Peripheral control in an intelligent network

Claim 3

A method as in claim 1, in which; the standard protocol is the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP), and the said field identifying the message as relating to an additional function is the extension field of the INAP IP-to-SCP application context.

Claim 4

A method as in claim 2, in which each of the said messages including the said extension field further comprises an identifier field for identifying the message as relating to one of a plurality of different additional functions.

Claim 5

A method as in claim 2 in which the said message including the extension field further comprises an additional function data field, data contained in the said additional function data field being passed to the additional function executed on the intelligent peripheral.

Claim 6

A method as in claim 1 in which data collected by an additional function is returned in the form of an argument of one of the predetermined functions provided for in the said standard protocol.

Claim 7

A method as in claim 5 in which: the standard protocol is the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP) and the said field identifying the message as relating to an additional function is the extension field of the INAP IP-to-SCP appliation contexts and collected data is returned as the argument of a PromptAndCollectUserlnformation function.

Claim 8

A method as in claim 1 in which the step of executing the additional function includes carrying out an in-band interaction with a user connected to the intelligent peripheral via an SSP.

Claim 9

A method as in claim 7, in which the additional function includes a voice recognition function.

Claim 10

A method as in claim 8, further comprising the step of returning from the intelligent peripheral to the SCP data obtained by the voice recognition function.

Claim 11

An intelligent peripheral (IP) for use in a telecommunications intelligent network under the control of a service control point (SCP) said IP, including means for reading messages in a standard protocol received from the SCP, means for executing in response to the control messages predetermined functions provided for in the said standard protocol, means for recognizing in the said messages an extension field identifying a message as relating to an additional function not provided for in the said standard protocol, and means responsive to the said means for recognizing for executing the said additional function.

Claim 12

An intelligent peripheral (IP) for use in a telecommunications intelligent network under the control of a service control point (SCP) said IP, including means for reading messages in a standard protocol received from the SCP, means for executing in response to the control messages predetermined functions provided for in the said standard protocol, means for recognizing in the said messages an extension field identifying a message as relating to an additional function not provided for in the said standard protocol, and means responsive to the said means for recognizing for executing the said additional function.

Claim 15

Apparatus for controlling an intelligent peripheral (IP) to perform a function not included in a predetermined protocol used in a telecommunications network for communicating control messages to the intelligent peripheral, said apparatus comprising: means for forming and sending a special control message to the intelligent peripheral in said predetermined protocol but also including a data field therewith having a predetermined value which corresponds to a special function not included in said protocol; means for receiving said special control message at the IP, thereat recognizing it as having said predetermined data field value and, in response, then executing said special IP function instead of the IP function otherwise specified by the control message in accordance with said predetermined protocol.

Claim 16

Apparatus for controlling an intelligent peripheral (IP) to perform a function not included in a predetermined protocol used in a telecommunications network for communicating control messages to the intelligent peripheral, said apparatus comprising: means for forming and sending a special control message to the intelligent peripheral in said predetermined protocol but also including a data field therewith having a predetermined value which corresponds to a special function not included in said protocol; means for receiving said special control message at the IP, thereat recognizing it as having said predetermined data field value and, in response, then executing said special IP function instead of the IP function otherwise specified by the control message in accordance with said predetermined protocol.

Claim 17

An intelligent peripheral (IP) capable of performing a function not included in predetermined protocol used in a telecommunications network for communicating control messages to the intelligent peripheral, said intelligent peripheral comprising: means for receiving a special control message to the intelligent peripheral in said predetermined protocol but also including a data field therewith having a predetermined value which corresponds to a special function not included in said protocol; means for recognizing said special control message as having said predetermined data field value; and means for then responsively executing said special IP function instead of the IP function otherwise specified by the control message in accordance with said predetermined protocol.

Claim 18

An intelligent peripheral (IP) capable of performing a function not included in predetermined protocol used in a telecommunications network for communicating control messages to the intelligent peripheral, said intelligent peripheral comprising: means for receiving a special control message to the intelligent peripheral in said predetermined protocol but also including a data field therewith having a predetermined value which corresponds to a special function not included in said protocol; means for recognizing said special control message as having said predetermined data field value; and means for then responsively executing said special IP function instead of the IP function otherwise specified by the control message in accordance with said predetermined protocol.