JPS6155816B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a message communication system that assigns priorities to messages. Traditionally, message switching centers exchanged messages in the order in which requests from service requesting terminals occurred, so if a large number of messages were accumulated in the switching network, messages from later originating terminals would be delayed. It took a long time for messages to be transmitted before they arrived at the terminal. Therefore, it was necessary to take measures such as transferring extremely urgent messages by other means of communication such as telephones. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to enable a service requesting terminal to instruct a message forwarding priority, and a switching network exchanges messages according to the instructed priority, so that message forwarding is possible. The purpose of this invention is to provide a message communication method that gives priority to messages. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a message storage and switching network consisting of an exchange having a message storage function and a terminal that requests service from the exchange, in which an originating terminal and an originating exchange exchange are connected. A transfer priority designation function is provided on the service request procedure of the service request procedure, and the originating switching center is provided with a priority transfer queue for each originating terminal, and has a function to monitor the service level of the priority transfer queue. However, when a service that may not be executed according to the service level is detected, the priority of that service is moved to a higher level and messages are exchanged according to the priority instruction of the service requesting terminal. , and at the terminating exchange,
When the originating exchange transfers a message to the terminating exchange, it adds the priority specified by the service requesting terminal and transfers it, and the terminating exchange refers to the priority added to the message and determines the priority of each terminating terminal. By registering in a separate transfer queue, messages can be sent to the receiving terminal.
The feature is that the service is performed according to the priority instruction of the service requesting terminal. FIG. 1 shows a conceptual configuration of a message exchange network according to the present invention. In the figure, A, B and C are subscriber terminals, D is EX ₁ in the message exchange network,
EX ₂ , EX ₃ and EX ₄ are message exchanges, and EX ₂ is a relay exchange. Each exchange EX ₁ , EX ₂ , EX ₃ and
As shown in Figure 2, EX ₄ includes a communication control device SP that performs the exchange operation of service requests from the subscriber terminal line (or other exchange line) T, and a central control device CC that controls this communication control device. , a temporary storage device TM connected to its central control device CC;
It consists of a file storage device F such as a magnetic tape MT and a magnetic drum DM, and a system control device I/O such as a control console TYP and a display. The message exchange system configured as described above has a message priority control function according to the present invention, and a message communication control method according to the priority specified by the sending terminal is shown in FIGS. 3 to 7. This will be explained in detail using examples. FIG. 3 is a signal sequence showing the service request procedure of the originating terminal. In FIG. 3, SUB is the originating terminal, EX is the originating exchange, a is the service request signal, b is the service request response signal, c is the receiving terminal information and priority information, d is the message input enable signal, and e is the message ( f is a service acceptance signal, g is a service request end signal, and h is a service request end confirmation signal. Now, when the originating terminal SUB requests the message switching network to transfer a message, the originating terminal SUB sends a service request signal a to the originating exchange EX. When the originating exchange is ready to accept a service request, it sends a response signal b to the originating terminal.
SUB, and the originating terminal SUB confirms this response signal b and then transmits the incoming terminal information and priority information c. The originating exchange EX prepares to store messages, sends a message input ready signal d to the originating terminal SUB, receives messages sent from the originating terminal SUB thereafter, and transmits an acceptance signal f indicating that the service has been accepted. Send to terminal SUB. After confirming that the service has been accepted, the originating terminal SUB sends a service request completion signal g, and the exchange EX sends a service request completion confirmation signal to the terminal, completing the message reception operation. As described above, the switching center performs control according to the priority based on the information received from the terminal. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing priority control on the originating switching center side according to the present invention. Code 41 in the diagram
is a timer, 42 is a service level monitoring circuit, 4
3 is a terminal-based priority queue unit, 44 is a priority determination circuit, 45 is a priority extraction and message number determination circuit, 46 is a message storage unit, _a4 is transmitting terminal information, and _b4 is transmitting terminal input. information,
c ₄ is message number and priority information, d ₄ is message and receiving terminal information, e ₄ is message number, f ₄ is monitoring timing, g ₄ is priority monitoring, h ₄ is priority change instruction, i ₄ is transfer instruction, j ₄ indicates transfer priority instruction, k ₄ indicates transfer instruction, and ₄ indicates transfer information to the destination station. The information _b4 (receiving terminal information, priority information, message) inputted from the originating terminal as shown in FIG. It is determined. The determined message number, message, and incoming terminal information are stored in the message storage section 46 through the information lines _e4 and _d4 . Further, this message number and priority information are sent to the transmission terminal priority queue section 43 through the information line _e4 . The calling terminal priority queue section 43 assigns a message number and message reception time to a priority transfer queue configured for each terminal based on caller accommodation location information a ₄ and priority information c ₄ . and register. On the other hand, upon receiving the transfer instruction _k4 from the central control device, the priority determination circuit 44 determines the priority so as to circulate from a higher priority to a lower priority, and then receives the transfer priority instruction.
j ₄ is sent to the terminal-specific priority queue section 43. The terminal-by-priority queue section 43 extracts a service (telegram number) waiting to be transferred from the queue and sends the priority corresponding to this service to the message storage section 46 in accordance with the designated transfer priority instruction _j4 . Notify and instruct the call to be forwarded to the terminating exchange. Upon receiving the transfer instruction, the message storage section 46 adds the message reception time and priority information to the message and receiving terminal information based on the message number, and transfers the message to the receiving exchange. The service level monitoring circuit 42, which is activated by the monitoring timing _f4 periodically outputted from the timer 41, is connected to a terminal-specific priority queue section 43.
The service of each queue is _monitored , and the allowable transfer waiting time specified for each priority (described later) is monitored.
monitors whether each service is satisfied or not, and if it detects a service that may not be transferred within the permissible transfer waiting time, it issues a priority change instruction to the terminal-specific priority queue unit 42.
Give h ₄ . Upon receiving this priority change instruction _h4 , the terminal-by-terminal priority queue section 43 changes the registration to a higher priority queue than the priority queue in which the service was initially registered. How to determine the transfer waiting time will be described later. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of priority control on the terminating switching center side according to the present invention. Code 51 in Figure 5
52 is a priority determining circuit for each receiving terminal; 53 is a receiving terminal number;
Priority extraction and message number determination circuit, 54
is the message storage unit, _a5 is the information transferred from the originating exchange, _b5 is the receiving terminal number, message number and priority information, _c5 is the message number, _d5 is the message and reception date and time, _e5 is The reading message number, f ₅ is the reading terminal number, g ₅ is the priority instruction, h ₅ is the reading terminal number, and i ₅ is the information or control line indicating the reading instruction. The information _a5 transferred from the originating exchange is sent to the message number determination circuit 53 to determine a message number for identifying the message, and the determined message number, message, and reception date and time are both sent to the message storage unit 54 via the information line c. ₅ and d through ₅ . Further, the message number, priority, and called terminal number are sent to the terminal-specific priority queue section 51 through the information line _b5 . The terminal-by-priority queue section 51 registers in a priority-by-priority transfer queue configured for each terminal based on input information (receiving terminal number, message number, priority information). On the other hand, the priority determination circuit 52 determines priorities in a cycle from a high priority to a low priority in response to input of a read instruction i ₅ and a read terminal number h ₅ from the central control device, and determines priorities according to each terminal. Sends the read terminal number _f5 and priority instruction _g5 to the queue section. The terminal-by-priority queue section 51 stores the designated reading terminal number _f5 and the priority designation _g5.
Accordingly, the registered service is extracted from the queue, the read message number corresponding to the service is notified to the message storage section 54, and a sending instruction _e5 is issued to the receiving terminal. Upon receiving this transmission instruction, the message storage unit 54 retrieves the corresponding message based on the message number and sends it to the receiving terminal. FIG. 6 shows an example of the format of transfer information in the message transmission control system of the present invention explained above. In FIG. 6, the symbols SUBA and SUBB indicate the originating terminal and the terminating terminal, respectively, and EX ₁ , EX ₂ and EX ₃ indicate the originating exchange, the relay exchange, and the terminating exchange, respectively. Transmission is made between the originating terminal SUBA and the originating exchange EX ₁ in the format consisting of the terminating terminal number, terminal designated _priority , and message ( _telegram ). The information between ₂ and the terminating exchange EX ₃ consists of the terminating terminal number, the terminal designated priority, the number of exchanges passed through (the number of relays), the originating terminal number, the message acceptance time at the originating station, and the message. The message is transmitted between the terminating exchange EX ₃ and the terminating terminal SUBB in a format consisting of the originating terminal number, the date and time of receipt of the message at the originating station, and the message. The priority information control of the relay exchange is performed in the same manner as the control of the originating exchange explained with reference to FIG. A queue connection diagram is shown in FIG. 7 as an example of registration of terminal-by-terminal priority queues in the originating switching center, relay switching center, and terminating switching center in the message priority control described above. Now, the priority is m from the same incoming line (terminal).
When a message A with a priority of 2 and a message B with a priority of 2 are accepted, they are registered in a queue of each designated priority in a queue section Q consisting of (n+1) priority numbers from priority O to priority n. Message B and message A are sent to the outgoing line in priority order according to a transfer instruction from the central control unit. The priority specified by the originating terminal and the priority controlled by the originating switching center and the relay switching center are determined by the table below.

[Table] In this table, the relationship between the time from the sending terminal's message reception date and time until the message arrives at the sending terminal has the following condition: t ₀ < t ₁ <...<t _o . Here, the conditions for determining the priority queue to be connected when a message is input at the originating exchange, the relay exchange, and the terminating exchange are: the average residence time in the own station for each priority tp, the terminal designation shown in the table above. The allowable transfer time determined by the priority is tg,
Tx the current time, Ty the message reception time,
If the maximum number of relay stages is K and the number of switching stations (relays) passed through is defined as tp<tg-(Tx-Ty)/(K-)...(1), and the input message is expressed by the above equation (1). ) is registered in the priority matrix that satisfies On the other hand, regarding the service priority change condition based on the transfer allowable time within one queue of the terminal-based priority-specific queue unit 43 by the service level monitoring 42 in FIG. The residence time in the own station is ta, and it is expressed by the above formula (1) {tg−(Tx−
Ty)}/(k-) is tb, and p is a system constant (for example, 0.8) determined by the handled traffic, etc., then ta>tb×p...(2). When this condition (formula (2) above) is not satisfied, the service monitoring circuit updates the formula (1) above, re-determines the priority, and sends an instruction to the terminal to change to the corresponding priority queue. It is sent to a separate priority queue section 43. Message D in the priority queue section Q in FIG. 7 indicates that priority 1 has been changed to priority 0. As explained above, by enabling priority instructions from service requesting terminals and by periodically monitoring the service level for each priority within the network within the switching center, when forwarding messages, it is possible to Furthermore, it is possible to maintain priority according to the traffic conditions handled by the exchange network, etc., and the serviceability and reliability of message transfer can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a message exchange network according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a message exchange device, and FIG. 3 is an example of a service request procedure of a calling terminal in priority control of the present invention. Sequence, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the priority control of the originating exchange of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a block diagram showing an embodiment of priority control at the receiving exchange, FIG. 6 is a format diagram of transfer information in the message transmission control system of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a connection diagram of terminal-by-priority queues. It is. 41...Timer, 42...Service level monitoring circuit, 43, 51...Terminal priority queue section, 44, 52...Priority determination circuit,
45, 53...Telegram number determination circuit, 46, 54...
...Telegram storage circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a message storage and switching network consisting of an exchange that has a message storage function and a terminal that requests service from the exchange, a transfer priority designation function is added to the service request procedure between the originating terminal and the originating exchange. The originating exchange has a priority transfer queue for each originating terminal, and has a function to monitor the service level of the priority transfer queue, and executes services according to the service level. A priority control method for message communication, characterized in that when a service that may not be available is detected, the priority of that service is moved to a higher level, thereby exchanging messages in accordance with the priority instructions of the service requesting terminal. . 2 When the originating exchange transfers a message to the terminating exchange, it adds the priority specified by the service requesting terminal and transfers it, and the terminating exchange refers to the priority added to the message and assigns the message to each terminating exchange. Message communication according to claim 1, characterized in that the message is sent to the receiving terminal according to the priority instruction of the service requesting terminal by registering in the priority-based transfer queue. Priority control method.