WO1999052262A1

WO1999052262A1 - Method and system of televoting in an intelligent network

Info

Publication number: WO1999052262A1
Application number: PCT/AU1999/000216
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hoerdur Matthaisson
Original assignee: Ericsson Australia Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-04-01
Filing date: 1999-03-25
Publication date: 1999-10-14
Also published as: AUPP273698A0

Abstract

A method of televoting in an intelligent network, the intelligent network including a service control point (SCP) connected to a service switching point (SSP) the method including the steps: (a) the SCP sending to the SSP service instructions for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event (20), (b) the SSP identifying that the received call is requesting participation in the televoting event (23), and (c) the SSP processing the received call according to the service instructions (25-35), wherein the service instructions sent in step (a)include calling party number instructions to store the calling party number in the SSP, and the SSP stores the calling party number for incoming calls, and sends a list of stored calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing.

Description

- 1 -

METHOD AND SYSTEM OF TELEVOTING IN AN INTELLIGENT

NETWORK

The present invention relates to televoting in an intelligent network, and more particularly to a method and system of televoting in an intelligent network, whereby telephone calls made during a televoting event are processed in a service switching point according to instructions received from a service control point.

An intelligent network consists of a number of switching entities that combine to offer subscribers a specialised service such as televoting. The switching entities contain processing software to process calls according to the required service or application. Typically, an intelligent network contains a number of service switching points (SSP) each connected to a public telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital switching network (ISTN) packet-switched public data network (PSPDN) or a mobile network. Each of the SSPs are connected to a service control point (SCP) which contains service specific application software and customer or subscriber records. The SSP reacts to specific service triggers and initiates queries to the SCP over a common channel signalling network, such as the signalling system no. 7 (SS7) network. The SCP acts upon the query from the SSP and returns a message containing the data and instructions to complete the service. A service management system (SMS) is linked to the SCP and supports the administration of the customer records within the SCP.

Televoting is a particular service offered by an intelligent network in which callers may dial one or more pre-determined destination telephone numbers to register a vote or an answer in response to a choice or question initiated through a viewer or listener program conducted by a broadcaster, such as a television or radio network and the like. The owner or broadcaster of the program may provide an incentive to callers to call the pre-determined telephone numbers by offering prizes to selected callers.

The televoting service is implemented in an intelligent network by having the broadcaster load the SMS with service instructions defining the televoting event, such as the start time, end time, the destination numbers for each choice offered, announcements to be played, etc. These service instructions are downloaded into the SCP, and are in turn delivered to each SSP from the SCP, so that each SSP is programmed with the appropriate parameters to enable the televoting event to be held. During the activated televoting service, incoming calls are received by the SSPs to the pre-determined destination numbers and are handled in a sequential manner. The SSPs then count the calls received and terminate a certain percentage of calls by blocking or filtering. The remaining calls are allowed to be transferred to the SCP where they are stored in time sequence and remain eligible to win a prize in the contest. In existing televoting services implemented in intelligent networks, the majority of calls are not transferred from each SSP to the SCP, but are simply terminated once they have been registered, and possibly a recorded announcement played to the caller. No record is retained of the calling party at the SSPs participating in the televoting event once the call has been terminated. It is therefore not possible for service providers such as television stations or the like to select a further or supplementary winner amongst all participants in a televoting event in particular once the event is over. Such a limitation is inconvenient for televoting service providers who may wish to maximise the flexibility with which participating calls may be handled and who may wish to encourage callers to participate in a televoting event by being able to select supplementary prize winners.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system of televoting in an intelligent network which minimises or alleviates one or more of the problems of prior methods or systems of televoting. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system of televoting in an intelligent network which allows for a greater flexibility in the processing of calls received by an SSP during a televoting event.

With this in mind, one aspect of the present invention provides a method of televoting in an intelligent network, the intelligent network including a service control point (SCP) connected to a service switching point (SSP) the method including the steps: - 3 -

(a) The SCP sending to the SSP service instructions for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event,

(b) The SSP identifying that the received call is requesting participation in the televoting event, and (c) The SSP processing the received call according to the service instructions, wherein the service instructions sent in step (a) include calling party number instructions to store the calling party number in the SSP, and the SSP stores the calling party number for incoming calls, and sends a list of stored calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing. In one embodiment of the invention, the further processing of the list of stored calling party numbers by the SCP includes the selection of a winner from amongst the calling party numbers.

The calling party instructions may include information identifying a time interval at which the list of stored calling party numbers is to be sent by the SSP to the SCP.

Alternatively, the calling party instructions may include information identifying a number of calls which must be received by the SSP prior to the list of stored calling party numbers being sent to the SCP.

The service instructions sent in step (a) may include billing instructions, and/or instructions regarding an announcement to be played to a caller, and/or instructions regarding the counting of calls during the televoting event.

Preferably, the service instructions are sent in step (a) as part of a televoting service activation message.

The televoting service activation message may be sent as an INAP layer message.

The service instructions may include a FilteredCallProcessing data field, and the calling party number instructions may be part of that FilteredCallProcessing data field.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for televoting in an intelligent network, the system including a service control point (SCP) connected to at least one service switching point (SSP), - 4 - wherein the SCP includes means for sending to the SSP service instructions, including calling party number instructions to store the calling party number in the SSP, for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event, the SSP including: means for identifying that a received call is requesting participation in the televoting event, means for processing the received call according to the service instructions, and means for storing the calling party number for incoming calls and sending a list of stored calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing.

Preferred arrangements of the present invention are depicted in the accompanying drawings, but those drawings are not to be understood as illustrating the only possible form or arrangement of the various steps and components which go to make up a method and system of televoting in an intelligent network according to the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an intelligent network;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the signalling between a service switching point and a service control point in an intelligent network; Fig. 3 illustrates an Abstract Syntax Notation No. 1 (ASN.l) representation of a filtered call processing data field forming part of a televoting service activation message sent by the SCP to the SSP to activate a televoting event in the intelligent network of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a method of televoting in an intelligent network according to the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown an intelligent network 1 in which physical entities are presented as rectangles or circles and functional entities as ovals. Signalling connections are indicated by dotted lines, and actual transport, which may be for example speech, by solid lines. Optional functional entities are indicated by a dotted line. The signalling network shown in Fig. 1 is a network according to the signalling system no. 7 (SS7). Subscriber equipment SE, such as a telephone, computer or facsimile machine, is switched to a service switching point (SSP), either directly, via a network access point (NAP) or through a public telecommunications network (not shown). The SSP provides a user from subscriber equipment SE with access to the intelligent network 1 and processes all switching functions for routing calls to and from the subscriber equipment SE. The SSP is also adapted to detect request for televoting and other services in the intelligent network. Operatively, the SSP contains call management and service selection function. The NAP is a conventional exchange that contains a call control function

(CCF) and is able to differentiation between conventional calls and calls requesting participation in televoting and other services provided by the intelligent network, and to route these latter calls to the appropriate SSP.

The intelligent network 1 also includes a service control point (SCP) containing service logic programs used for providing intelligent network services such as televoting services. The service logic programs are sent to the SCP from a service management system (SMS) (not shown) connected to the SCP.

The intelligent network 1 may also comprise an intelligent peripheral (IP) providing special purpose functions, such as announcements and voice and multiple choice detection services.

The intelligent network 1 also includes, within each of the previously described physical entities, various functional units relating to call control. These units provide a service switching function (SSF), a special resources function (SRF), a call control function (CCF) and a call control agent function (CCAF). The SSP allows the service control function to control the call control function CCF. The SRF provides specialised resources needed for implementing intelligent network services, such as changes in protocol, speech detection, voice announcements, etc. The CCF refers to conventional call and connection establishment. Finally, the CCAF provides the user with access to the network. The functions relating to service control are a service control function

(SCF) and a service data function (SDF). The SCF comprises the intelligent network service logic and attends to service bound processing. The SDF provides access to service bound network information, and allows consistent checking of information. The SDF hides from the SCF the actual implementation of the information and offers the SCF a logical view of the information. The functions relating to management in the intelligent network are the service creation environment function (SCEF), service management function (SMF) and service management access function (SMAF). The SMF comprises supervision of management, maintenance and location of the services. The SMAF provides a connection to the SMF. The SCEF makes it possible to define, develop, test and supply intelligent network services to the SMF.

A request for an intelligent network service is typically made by a calling subscriber from the subscriber equipment SE by picking up a receiver and dialling a telephone number. The call control function CCF in the SSP contains no service information, but is programmed to identify the requests for service when the calling subscriber dials one of a predetermined selection of numbers. The CCF then interrupts the call setup and informs the SSF within the SSP of the state of the call. The function of the SSF is to interpret the request for the intelligent network service from the calling party and the information as to the state of the call, to form a standardised request for service and to send that request to the SCF via the SS7 network.

The SCF receives the request and decodes it. After this is forms, in codes and sends a standardised response to the SSF. The SSF decodes and interprets the response sent by the SCF. It then provides the CCF with accurate instructions for performing the preparation process. When a response is sent to the SSF, the service control function may be required to participate in a conversation between the calling user and an end user. This normally takes place in the form of the above prompt and collect sequence which the SCF authorises the SRF to perform. Particularly, the SCF may instruct the SSF to connect the calling user or end user to a suitable physical source by using the SRF in the SSP or the SRF in the IP directly connected to the SSP. The SCF instructs the SRF and temporarily halts the processing of the call from the subscriber equipment. The SRF participates in the conversation between the calling user and the end user. After this, the SCF continues its intelligent network service control sequence.

Televoting is a particular service of the intelligent network in which the subscriber can participate in a televoting event by calling one of a predetermined range of telephone numbers. Televoting employs a specialised service filter where it is possible to start count calls placed to these predetermined telephone numbers between start and stop times. The televoting event is started by the SCF sending to the SSF a televoting service activation message. The SSF, in turn, counts the calls received when the televoting service is active. During that time, most incoming calls are filtered or blocked in the SSP which is accessed by the subscriber equipment SE and only certain selected incoming calls are routed through to the SCP for further processing in the televoting event. Additionally, the SSF periodically sends to the SCF the contents of the counters counting the number of incoming calls made to the predetermined telephone numbers.

When televoting is implemented in the intelligent network, the SSP is instructed by the SCP, once the televoting event has been activated, as to the manner in which the incoming calls are to be controlled and counted. These instructions concern the processing of a call participating in a televoting event and contain, for example, instructions as to any announcements that may be played to the calling party via the SRF in either the SSP or the IP directly connected to the SSP.

As previously stated, each televoting event is activated at the SCF within the SCP and calls are counted at the SSF within each SSP in the intelligent network. The SSP and SCP are interconnected by a signalling network according to the signalling system no. 7, as shown in Fig. 2. The SSP and SCP usually employ an intelligent network application protocol INAP, as described in ETSI IN CS-1 INAP part 1 : protocol specification by the European Telecommunications Standard Institute ETSI. According to the SS7 protocol pile, which is also illustrated in Fig. 2, the INAP layer is the upper most layer in this protocol, having beneath it a TCAP layer (transaction capabilities part), an SCCP layer (signalling - 8 - connection control point) and MTP layer (message transfer part). During a call made in an intelligent network, there may be one or more INAP dialogs between the SSP and the SCP.

Messages transmitted from the SCP to the SSP to forward a televoting activation message comprise several fields or data types, as follows: 1 Address of SCP

This field contains the address of the SCP that has transmitted the activation message. This parameter helps to prevent activation requests sent by different SCPs from mixing in the service filter in each SSP. 2. Processing a Filtered Call

This field contains information relating to the functions to be formed by the SSP as to call control and charging. As will be explained below, this field also includes information as to the announcement, if any, that should be played to a calling party. In addition, this field indicates the number of counters to be reserved for a particular televoting process: the number of counter reserved will correspond to the number of telephone numbers which have been reserved for the televoting process. 3. Filtering Mode

This field contains information indicating the period when a televoting event is to be activated.

5. Terminating Time

This field contains information indicating the time when a televoting event is terminated.

6. Filtering Criteria This field contains the registration criteria for the calls routed to a televoting service or to be registered in a televoting event.

7. Voting Number

This field contains the first televoting number from the predetermined range of televoting numbers in which the voting numbers begin.

8. Starting Time This field indicates the time when a televoting event is started. If the time is earlier than the present time or it has not been set at all, the televoting will be started immediately. Otherwise, the vote will be started at the defined time. Reference will now be made to Fig. 3, which shows in more detail the above-mentioned field containing information relating to the processing of filtered calls. This field, in the Abstract Syntax Notation No. 1 description format, is known as the FilteredCallTreatment field. According to current INAP standards, this field includes currently several sub-fields or codes, as follows: (a) sFBillingChargingCharacteristics: this sub-field contains information as to how the incoming call from the subscriber equipment wishing to participate in the televoting event is to be charged i.e. which charging tariff is applicable, etc.

(b) informationToSend: this sub-field contains information as to which announcement, if any, is to be played by an SRF in the intelligent peripheral directly connected to that SSP.

(c) maximumNumberOfCounters: this sub-field contains the information as to the number of counters to be used in a particular televoting event, and will correspond to the number of telephone numbers which have been reserved for that televoting event.

(d) releaseCause: this sub-field contains information as to when the incoming call to the SSP is to be released to the caller eg. an incoming call may be released only after an announcement from an SRF has been played. According to the invention, a further sub-field may be added to the FilteredCallTreatment field in the ETSI core INAP CS-1 standard. This sub-field is referenced in Fig. 3 as "callingPartyList". The presence of the callingPartyList sub-field may be used to indicate if the calling party numbers, or A-numbers, from incoming telephone calls received during a televoting event should be recorded in a list within the SSP. The callingPartyList sub-field may further include one or more codes identifying when the stored list of calling party numbers is to be sent to the SCP for further processing. As an example, the callingPartyList sub-field - 10 - illustrated in Fig. 3 includes a first code "interval" representative of a time period or interval after which the list of calling party numbers currently stored in an SSP is to be sent to the SCP. In this way, the callingPartyList may be sent from each SSP to the SCP, for example, every five minutes. The callingPartyList field in Fig. 3 also includes a "numberOfCalls" field indicative of a number of incoming telephone calls which must be received and counted by the SSP prior to the list of calling party numbers being sent from the SSP to the SCP. In this way, each SSP is able to send a list of calling party numbers to the SCP every time, for example, one thousand calls have been received at the SSP.

The storing of A-number information in the SSP, and the subsequent periodic sending of a list of these A-numbers or calling party numbers to the SCP, enables the SCP to further process information identifying all participants in a televoting event. At the same time, routing all calls through to the SCP, which would otherwise severely congest the intelligent network, is avoided. In this way, an efficient means is provided whereby televoting service providers are able to further process calling party numbers of all participants in a televoting event and possibly select further or supplementary winners in the televoting event.

With reference now to Fig. 4, one method of conducting a televoting event in accordance with the present invention will be described. In step 20, the SCP sends service instructions to the SSP for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event. These service instructions would usually be sent as part of a televoting service activation message from the SCP, but in other embodiments of the invention this need not be the case. The televoting service activation message conditions each of the SSPs participating in the particular televoting event.

At step 21, a caller dials one of a number of pre-allocated telephone numbers assigned to the particular televoting event to register his vote. At step 22, the SSP receives the call from the subscriber equipment, either directly or through the NAP, and, at step 23, identifies whether that received call is requesting participation in the televoting event. If the SSP determines that the number dialled - 11 - was not one of those allocated to the televoting event, at step 24, the call is normally routed to the telephone number and associated subscriber equipment selected by the calling party.

If, however, the SSP determines at step 23 that the call is intended for participation in a particular televoting event, the SSP increases the value of a counter allocated to that particular called telephone number by one, at step 25, so that the choice/selection made by the caller in the televoting event is registered. At step 26, the SSP, having firstly determined that the calling party list field in the service activation message was activated, stores the calling party telephone number in a portion of its memory allocated to creating a list of such calling party numbers.

At step 27, the SSP determines whether it has now received N-calls for a particular choice in the televoting contest. If the value of a counter within the SSP dedicated to this purpose does not equal the pre-determined value of N, that call is terminated with an announcement generated by an SRF in the SSP or in the IP directly connected to the SSP, at step 28.

In the case where the calling party list sub-field includes instructions to send the stored list of calling party numbers from within the SSP to the SCP after a certain number Y of calls have been received, the SSP will, at step 29, determine whether the incoming call just received is the wife caller to the particular televoting number in question. If this is not the case, the televoting process will continue at step 30 described below. If, however, the SSP determines that the call just received is the wife caller to that telephone number participating in the televoting event, the SSP will forward the stored list of calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing, at step 31. If, at step 27, the SSP determines that the call received is the Nth caller received to that telephone number, where each Nth caller is to be selected as a winner of the televoting contest, that call is routed at step 30 to the SCP. The number of votes received in each SSP at step 31 is then transmitted to and stored in the SCP and the counters in each SSP are reset. At step 32, a comparison is made between a pre-determined value X and the counter value of the counter in the SCP. When a match occurs between these numbers, at step 33, the calling party - 12 - associated with that telephone call is declared the winner of the televoting contest and the SCP then instructs the SSP to connect the caller to a network operator. Otherwise, at step 34, an announcement may be played to the participant to advise them that they have been successful in the first stage of the televoting event, but unfortunately are not the winner.

At step 35, having previously periodically received the list of calling party numbers of callers participating in the televoting event, the SCP then processes this list of numbers to select a supplementary winner of the televoting event. The supplementary winner may be advised of this fact in a number of ways. For example, the SCP may then instruct the SSP to automatically place a telephone call, using another SRF in an IP directly connected to that SSP, to the selected winner and an announcement played informing them of their success. Alternatively, the SCP may forward either the selected calling party number or the entire list of calling party numbers provided by the SSPs, to a service management system connected to the SCP. A network operator may then view and manipulate this information, and contact the selected winner by mail, telephone or any other chosen means of communication.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there may be many variations and modifications of the method and system described herein which are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

- 13 - Claims

1. A method of televoting in an intelligent network, the intelligent network including a service control point (SCP) connected to a service switching point (SSP), the method including the steps: (a) the SCP sending to the SSP service instructions for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event,

(b) the SSP identifying that the received call is requesting participation in the televoting event, and

(c) the SSP processing the received call according to the service instructions, wherein the service instructions sent in step (a) include calling party number instructions to store the calling party number in the SSP, and the SSP stores the calling party number for incoming calls, and sends a list of stored calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing.

2. A method of televoting according to claim 1, wherein the further processing of the list of stored calling party numbers by the SCP includes the selection of a winner from amongst the calling party numbers.

3. A method of televoting according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the calling party instructions include information identifying a time interval at which the list of stored calling party numbers is to be sent by the SSP to the SCP.

4. A method of televoting according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the calling party instructions include information identifying a number of calls which must be received by the SSP prior to the list of stored calling party numbers being sent to the SCP.

5. A method of televoting according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the service instructions sent in step (a) include billing instructions.

6. A method of televoting according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the service instructions sent in step (a) include instructions regarding an announcement to be played to a caller. - 14 -

7. A method of televoting according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the service instructions sent in step (a) include instructions regarding the counting of calls during the televoting event.

8. A method of televoting according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the service instructions are sent in step (a) as part of a televoting service activation message.

9. A method of televoting according to claim 8, wherein the televoting service activation message is sent as an INAP layer message.

10. A method of televoting according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the service instructions include a FilteredCallProcessing data field, and the calling party number instructions form part of that FilteredCallProcessing data field.

11. A system for televoting in an intelligent network, the system including a service control point (SCP) connected to at least one service switching point (SSP), wherein the SCP includes means for sending to the SSP service instructions, including calling party number instructions to store the calling party number in the SSP, for the processing of calls from a subscriber terminal participating in a televoting event, the SSP including: means for identifying that a received call is requesting participation in the televoting event, means for processing the received call according to the service instructions, and means for storing the calling party number for incoming calls and sending a list of stored calling party numbers to the SCP for further processing.