Adaptive, tariff dependent traffic routing and automatic network management system for multiservice telecommunication networks

Claim 2

A computer based, adaptive traffic routing and automatic network management system for multi-service telecommunications networks, providing a plurality of services comprising: a plurality of nodes; a plurality of transmission trunks connecting the nodes; means for determining a tariff, in commu­nication with the nodes, for communication between nodes depending on distance and on type of service provided; means for providing the nodes with instructions for routing connections within the network of nodes such that revenues from handled communications are maximized and such that trunks and nodes which are not available for service are automatically bypassed.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for determining a tariff and the means for providing the nodes with instructions for routing connections comprises a computer having a data base, the tariff information being stored in the data base and wherein a plurality of the nodes are SPC nodes and wherein information is stored in the data base relating to overall network status in terms of actual traffic offered in each SPC node to each other node and actual availability for service of each trunk group and node.

Claim 4

The system defined in claim 2 wherein for calls originating in each SPC node i to each other desti­nation node j, the direct trunks between the nodes will be indicated to be used as first choice and two other alternative paths I and II will be indicated, each of them comprising a two-link path over a tandem node t to be used as a second choice and a three- link path over tandem nodes t and u respectively to be used as a third choice.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 3 wherein the indicators for paths in terms of direct trunks and/or identities of tandem notes t and u respectively, for calls originating in an SPC node i to any destination node j are determined according to the following algorithm: a) calls of service type k with the related tariff c ij (k), where: c ij (1) > c ij (2) > ---- >c ij (K); will be indicated to use direct trunks between node i and j as a first choice, if * the destination node j is available for service, (R jx = 1) and * the trunk group between node i and j has at least one trunk available for service, (N ij - p ij > 0) and * the actual traffic and occupancy status for the trunk group between nodes i and j is such that the expected revenue from a connection of ser­vice k is greater than the estimated loss of revenue due to this connection, from services of higher tariffs, which mathematically can be expressed as: b) node t as a feasible tandem for a two-link path is determined, if * the destination node j is available for service, (R jx =1) and such, for which the tandem node t is available for service, (R tx = 1) and * trunk groups between nodes i and t as well as between nodes t and j, each have at least one trunk available for service, (N it - p it > 0 and N tj - p tj > 0) and * the expected revenue from the service k tandem connection is greater than the estimated loss of revenues, due to this connection from traffic that could be handled over direct trunks in the two trunk groups i-t and t-j, which mathematically can be expressed as: c) nodes t and u as feasible tandems for a three-link tandem path are determined, if * the destination node j is available for service, (R jx = 1) and such, for which * the tandem nodes t and u are available for service, (R tx = 1 and R ux = 1) and * the trunk groups between nodes i and t, between nodes t and u and between nodes u and j each have at least one trunk available for service, (N it - p it > 0, N tu - p tu > 0 and N uj - p uj > 0) and * the expected revenue from the service k tandem connection is greater than the estimated loss of revenues, due to the tandem connection from traffic that could be handled over direct trunks in the three trunk groups i-t, t-u and u-j, which can be expressed mathematically as:

Claim 6

The system defined in claim 4 wherein the algo­rithm is applied to only one type of service, e.g.: in which case the system is directly applicable to present intercity telephone networks and if setting the tariff for a communication equal to unity, e.g.: c ij (1) = 1; the system is directly applicable to flat rate networks, such as the present metropolitan telephone networks.

Claim 7

6 The system defined in claim 4 wherein the two alternative paths I and II, if existing are selected at random and where alternative I is used as a principal tandem path and alternative II is used only in case path I is found to be snatched away.

Claim 8

The system defined in claim 6 wherein the use of a trunk group as a part of the feasible path between nodes i and j depends on network access parameter q ij (k) assigned to each trunk group ij, for each service type k, such that * a trunk in group ij can be used for a connection of service type k only if the number of occupied trunks p ij observed in the groups at the last network scanning, is lower than the corresponding network access parameter q ij (k), and where * the assigned network access parameters q ij (k) can be maintained constant or be modified during the network operations according to operational objectives, and where * the tariffs can be disregarded, in which case the system can be used for service dependent, grade-of-service differentiated routing of traffic.

Claim 9

The system defined in claim 8 wherein the rou­ting instructions in terms of tandem node identities are transferred to the SPC nodes over data links provided between the nodes and the system's computer and wherein these data links are also serving for transfer of data from the SPC nodes to the computer in terms of indicators for: * node-to-node offered call intensities, y ij (k); * trunk group availabilites, p ij or N ij - p ij ; * average holding times, h i (k); * node availabilities, R ix ;

Claim 10

The system defined in claim 9 wherein the ser­vice dependent network access parameters q ij (k) are also used for the on-demand management of traffic and network resources, such as: * blocking of network resources for certain type of service by setting the corresponding network access parameter q ij (k) =0, and/or reserving network resources for certain type of service by setting the corresponding network access parameter q ij = N ij = total trunk group capacity, and where also the other on-demand interventions, such as: * modification of network definition, * modification of restricted areas, * modification of tariffs and/or network acess parameters, * modification of network scanning interval, * blocking of given nodes and trunk groups for traffic, can be performed over the system's computer by means of a special System Management and Intervention Language, (SMIL).

Claim 11

The system defined in claim 10 wherein the last routing instructions stored in the SPC nodes serve as a back-up in case all communication means between the SPC nodes and the AR-NEM system computer are out-of-service.