Call control of ancillary telecommunications equipment using continuity tests

A system for controlling a telecommunications device within a call processing environment, comprising:

• a first switching system configured to receive a call from a calling station and to route said call within said call processing environment;
• an ancillary telecommunications device configured to control a call processing parameter related to said call;
• a second switching system configured to routed said call within said call processing environment toward a call termination station;
• said first switching system, said second switching system and said ancillary telecommunications device being coupled to each other via a channelized call data network, said channelized call data network configured to communicate data corresponding to said call over at least one channel;
• and
• said first switching system and said second switching system being coupled to each other via a dedicated signaling network, said dedicated signaling network configured to allow said first switching system and said second switching system to communicate control messages to each other, said control messages related to the routing and processing of said call,
• whereby said ancillary telecommunications device controls said call processing parameter to affect said call based on a continuity test issued by said first switching system to said ancillary device, said continuity test contained within said at least one channel of said channelized call data network.

A method for controlling a telecommunications device within a call processing environment during a call, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a call at a switching system within said call processing environment;
• determining from said call whether a call processing parameter need be controlled to process said call;
• and
• causing an ancillary telecommunications device coupled to said switching system via a channelized call data network to control said call processing parameter during said call, said ancillary telecommunications device controlling said call processing parameter to affect said call based on a continuity test issued by said switching system to said ancillary device during said call.

A system for controlling a telecommunications device within a call processing environment, comprising:

• a first switching system configured to receive a call from a calling station and to route said call within said call processing environment;
• an ancillary telecommunications device configured to control a call processing parameter to affect said call;
• a second switching system configured to route said call within said call processing environment toward a call termination station;
• and
• said first switching system, said second switching system and said ancillary telecommunications device being coupled to each other via a channelized call data network, said channelized call data network configured to communicate data corresponding to said call over at least one channel of said channelized call data network,
• whereby said ancillary telecommunications device controls said call processing parameter to affect said call based on a continuity test issued by said first switching system to said ancillary device.

A method for controlling a telecommunications device within a call processing environment prior to establishing a call connection, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for service at a switching system within said call processing environment;
• determining from said request for service whether a call processing parameter need be controlled to process said call;
• and
• causing an ancillary telecommunications device coupled to said switching system via a channelized call data network to control said call processing parameter prior to establishing said call connection, said ancillary telecommunications device controlling said call processing parameter to affect said call based on a continuity test issued by said switching system to said ancillary device prior to establishing said call connection.

A method for controlling an ancillary telecommunications device from a switching system within a call processing environment, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for service;
• determining from the request for service whether a call processing parameter need be controlled to process the call;
• and
• issuing a continuity test (COT) tone to the ancillary telecommunications device, thereby causing the ancillary telecommunications device to control the call processing parameter to affect the call in response to the continuity test (COT) tone.