a member. The second switch transmits a call setup message to a third switch associated with the second (called) subscriber; the call setup message includes the group affiliation parameter so that the first subscriber's membership in the one organization can be used in further call processing.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a telecommunication network having a first independent Centrex exchange (CTX) supported by a first telecommunication switch, first subscribers are connected to the first CTX, a method for handling call requests made by first subscribers comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from the first switch at a second telecommunication switch disposed at a hierarchical level above the first switch, the first signal indicating to the second switch that call origination services are to be provided directly by the second switch for one of the first subscribers;
receiving a second signal at the second switch from the first CTX indicative of the identification of the one first subscriber;
locating a record in a database coupled to the second switch in response to receiving the second signal, the location of the record being based on the identification of the one first subscriber as defined by the second signal;
identifying a group affiliation parameter stored in said record, the group affiliation parameter defining one organization of which the one first subscriber is a member;
receiving third signals at the second switch generated by the one first subscriber, the third signals conveying a call destination number of a second subscriber not served by the first CTX;
the second switch transmitting a call setup message to a third switch associated with the second subscriber, the call setup message based on the group affiliation parameter so that the first subscriber's membership in the one organization can be used in further call processing.

3 more elements

means for receiving a first signal from the first switch at a second telecommunication switch disposed at a hierarchical level above the first switch, the first signal indicating to the second switch that call origination services are to be provided directly by the second switch for one of the first subscribers;
means for receiving a second signal at the second switch from the first CTX indicative of the identification of the one first subscriber;
means for locating a record in a database coupled to the second switch in response to receiving the second signal, the location of the record being based on the identification of the one first subscriber as defined by the second signal;
means for identifying a group affiliation parameter stored in said record, the group affiliation parameter defining one organization of which the one first subscriber is a member;
means for receiving third signals at the second switch generated by the one first subscriber, the third signals conveying a call destination number of a second subscriber not served by the first CTX;
the second switch transmitting a call setup message to a third switch associated with the second subscriber, the call setup message based on the group affiliation parameter so that the first subscriber's membership in the one organization can be used in further call processing.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.