USH1894HExpiredUtility

Flexible telecommunications system architecture

56
Assignee: DSC CELCORE INCPriority: Sep 26, 1997Filed: Feb 19, 1998Granted: Oct 3, 2000
Est. expirySep 26, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Anthony G. FletcherScott D. Hoffpauir
H04Q 2213/13109H04Q 2213/13103H04Q 2213/1328H04Q 2213/1319H04Q 2213/13031H04Q 2213/13204G06F 9/542H04Q 2213/13106H04W 24/00H04Q 3/5455H04Q 2213/13167H04W 24/04H04Q 2213/13095H04Q 2213/13299H04Q 2213/13098H04Q 2213/13396H04Q 2213/1316H04Q 2213/1305H04Q 2213/13349H04Q 2213/13034H04Q 2213/13292G06F 8/656H04Q 2213/13056H04Q 3/54558H04Q 2213/13162H04Q 2213/13209H04Q 2213/13107H04Q 2213/1336H04Q 2213/13176H04Q 2213/13166H04Q 11/0414H04Q 2213/13093
56
PatentIndex Score
17
Cited by
26
References
37
Claims

Abstract

A flexible architecture for a telecommunications system is disclosed herein. Such architecture provides for different software layers, which include one or more software entities, based on a logical grouping of like or similar functions. For example, a call processing software layer, a resource software layer and a network management software layer may be provided to carry out particular operations. Further, the network management software layer may be divided into a client layer, which presents operations, administration and maintenance related information to a user for adaptation by the user, and a server layer, which stores and accesses operations, administration and maintenance related information. Object request broker technology is utilized to allow a software entity of one software layer to invoke operations associated with another software entity provided by another software layer.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A software architecture for a wireless telecommunications system comprising: a call processing software layer, which includes one or more software entities, encapsulating operations concerning the processing of calls directed to or from the telecommunications system; and   a management software layer, which includes one or more software entities, encapsulating operations concerning operations, administration and maintenance related information.   
     
     
       2. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the software entities of the call processing software layer software layer may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the management software layer. 
     
     
       3. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the software entities of the management software layer may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the call processing software layer. 
     
     
       4. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the management software layer stores and accesses the operations, administration and maintenance related information on a data base. 
     
     
       5. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 1, further comprising a resource software layer, which includes one or more software entities, encapsulating operations that manage and provide access to telephony resources. 
     
     
       6. The software architecture for a telecommunications according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the software entities of the resource software layer may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of either the call processing software layer or the management software layer. 
     
     
       7. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 5, wherein the telephony resources include a switch. 
     
     
       8. A telecommunications system comprising: a call processor assembly including one or more first processors and a call processing application executed by the first processor(s), the call processing application including one or more software entities that encapsulate operations concerning the processing of calls directed to or from the telecommunications system; and   a network management system including a client portion and a server portion, the client portion including one or more second processors and a client application executed by the second processor(s), the client application including one or more software entities that encapsulate operations concerning the presentation of operations, administration and maintenance related information to a user for adaptation by the user, the server portion including one or more third processors and a server application executed by the third processor(s), the server application including one or more software entities that encapsulate operations concerning the storage of and access to the operations, administration and maintenance related information.   
     
     
       9. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the software entities of the call processing application may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the server application. 
     
     
       10. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the software entities of the server application may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the call processing application. 
     
     
       11. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the software entities of the server application may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the client application. 
     
     
       12. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the software entities of the client application may invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the server application. 
     
     
       13. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein the call processor assembly further includes a resource application executed by the first processor(s), the resource application including one or more software entities that encapsulate operations concerning the management and provision of telephony resources. 
     
     
       14. The telecommunications system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the software entities of the resource application may invoke one or more operations of either the call processing application or the server application. 
     
     
       15. The telecommunications system according to claim 13, wherein an object request broker is associated with the call processing application and the resource application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations of the call processing application and the resource application so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of either the call processing application or the resource application. 
     
     
       16. The telecommunications system according to claim 13, wherein a proxy is associated with at least one software entity of the call processing application or the resource application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity. 
     
     
       17. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein an object request broker is associated with the call processing application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations of the call processing application so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the call processing application. 
     
     
       18. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein a proxy is associated with at least one software entity of the call processing application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity. 
     
     
       19. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein an object request broker is associated with the server application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations of the server application so as to enable at least one software entity of either the client application or the call processing application to invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the client application. 
     
     
       20. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein an object request broker is associated with at least one software entity of the server application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity so as to enable at least one software entity of either the client application or the call processing application to invoke the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity. 
     
     
       21. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein an object request broker is associated with the client application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations of the client application so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations of the server application. 
     
     
       22. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein an object request broker is associated with at least one software entity of the client application to provide information concerning the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity so as to enable at least one software entity of the server application to invoke one or more of the encapsulated operations associated with that software entity. 
     
     
       23. The telecommunications system according to claim 8, wherein the server application provides data to the client application from which the client application causes the generation of a graphical user interface. 
     
     
       24. A software architecture for a telecommunications system comprising: a call processing software layer, which includes one or more software entities to provide call processing operations, and which further includes a first object request broker that maintains information by which at least one other software layer may invoke certain of those operations;   a resource software layer, which includes one or more software entities configured to manage and provide access to telephony resources, and which further includes a second object request broker that maintains information by which at least one other software layer may invoke certain of those operations;   a management software layer, which includes one or more software entities to provide operations, administration and maintenance related operations, and which further includes a second object request broker that maintains information by which at least one other software layer may invoke certain of those operations.   
     
     
       25. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 24, wherein the first object request broker is configured to facilitate the invocation of an operation of a particular software entity of the call processing software layer by a given software entity of either the resource software layer or the management software layer. 
     
     
       26. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 25, wherein a proxy is associated with the given software entity, the proxy being configured to receive a response to the operation invoked by the particular software entity. 
     
     
       27. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 24, wherein the second object request broker is configured to facilitate the invocation of a particular software entity of the resource software layer by a given software entity of either the call processing software layer or the management software layer. 
     
     
       28. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 27, wherein a proxy is associated with the given software entity, the proxy being configured to receive a response to the operation invoked by the particular software entity. 
     
     
       29. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 24, wherein the third object request broker is configured to facilitate the invocation of a particular software entity of the management software layer by a given software entity of either the resource software layer or the call processing software layer. 
     
     
       30. The software architecture for a telecommunications system according to claim 29, wherein a proxy is associated with the given software entity, the proxy being configured to receive a response to the operation invoked by the particular software entity. 
     
     
       31. A method for communicating between applications associated with a telecommunications system comprising: providing a first software layer having one or more software entities and a second software layer also having one or more software entities;   receiving a request issued from a given software entity of the first software layer to access a particular operation of a particular software entity of the second software layer;   determining an appropriate messaging format to invoke the particular operation;   composing a message based on the appropriate messaging format; and   directing the composed message to the given software entity.   
     
     
       32. The method according to claim 31, wherein determining an appropriate messaging scheme to invoke the particular operation comprises: defining an interface for the particular operation;   retrieving the defined interface; and   composing a message in accordance with the defined interface that can be directed to the identified software entity.   
     
     
       33. The method according to 31, wherein the interface for the particular operation is predetermined. 
     
     
       34. The method according to 31, wherein the interface for the identified second software entity is dynamically defined upon receiving the request. 
     
     
       35. The method according to claim 31, wherein either the first software layer or the second software layer is configured to provide call processing functions. 
     
     
       36. The method according to claim 31, wherein the one or more software entities of either the first software layer or the second software layer are configured to manage and provide access to telephony resources. 
     
     
       37. The method according to claim 31, wherein the one or more software entities of either the first software layer or the second software layer are configured to provide operations, administration and maintenance related functions.

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