EP0449480A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Real-time network routing
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1991-03-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-03-18
Abstract
Abstract An arrangement for routing calls from a source switch to a destination switch in a telecommunications network. If a direct trunk is available between the two switches, that trunk is used. Otherwise, the destination switch is queried to obtain availability data of trunks to that switch from intermediate switches of the network. This availability data is then compared with availability data of trunks from the source switch to the intermediate switches. A route is then selected using an intermediate switch having available trunks from the source switch and to the destination switch. If a route using lightly loaded trunk groups is available, that route is selected in preference to the use of a route using more heavily loaded trunk groups. Advantageously, routing is performed to dynamically optimize selection of a route based on the current state of the network. In order to ensure that different types of services carried over a trunk group receive equitable treatment, a load objective is specified for each type of service. If the actual load for a particular type of service equals or exceeds the load objective, then an available trunk of the trunk group will only be seized if the number of available trunks exceeds a reserve limit, the reserve limit being the sum of the differences between actual load and objective load for services whose actual load is less than the objective load as limited by a reserve limit for each kind of service. To give further protection to selected key services, an available trunk of a group can only be seized for use with a basic service if the number of available trunks exceeds the number being reserved for key services.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald Richard Ash
- 👤 Jin-Shi Chen
- 👤 Alan Eugene Frey
- 👤 Andrew Wynne Peck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/64; H04Q3/66; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13138; H04Q2213/13141; H04Q2213/13148; H04Q2213/13164; H04Q2213/13166; H04Q2213/13332; H04Q2213/13344; H04Q2213/13349; H04Q2213/13353; H04Q2213/1338
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of selecting an available telecommunications circuit for a service for a call to a destination in a system providing a plurality of services, comprising the steps of: if the actual load for said service to said destination over a first choice circuit group is less than a predetermined objective, selecting an available circuit of said first choice circuit group; and if the load for said service to said destination over said first choice circuit group equals or exceeds said predetermined objective, select an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits exceeds a dynamically varying total reserve sum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of services is a key service to be given preferential treatment and wherein said step of selecting if the load is less than said predetermined objective comprises: if said service is a key service, selecting an available circuit of said first choice circuit group; and if said service is not a key service, selecting an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits of said group exceeds a dynamically varying key reserve sum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said key reserve sum is the sum of circuits reserved for said group for all key services whose actual load is less than their predetermined objective load.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said total reserve sum is the sum of reserved circuits for all services whose actual load is less than the objective load of that service for said first choice circuit group.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the number of circuits reserved for a service for said first choice circuit group is a function of any positive difference between the objective and the actual load for that service being carried on said first choice circuit group.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said function of the difference is an actual value of the difference.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said function is limited to a prespecified reserve limit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 5 wherein a selection of a circuit of a first choice circuit group when the actual load for said service is less than the load objective modifies said total reserve sum unless the difference between the objective load and actual load for said service over said first choice group is greater than a reserve limit for that service over that group.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: if the actual load for said service equals or exceeds said objective for said load for said first choice group and the number of available circuits of said first choice group is equal to or less than said total reserve sum, selecting a circuit from an alternate group.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of selecting a circuit from an alternate group comprises the step of: selecting a circuit from an alternate group if the number of circuits available in said alternate group is greater than a total reserve sum for said alternate group.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of: if a circuit is selected from an alternate group, maintaining the present value of the total reserve sum for said alternate group.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said first choice circuit group is connected to a switch that is not directly connected to a first and a second destination served by said first choice circuit group as a first choice group and calls for one type of service to said first and said second destination are treated as calls for a different type of service, each with its own predetermined objective.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said first choice circuit group is connected to a switch that is directly connected to a first destination and not directly connected to a second destination, both destinations served by said first choice circuit group as a first choice group, wherein calls for one type of service to said first and said second destination are treated as calls for a different type of service, each type with its own predetermined objective.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said first choice circuit group carries two-way traffic and wherein a separate predetermined objective is maintained for a type of service for incoming and outgoing traffic of a particular type of service.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
244 words
In a first telecommunications switching system for serving a plurality of different service types of calls, apparatus for determining a group through a telecommunications network for a call having a given type of service, comprising: control means, comprising storage for a plurality of tables and a program, responsive to data stored in said plurality of tables; responsive to an incoming call to said first system and to data stored in a translation table of said control means, said control means operable under the control of a first portion of said program for determining that said call should be routed to a destination; said control means operable under the control of a second portion of said program for determining from said data a first choice circuit group for accessing said destination; said control means operable under the control of a third portion of said program for determining whether the actual load for said service to said destination is less than a predetermined objective, stored in said data, for said type of service and said destination; if said actual load is less than said objective, said control means operable under the control of a fourth portion of said program for selecting an available circuit of said first choice group, and if said actual load is equal to or greater than said objective, for selecting an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits exceeds a dynamically varying total reserve sum.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
99 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said plurality of different service types comprises at least one key service type and wherein said control means operable under the control of said fourth portion for selecting if said actual load is less than said objective selects any available circuit of said first choice group if said type of service is a key service type and selects an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits of said group exceeds a dynamically varying key reserve sum if said type of service is not a key service.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said key reserve sum is the sum of circuits reserved for said group for all key services whose actual load is less than their predetermined objective load.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said total reserve sum is the sum of reserve circuits for all services whose actual load is less than the objective load for that service for said first choice circuit group.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
401 words
A method of selecting an available telecommunications circuit for service for a call to a destination in a system providing a plurality of services, comprising the steps of: if the actual load for said service to said destination over a first choice circuit group is less than a predetermined objective, select an available circuit of said first choice circuit group; and if the load for said service to said destination over said first choice circuit group equals or exceeds said predetermined objective, selecting an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits exceeds a dynamically varying total reserve sum; wherein at least one of said plurality of services is a key service to be given preferential treatment and wherein said selecting if the load is less than said predetermined objective comprises selecting an available circuit of said first choice circuit group if said service is a key service, and selecting an available circuit of said first choice group only if the number of available circuits of said group exceeds a dynamically varying key reserve sum, said key reserve sum being the sum of circuits reserved for said group for all key services whose actual load is less than their predetermined objective load; wherein said total reserve sum is the sum of reserved circuits for all services whose actual load is less than the objective load of that service for said first choice circuit group, and wherein the number of circuits reserved for a service for said first choice circuit group is the difference between the objective and the actual load for that service, limited to a prespecified reserve limit; further comprising selecting a circuit from an alternate group if the actual load for said service equals or exceeds said objective for said load for said first choice group and the number of available circuits of said first choice group is equal to or less than said total reserve sum and the number of circuits available in said alternate group is greater than a total reserve sum for said alternate group; wherein if said first choice circuit group is connected to a switch that does not serve a specific destination, calls for one type of service to said specific destination are treated as calls for a different type of service, having its own predetermined objective, than calls for said one type of service to other destinations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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