Method and apparatus for delivering calling services

A method for a call processor to deliver calling services to a caller, comprising the steps of:

• determining that said call processor does not contain proper logic pertaining to a calling service requested by a service control point (SCP);
• requesting that said SCP download program instructions defining said calling service to said call processor;
• downloading said program instructions from said SCP to said call processor;
• and
• executing said program instructions by said call processor.

A method of delivering calling services to a caller comprising the steps of:

• receiving a call from the caller at a switch of a telephone network;
• determining from an input received from said caller a need for a first calling service associated with the call;
• notifying a service control point of said telephone network of said need for said first calling service;
• establishing a communication link between said service control point and a call processor associated with said switch;
• transmitting a calling service request from said service control point to said call processor, said calling service request being operable to cause said call processor to execute said first calling service if said call processor contains service logic operable to execute said first calling service;
• if said call processor does not contain service logic necessary to execute said first calling service, then:
• sending a service logic request from said call processor to a source external to said call processor to transfer the necessary service logic to said call processor;
• transferring said necessary service logic from said external source to said call processor, and
• said call processor executing said first calling service using said necessary service logic.

A system for delivering calling services to a caller, said system comprising:

• means for receiving a call from a caller at a switch of a telephone network;
• means for determining from an input received from said caller a need for a first calling service associated with said call;
• means for notifying a service control point linked to said telephone network of said need for said first calling service;
• means for transmitting a calling service request from said service control point to a call processor also linked with said switch;
• said call processor comprising:
• means operable in response to receipt of said calling service request for causing said call processor to execute said first calling service if said call processor contains proper service logic necessary to execute said first calling service;
• means for determining if said call processor does not contain the proper service logic necessary to execute said first calling service;
• and
• means for sending a request from said call processor to a source external to said call processor to transfer the proper service logic from said external source to said call processor,
• wherein said request sending means operates when said determining means determines that said call processor does not contain said proper service logic.

A method of delivering calling services to a caller, comprising the steps of:

• sending a list of program instructions from a call processor to a network processing element;
• examining, under control of said network processing element, said list of program instructions;
• marking said list of program instructions to indicate which program instructions are required for future call processing by said call processor and which program instructions are obsolete;
• and
• updating program instructions in said call processor according to said marked list of program instructions.