EP0228048A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Customer programmable real-time system
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1986-12-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-12-19
Abstract
Abstract A telecommunication and development system for the switching of voice and data under computer control in a customer programmable environment that allows real-time modification of communication services. The computer program controlling the system is written in a nonprocedural language that allows for the direct control of the telecommunication system on the basis of state definition, event definition, and action definition. Program scripts define a particular feature, and each script consists of a plurality of triples that automatically respond to the system state and signal information to execute the necessary actions to provide part of a feature to the telecommunication system. During provision of telecommunication services, a customer can add new features that not only add new operations to the system, but modify existing operations without interfering with the present operation of the system. This is possible since the nonprocedural language allows for the direct control of interaction between features and provides for the automatic execution of required operations during state transitions. In addition, the nonprocedural language allows a feature or script to control its own deactivation or activation. Also, the software development environment is based on a standard operating system allowing for ease of development. The above features allow a customer to program his or her own individual communication unit to provide desired features without affecting the operation of the telecommunication system or the features provided to other customers.
Inventors
- 👤 Terris Lee Hansen
- 👤 Wayne Edward Hyatt
- 👤 Deborah Dolores Kimminau
- 👤 Wu-Hon Francis Leung
- 👤 Todd Cartwright Morgan
- 👤 Paul Martin Zislis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/42; H04Q3/54; H04Q3/545; G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/30; G06F8/31; G06F3/00; G06F3/16; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0029; H04Q3/0033; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13548; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S379/00; Y10S379/914
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A telecommunication switching system for the communication of voice and data among a plurality of customer interface units said system assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals, comprising: means responsive to a first program routine for controlling the communication functions of said telecommunication switching system to provide a first set of services by being directly responsive to said plurality of state and said plurality of signals from said telecommunication switching system; means defined by a second program routine for compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional services and modifying old services to said first program routine; said controlling means comprises means defined by a third program routine for updating said first program routine with the compiled source code instructions; and means defined by a fourth program routine for activating the updated portion of said first program routine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A telecommunication switching system for the communication of voice and data among a plurality of customer interface units said system assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals, comprising: means responsive to a first program routine for controlling the communication functions of said telecommunication switching system to provide a first set of services by being directly responsive to said plurality of state and said plurality of signals from said telecommunication switching system; means defined by a second program routine for compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional services and modifying old services to said first program routine; said controlling means comprises means defined by a third program routine for updating said first program routine with the compiled source code instructions; and means defined by a fourth program routine for activating the updated portion of said first program routine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim l wherein said activating means comprises means defined by a set of instructions for adding said additional services to said first program routine without interfering with said first program routine's real-time control of said telecommunication system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim 2 wherein said controlling means comprises a first processor for executing said first program routine; and said compiling means comprises a second processor for executing said second program routine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim l wherein said fourth program routine comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each of which is responsive to a predefined system state and signal to execute and said activating means comprises: means defined by a first group of instructions of said fourth program routine responsive to a first system time signal for enabling the updated portion of said first program routine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim 4 wherein said controlling means further comprises means defined by a fifth program routine for deactivating said updated portion of said first program in response to a second system time signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
127 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim 5 wherein said fifth program routine comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each actuated by a predefined system state and signal and said deactivation means comprises: means defined by a first group of instructions of said fifth program routine responsive to said second system time signal for generating a deactivate signal indicating that said updated portion of said first program routine is to be deactivated; and said updated portion of said first program routine further comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each actuated by a predefined state and signal and one of said groups of instructions of said updated portion of said first program routine responsive to said deactivate signal for disabling said updated portion of said first program.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
103 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim l wherein said first program routine comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each responsive to a predefined system state and signal to execute and said controlling means further comprises: means defined by a first set of instructions of said first program routine for generating a leave signal upon the pending transition from the present state of said system to another system state; and means defined by a second group of instructions of said first program routine responsive to said leave signal and the present state for performing common operations to allow exiting from said present state.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim 7 wherein said performing means further comprises means defined by one of the instructions of said second group of instructions of said first program routine for allowing other of said groups of instructions in said first program routine and in said updated portion of said first program routine to respond to said leave signal and said present state.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
The telecommunication switching system of claim 7 wherein said means defined by said first set of instructions of said first program routine further comprises means for generating an enter signal upon said other system state being entered from said present system state; and said controlling means further comprises means defined by a third group of instructions of said first program routine responsive to said enter signal and said other state for executing common operations to enable entry into said other state.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
l0. The telecommunication switching system of claim 8 wherein said executing means of the entry operation further comprises means defined by one of said third group of instructions for allowing other groups of instructions of said first program routine to respond to said enter signal and said other state.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
130 words
A computer system for controlling a real-time process assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals, comprising: means responsive to a first program routine for controlling the communication functions of said telecommunication switching system to provide a first set of services by being directly responsive to said plurality of states and said plurality of signals from said process; means defined by a second program routine for compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional services and modifying old services to said first program routine; said controlling means comprises means defined by a third program routine for updating said first program with the compiled source code instructions; and means defined by a third program routine for activating the updated portion of said first program routine.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
130 words
A computer system for controlling a real-time process assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals, comprising: means responsive to a first program routine for controlling the communication functions of said telecommunication switching system to provide a first set of services by being directly responsive to said plurality of states and said plurality of signals from said process; means defined by a second program routine for compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional services and modifying old services to said first program routine; said controlling means comprises means defined by a third program routine for updating said first program with the compiled source code instructions; and means defined by a third program routine for activating the updated portion of said first program routine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The computer system of claim ll wherein said updating means comprises means defined by a set of instructions for adding said additional services to said first program routine without interfering with said first program routine's real-time control of said process.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer system of claim l2 wherein said controlling means further comprises a first processor for executing said first program routine; and said compiling means comprises a second processor for executing said second program routine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
The computer system of claim ll wherein said third program routine comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each of which is responsive to a predefined system state and signal to execute and said activating means comprises: means defined by a first group of instructions of said third program routine responsive to a first system time signal for enabling the updated portion of said updated first program routine.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer system of claim l4 wherein said controlling means further comprises means defined by a fourth program routine for deactivating said updated portion of said first program in response to a second system time signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
127 words
The computer system of claim l5 wherein said fourth program routine comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each responsive to a predefined system state and signal to execute and said deactivation means comprises: means defined by a first group of instructions of said fourth program routine responsive to said second system time signal for generating a deactivate signal indicating that said updated portion of said first program is to be deactivated; and said updated portion of said first program further comprises a plurality of groups of instruction each responsive to a predefined state and signal to execute and one of said groups of instructions of said updated portion of said first program responsive to said deactivate signal for disabling said updated portion of said first program.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
101 words
The computer system of claim ll wherein said first program comprises a plurality of groups of instructions each responsive to a predefined system state and signal to execute and said controlling means further comprises: means defined by a first set of instructions of said first program routine for generating a leave signal upon the pending transition of the present state of said system to another system state; and means defined by a second group of instructions of said first program routine responsive to said leave signal and the present state for performing common operations to allow exiting from said present state.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
63 words
The computer system of claim l6 wherein said performing means further comprises means defined by one of the instructions of said second group of instructions of said first program routine for allowing other of said groups of instructions in said first program routine and in said updated portion of said first program routine to respond to said leave signal and said present state.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
80 words
The computer system of claim l7 wherein said means defined by said first set of instructions of said first program routine further comprises means for generating an enter signal upon said other system state being entered from said present system state; and said controlling means further comprises means defined by a third group of instructions of said first program routine responsive to said enter signal and said other state for performing common operations to enable entry into said other state.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer system of claim l8 wherein said performing means of the entry operation further comprises means defined by one of said third group of instructions for allowing other groups of instructions to respond to said enter signal and said other state.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
144 words
2l. A method for controlling a real-time process assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals by a control computer executing a program, comprising: controlling the real-time functions of said real-time process by said control computer responding to a first program routine to provide a first set of functions by being directly responsive to said plurality of states and said plurality of signals from said realtime process; compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional functions and modifying old services to said first program routine by said control computer executing a second program routine; updating said first program routine with the compiled source code instructions defining said additional services by said control computer system executing a third program routine; and activating the updated portion of said first program routine by said control computer executing a fourth program routine.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
144 words
2l. A method for controlling a real-time process assuming a plurality of states and generating a plurality of signals by a control computer executing a program, comprising: controlling the real-time functions of said real-time process by said control computer responding to a first program routine to provide a first set of functions by being directly responsive to said plurality of states and said plurality of signals from said realtime process; compiling source code instructions for at least one of adding additional functions and modifying old services to said first program routine by said control computer executing a second program routine; updating said first program routine with the compiled source code instructions defining said additional services by said control computer system executing a third program routine; and activating the updated portion of said first program routine by said control computer executing a fourth program routine.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 2l wherein said updating step further comprises the step of adding a set of instructions defining said additional functions to said first program routine without interfering with said control computer's execution of said first program routine to perform real-time control of said real-time process.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 22 wherein said control computer comprises a first and a second processor means and said step of controlling comprises the step of executing said first program routine by said first processor; and said step of compiling comprises the step of executing said second program routine by said second processor means.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
274 words
A method for programming and controlling a voice and data telecommunication system having a source code entry unit and having a plurality of system states and a plurality of system signals to provide a plurality of services each performing a predefined voice and data service by a series of operations with said system controlled by a first processor executing a program having basic sets of instructions for implementing each of said services with each of said sets having basic groups of instructions each for performing an individual operation and each of said basic groups of instructions' execution controlled by a predefined system state and a predefined system signal and a second processor executing a program for the compilation of source code instructions written in a nonprocedural language, said method comprising the steps of: controlling said system by said first processor executing each of said basic groups of instructions to perform the individual operation upon the present system state and system signal being each of said groups of instructions' predefined state and signal, respectively; entering a source code program that defines additional services via said entry unit; compiling the entered source code into additional sets of instructions each comprising additional groups of instructions to control said first processor to perform at least one of adding new services and modifying old services by said second processor executing the compiler program; transferring said additional sets of instructions from said second processor to said first processor; updating said basic groups of instructions with said additional groups of instructions in a predefined preference relationship by said first processor; and activating said additional groups of instructions by said first processor.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
274 words
A method for programming and controlling a voice and data telecommunication system having a source code entry unit and having a plurality of system states and a plurality of system signals to provide a plurality of services each performing a predefined voice and data service by a series of operations with said system controlled by a first processor executing a program having basic sets of instructions for implementing each of said services with each of said sets having basic groups of instructions each for performing an individual operation and each of said basic groups of instructions' execution controlled by a predefined system state and a predefined system signal and a second processor executing a program for the compilation of source code instructions written in a nonprocedural language, said method comprising the steps of: controlling said system by said first processor executing each of said basic groups of instructions to perform the individual operation upon the present system state and system signal being each of said groups of instructions' predefined state and signal, respectively; entering a source code program that defines additional services via said entry unit; compiling the entered source code into additional sets of instructions each comprising additional groups of instructions to control said first processor to perform at least one of adding new services and modifying old services by said second processor executing the compiler program; transferring said additional sets of instructions from said second processor to said first processor; updating said basic groups of instructions with said additional groups of instructions in a predefined preference relationship by said first processor; and activating said additional groups of instructions by said first processor.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
156 words
The method of claim 24 wherein said first processor further comprises a plurality of control structures, and said method further comprises the steps of: relating individually in each of a plurality of control structures ones of the groups of instructions that respond to identical system state and system signal stimuli in accordance with said predefined preference relationship; identifying one of said control structures in response to the present system state and the occurrence of one of said system signals; executing the group of instructions having highest preference referenced by the identified control structure to perform a first service operation in said telecommunication system; allowing the group of instructions having second highest preference referenced by said identified control structure to execute by the execution of one of the highest preference group of instructions; and preventing the group of instructions having third highest preference from executing by execution of one of the second highest preference group of instructions.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 25 further comprises the steps of: deactivating the set of program instructions containing said second preference group of instructions; and executing the third preference group of instructions referenced by said identified control structure to perform another service operation in said telecommunication system in response to said system signal and upon said set of program instructions containing said second preference group of instructions being deactivated.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said step of deactivation comprises the step of removing from said plurality of control structures all references to groups of instructions that make up said set of instructions containing said second preference group of instructions.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method of claim 26 wherein each of said control structures is associated with one of said system states and each of said control structures comprises a plurality of tables each associated with one of said system signals occurring in the system state of the associated control structure, said updating step comprises the steps of: determining the one of said tables that corresponds to the state and signal that actuates the execution of each additional group of instructions; and storing into the determined one of said tables a reference for each of the additional groups of instructions for which the determination occurred.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
110 words
The method of claim 28 wherein said step of deactivation comprises the steps of: generating a deactivate signal; searching for another one of said tables contained within said control structures that contains a group of instructions responsive to said deactivate signal; storing a variable signal in said processor indicating that said set of instructions containing said second preference group of instructions is to be deactivated in another one of said system states; and stopping the further processing of said deactivate signal by a group of instructions of said other one of said tables thereby inhibiting the deactivation of said set of instructions associated with said second preference group of instructions.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 29 wherein said deactivation step further comprises the steps of: changing the state of said system from the present state to a new state; and purging said set of instructions containing said second preference group of instructions upon entering said other system state and upon the existence of said variable signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
113 words
3l. The method of claim 25 wherein each of said control structures is associated with one of said system states and each of said control structure comprises a plurality of tables each associated with one of said system signals occurring in the system state of the associated control structure, said relating step comprises the steps of: determining the one of said tables that corresponds to the state and system signal response of each individual group of instructions; and storing into the determined one of said tables a reference for the group of instructions for which the determination is performed in a preference relationship to all previously stored references of other groups of instructions.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 3l wherein said step of allowing comprises the step of obtaining the reference to the second highest preference group of instructions from the table containing said first highest preference group of instructions contained in the control structure of the present system state; and executing the second highest preference group of instructions.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said preventing step comprises the step of: ceasing to process said system signal by inhibiting the determination of the reference to the third highest preference group of instructions of said table.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method of claim 24 further comprises the steps of: changing from the present system state to another system state by the execution of an instruction of a first one of said groups of instructions; generating a leave signal indicating the exiting from said present state; performing common exit operations before leaving said present state by the execution of a second one of said groups of instructions in response to said leave signal and said present state; generating another signal indicating the entry into said other state; and performing common entrance operations upon entering said other state by execution of a third one of said groups of instructions in response to the enter signal and said other state.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 34 wherein said processor further comprises a plurality of control structures, and said method further comprises the steps of: relating individually in each of a plurality of control structures ones of the groups of instructions that respond to identical system state and system signal stimuli in accordance with said predefined preference relationship; said one step of performing said common exit operations further comprises the steps of identifying one of said control structures in response to the present system state and said leave signal; and actuating said second one of said groups of instructions to perform said common exit operations.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 35 wherein said step of performing said common entrance operations further comprises the step of identifying another one of said control structures to the other system state and the entry signal; and actuating said third one of said groups of instructions to perform said common entrance operations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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