System and method of providing enhanced subscriber services in a multi-node telecommunications network

Claim 1

A system for providing advanced subscriber services to telecommunications subscribers, said system comprising: a switch connected to said telecommunications subscribers and incapable of communicating using a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) containing service logic and subscriber data for providing said advanced subscriber services; a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection for connecting said switch and said ViSSP; an intelligent peripheral (IP) operable to process voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information, said IP including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; a second signaling link connecting said ViSSP with said IP; a third signaling link connecting said IP with said switch; a voice link connecting said voice circuit of said IP with said switch; means within said ViSSP for establishing a call connection with said IP voice circuit over said voice link by transmitting an ISUP signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number and for instructing said IP to collect from said switch over said voice link, analyze and report back to the ViSSP over said second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) digit information; and means within said ViSSP for effectuating an advanced subscriber service in response to said collected, analyzed and reported voice or DTMF digit information.

Claim 2

A system for providing advanced subscriber services to telecommunications subscribers, said system comprising: a switch connected to said telecommunications subscribers and incapable of communicating using a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) containing service logic and subscriber data for providing said advanced subscriber services; a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection for connecting said switch and said ViSSP; an intelligent peripheral (IP) operable to process voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information, said IP including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; a second signaling link connecting said ViSSP with said IP; a third signaling link connecting said IP with said switch; a voice link connecting said voice circuit of said IP with said switch; means within said ViSSP for establishing a call connection with said IP voice circuit over said voice link by transmitting an ISUP signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number and for instructing said IP to collect from said switch over said voice link, analyze and report back to the ViSSP over said second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) digit information; and means within said ViSSP for effectuating an advanced subscriber service in response to said collected, analyzed and reported voice or DTMF digit information.

Claim 6

A method of providing advanced subscriber services to telecommunications subscribers, said method comprising the steps of: connecting a switch to said telecommunications subscribers wherein said switch is incapable of communicating a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; connecting a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) of subscriber services to said switch via a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection; connecting an intelligent peripheral to said ViSSP via a second signaling link, said intelligent peripheral including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; connecting said intelligent peripheral to said switch via third signaling link; connecting said voice circuit of said intelligent peripheral to said switch via a voice link transmitting an Integrated Service Digital Network User Part (ISUP) signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number from said ViSSP; instructing said intelligent peripheral to collect from said switch over said voice link, analyze and report back to the ViSSP over said second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) digit information; and effectuating an advanced subscriber service in response to said collected, analyzed and reported subscriber voice or DTMF digit information by said ViSSP.

Claim 7

A method of providing advanced subscriber services to telecommunications subscribers, said method comprising the steps of: connecting a switch to said telecommunications subscribers wherein said switch is incapable of communicating a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; connecting a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) of subscriber services to said switch via a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection; connecting an intelligent peripheral to said ViSSP via a second signaling link, said intelligent peripheral including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; connecting said intelligent peripheral to said switch via third signaling link; connecting said voice circuit of said intelligent peripheral to said switch via a voice link transmitting an Integrated Service Digital Network User Part (ISUP) signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number from said ViSSP; instructing said intelligent peripheral to collect from said switch over said voice link, analyze and report back to the ViSSP over said second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) digit information; and effectuating an advanced subscriber service in response to said collected, analyzed and reported subscriber voice or DTMF digit information by said ViSSP.

Claim 11

A system for providing advanced subscriber services to subscribers comprising: an exchange connected to said subscribers and incapable of handling a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) for said advanced subscriber services; a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection for connecting said exchange with said ViSSP; an intelligent peripheral (IP) operable to process voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information, said IP including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; a second signaling link connecting said ViSSP with said IP; a third signaling link connecting said IP with said exchange; a voice link connecting said voice circuit of said IP with said exchange; and means within said ViSSP for: establishing a call connection between said exchange and said voice circuit of said IP over said voice link by transmitting an Integrated Service Digital Network User Part (ISUP) signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number; instructing said IP to collect from said exchange over the voice links process and report back to the ViSSP over the second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information; and processing the IP collected, processed and reported on subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information to identify an advanced subscriber service to be effectuated by the system.

Claim 12

A system for providing advanced subscriber services to subscribers comprising: an exchange connected to said subscribers and incapable of handling a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) message; a virtual service switching point (ViSSP) for said advanced subscriber services; a first signaling link comprising an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part (ISUP) connection for connecting said exchange with said ViSSP; an intelligent peripheral (IP) operable to process voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information, said IP including a voice circuit assigned a dialable directory number; a second signaling link connecting said ViSSP with said IP; a third signaling link connecting said IP with said exchange; a voice link connecting said voice circuit of said IP with said exchange; and means within said ViSSP for: establishing a call connection between said exchange and said voice circuit of said IP over said voice link by transmitting an Integrated Service Digital Network User Part (ISUP) signal over said first signaling link using said dialable directory number as a called party number; instructing said IP to collect from said exchange over the voice links process and report back to the ViSSP over the second signaling link on, subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information; and processing the IP collected, processed and reported on subscriber voice or dual tone multi-frequency digit information to identify an advanced subscriber service to be effectuated by the system.