Telecommunications network system and method
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorsMichael Anthony Jackson, Pamela Zave
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A telecommunications network system and method is presented incorporating a distributed feature composition (DFC) architecture, offering new technology for feature specification and composition. In the network architecture of the invention, customer calls are processed by dynamically assembled configurations of filter-like components: each component implements an applicable feature, and communicates with its neighbors by featureless internal calls that are connected by the underlying architectural substrate. Features are coherently accumulated, and the problem of feature interaction is rendered much more tractable.
Claims36
A method for placing a call over a communications network, the call being placed through a set of feature modules in the network, each feature module being independent and communicating with other feature modules through featureless internal calls through the communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a request from a customer to place a call over the network;
- determining which features are associated with the customer's request and routing an internal call to a module representing a first feature;
- routing subsequent internal calls to additional feature modules representing features associated with the customer's request;
- and
- routing an internal call from a last feature module to a destination customer, wherein a path of internal calls from the requesting customer includes all features associated with the requesting customer's request.
A network communications system for placing a call over a network, the call being placed through a set of feature modules in the network, each feature module being independent and communicating with other feature modules through featureless internal calls through the communications network, the system comprising:
- a first interface for receiving a request from a customer to place a call to a destination, the call having associated with it a set of call features;
- and
- a set of connections for connecting the call to the set of feature modules and to the destination, a path of internal calls from the requesting customer over the set of connections including feature modules representing all features associated with the requesting customer's request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.