Modular application software for telecommunications exchanges for providing all end user services traffic handling and charging requirements of an application type

A software system for controlling end user services within a stored program controlled telecommunications exchange having hardware and software components for performing specific functional actions to implement a modular switching-oriented control and organization structure of a digital communications system, and having a plurality of users connected via terminal equipment to said exchange, said software system comprising:

• a plurality of application modules for providing telecommunications services to said users connected to said exchange, each application module including control instructions and data for implementing of a specific group of associated end user service, traffic handling and charging features of a single telecommunications application;
• a plurality of resource modules for providing certain functional elements of telecommunications services to each of said application modules, each resource module having access to and control over one or more hardware components of the exchange necessary for performing the specific functional actions required to implement its assigned service elements;
• and
• means for providing communications between each of said application modules and each other application module and each resource module to provide the end user service, traffic handling and charging features of each application module to said end users without use of the control instructions or data of any other application module, said communications means including network protocols specified in accordance with the open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model and which are complete and cover all layers of said model.

A computer implemented method of providing telecommunications services to a plurality of users having diverse end user communications applications among them, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• connecting said users to a stored program controlled telecommunications switching exchange having hardware and software components for performing specific functional actions,
• accessing within the software stored in said exchange a plurality of application modules, each application module containing the control instructions and data for providing all required telecommunications services for implementing a group of associated features for providing all of the end user service, traffic handling, and charging requirements of a single complete end user telecommunications application and each module acting as a node within a network;
• accessing a plurality of resource modules stored within the software of said exchange, each resource module being programmed to communicate with each of said application modules and having access to and control over the relevant hardware components of the exchange necessary for performing the specific functional actions required to implement its assigned service elements;
• and
• communicating said control instructions and data between nodes comprising each of said application modules and each other application module and each resource module to provide the telecommunications services of each application module to said users without use of the control instructions or data of any other application module.

A method for constructing, within a tele-communications network, a stored program controlled tele-communications switching exchange having hardware and software components for performing specific functional actions, to provide specified telecommunications services to a plurality of specified users within a group of specified subscriber types, said users having a specific communications application, said method comprising the steps of:

• accessing an application module containing control instructions, data, and network hardware facilities for providing said specified telecommunications services of said specific communications application to said specified user types, said application module acting as a node within said telecommunications network;
• accessing within said software stored in said exchange a plurality of resource modules, each resource module programmed to communicate with said application module and having access to and control over the relevant hardware components of the exchange and the network necessary for performing the specific functional actions required to implement said specified telecommunications services of said application;
• and
• communicating said control instructions and data between nodes comprising said application module and each resource module, internally and externally to said exchange to provide said specified telecommunications services of said application module to said specified users.