Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
  • H04L41/50—Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
  • H04L41/5041—Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
  • H04L41/5045—Making service definitions prior to deployment
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/66—Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/08—Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
  • H04Q3/0016—Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
  • H04Q3/0029—Provisions for intelligent networking
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
  • H04Q3/0016—Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
  • H04Q3/0062—Provisions for network management
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/18—Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system of integrating and managing services, particularly used in mobile telephone networks, capable of providing interactivity between different service-rendering systems and the structures of the telephony networks, and to a process of integrating and managing services, applied to telephony networks.
• Description of the Prior Art The operators of mobile telephone networks have made a significant investment to build robust networks, capable of meeting their business models. However, these networks are becoming larger and more complex, many of them being formed by network elements of suppliers and various protocols. All this complexity makes the development of a product time consuming and expensive, since there is a need for integrating the new applications and products with the elements of the network. This need is mainly caused by dependence to which these new products are subjected at present with respect to the telephony network.
• document US 5,867,495 discloses an architecture that searches the junction of the Internet with the telephony system.
• This system consists of a hybrid network, based on the transfer of information over the Internet by using telephony routine and protocol information of the Internet itself.
• Objectives of the Invention The present invention has the objective of providing the integration and the management of communication messages between providers of different services and the serve platforms of the mobile telephone networks. Another objective of this invention is to provide the optimization of the processes of developing and implanting new products or services associated to the mobile telephony.
• a further objective of the present invention is to decrease the costs for integration of new platforms that provide services with the mobile telephone networks.
• the objective of the invention provides a process to interact and manage services applied to telephony networks.
• the objective of the invention is to provide a system of integrating and managing services particularly utilized in telephony networks, the service integrating and monitoring system being characterized by comprising: an interface module comprising a means of receiving different protocols and a means of converting the different protocols into standard transport messages (STM); a processing nucleus comprising a plurality of modules of controlling and managing transactions from said standard transport messages; and at least one adapting module for communication with each plat- form that one wishes to communicate, comprising a controlling module selectively associated to the processing nucleus and at least one providing module associated to a platform of the telephony network.
• STM standard transport messages
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram representing the interface system of integrating and managing services of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the interface module
• FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the formation of the standard transport message STM that composes the object of this invention.
• FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram of the interface system of integrating and managing services of the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the communication between the controlling module and at least one providing module.
• FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the main embodiment of the process of integrating and managing services of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Figures
• the services integrating and managing system of the present invention comprises an interface module 10 associated to a processing nucleus 20 by means of standard transport messages (STM), and at least one adapting module 30 selectively associated to the processing nucleus 20 by means of a message distributing module 21 , arranged in the processing nucleus 20.
• STM standard transport messages
• adapting module 30 selectively associated to the processing nucleus 20 by means of a message distributing module 21 , arranged in the processing nucleus 20.
• the interface module 10 comprises a receiving means 11 , which receives the different protocols 40, and a converting means 12, which changes the different protocols 40 into standard trans- port messages STM.
• the different protocols 40 come from the various service-providing entities connected to the mobile telephone network.
• the means 40 for receiving different protocols is an end interface 11 , the function of which is to implement the means or protocols of communication between the entities that provide theses protocols and the telephony network.
• These external interface 11 receives the requisition of services in the various original formats of the different protocols 40, as for example, HTTP, XML, SMPP, JAVA MAIL, among others, and sends them to the converting means, which is the internal interface 12 by means of a message transport system 101 of the RMI (Remote Method Invocation) type, which enables a module to send messages to another remote module as if it were locally accessed, besides helping in the processing distribution.
• RMI Remote Method Invocation
• the internal interface 12 comprises a converter 102, the function of which is to transform the different protocols 40 received from the external interface 11 into standard transport messages STM, which is the common protocol of communication between the interface module 10, the processing nucleus 20 and the adapting modules 30.
• STM standard transport messages
• the standard transport message STM comprises two portions, the first one being of information 52, which identifies the requested product, and the second one being of data 53, which comprises data of the requested service.
• the information portion 52 is provided with two subdivisions, the first subdivision comprising protocol presentation data 54 and the second subdivision comprising control data 55.
• the data portion 53 is provided with a single subdivision comprising variable information of the applications.
• Both the presentation data subdivision 54 and the control data subdivision 55 are formed by storing layers 50, where the information and the data obtained from the conversion of the different protocols 40 are allocated.
• the converting mechanism 102 decomposes the different protocol 40 and allocates, distributes, its data and information in the specific storage layers 50 of the information portion 52 of the standard transport mes- sage STM.
• the storage layers 50 are read by the respective modules that compose the processing nucleus 20 and by the adapt- ing module 30, and the transactions requisitioned are carried out.
• a converter 102 is also created, which is capable of transforming the contents of the new different protocol 40 to a standard transport message STM.
• the internal interface 12 During the transformation of the different protocol 40 into a standard transport message STM, the internal interface 12 generates a transaction identifier 51 , which is also allocated in one of the layers that form the STM message.
• This transaction identifier 51 is single for each procedure re- quested and allows the service integration and management system to administer and monitor the course of each request for service carried out. Each request for service generates a transaction.
• the interface module 10 Starting from the interface module 10, it is possible to provide the communication of the various platforms that provide services with the teleph- ony network, even if such platforms have a communication protocol different from that utilized by the network.
• the latter will not have to take into consideration the type of communication product utilized by the telephony network in order to develop its product, that is to say, it will not have to worry about the inte- gration of its new product/service with the telephony network, since, independently of its type of communication protocol, the internal interface 12 of the interface module 10 will make the transformation of the latter into a standard transport message STM, common to all the other modules existing in the network. For this reason, the development and the implementation of this product/service is no longer complex and time consuming, since the products are no longer dependent upon the telephony network.
• Another advantage of this system is the fact that it provides the optimization of the costs relating to the connection of new platforms that provide services to the telephony network, since it decreases the complexity of the integration of these new platforms in a considerably extent.
• the processing nucleus 20 comprises a plurality of transaction control and management modules.
• the control and management modules there is the message distribution module 21, which accounts for reading, priorization and distribution of the transactions for the other modules of the processing nucleus 20.
• the distribution module 21 is permanently in contact with a storage module 22, where the requisitions are recorded and stored in lines, which will later be consumed by the adapting modules 30.
• the message distribution module 21 reads out the requisitions, which are stored in the storage module 22, and arranges these requisitions in order of priority.
• This priorization algorithm is called "priority line", and the line of requisitions is generated by order or priority by means of it.
• the degree of priority of the requisition may be calculated by the algorithm in order to prevent non-execution of a requisition that is originally of low priority, in the face of the existence of so many other requisitions that are originally of high priority.
• this algorithm has a formula of priority described as:
• Priority p(n) ⁇ n*m+d ⁇
• p is the function of the priority calculation
• n is the original priority of the requisition
• m is a multiplication factor
• d is the date of requisition in milliseconds.
• the execution mechanism 242 delivers the requisition to the respective executing module and requests execution of the transaction according to a business logic circuit 243, which has the function of reporting to the execution mechanism 242, the correct activity to be executed, in addition to filtering and validating the requisitions.
• This execution mechanism 242 is also responsible for requesting the opening and closing of the transaction detail record TDR, that is to say, with each request for execution of transaction the transaction detail record TDR is generated, which will be used by the charging system of the telephony network.
• This transaction detail record TDR represents the entire request and its result, after execution by the adapting module 30.
• this transaction detail record TDR has information about the service executed, date and time of the request and execution, business rules informing, moreover, who pays for the service, white contents, category of the requesting user, application of origin, among others.
• the transaction detail record TDR has been developed so as to meet all the types of service offered, thus becoming a stan- dard model known by the charging system, independently of its purpose.
• the charge-account generating process does not need to be modified either, adapted or updated to meet each new product offered.
• the creation of the transaction detail record TDR is controlled and organized by a TDR management module 24.
• the processing nucleus 20 comprises a security module 25 associated to the internal interface 12 of the interface module 10. This security module 25 accounts for verifying the authenticity of the accesses of users of the telephony network and for authorizing the execution of services requested by the users. These data are available in the layers 50 of the stan- dard transport message STM.
• the security module 25 is provided with a memory device 252 and a cryptography device 251.
• the memory device 252 is controlled by the security module 25 and exists for each authenticated user of the telephony network. In this way, when a use is authenticated, his profile and the charac- teristics of the services authorized to him are stored in the memory device 252, so that the information allocated in the standard transport message STM referring to the users and requisitions made by the users are compared with the execution restrictions attributed to the latter and that are in the memory device 252.
• the cryptography device 251 has the function of codifying the personal data of the users, as for example, passwords of access to the sys- tern and of service requisition.
• the processing nucleus 20 further comprises a management structure formed by a plurality of action monitoring modules 26, associated to the central monitoring 261.
• This management structure has the function of monitoring and auditing the integration system. Therefore, at least one action management module 26 is arranged close to the other modules of the system, such as the interface module 10, the adapting module 30 and the various modules that compose the processing nucleus 20.
• the action management modules 26 accompany the course of the transactions and report the information or re- cords to the central monitoring module 261.
• this information may refer to: (i) an alarm identifying the lack of operation (ii) the status or course of the monitored transactions in a determined period of time, for instance, every thirty seconds, (iii) the history of the transactions carried out, in order to pro- prise a diagnosis when necessary, and (iv) the control of the volume of transactions existing in each module of the system, among others.
• Table 1 List of the standard information or records monitored by the action monitoring modules 26, in order to meet the various situations encountered in the service inte ration and mana ement s stem.
• the information or records generated by the system and reported to the central monitoring module 261, by means of a plurality of action management modules 26, may be classified by type and criticality, as illustrated in Table 2 below:
• the action management modules 26 enable one to carry out command actions of the central monitoring module 261 , as for instance, to stop and initiate the functions of a determined module (interface module 10, processing nucleus 20 and adapting module 30), as well as reconfigure these modules in real time, among other actions.
• Another module that composes the processing nucleus 20 is the administrating module 27, provided with an auditing device 271 indirectly associated to a service-flow control device 28.
• the administering module 27 centralizes all the administrative functions of the system, namely the module 27 administers the services, users, configurations and other functioning data of the service integration and management interface system.
• the auditing device 271 has the function of appraising the connection, the transaction detail record TDR generated and other data, in order to follow and monitor the integrity of the transactions or the integrity of the executions of the requisitions.
• the service-flow control device 28 accounts for sequence and control the executions of the transaction services, that is to say, transactions composed of more than one action, generating a request to the message distribution module 21 , which manages all the texts created for a transaction service. In this way, all the transaction actions are programmed and triggered during the executions of the activities, which guarantees greater reliability and security to the transactions executed and to the transactions to be executed.
• An auxiliary mechanism 29 is associated to the service-flow con- trol device 28, in order to help in executing the composed or others by administering and controlling the course of the tasks triggered by the device 28.
• the service integration and management system further comprises at least one adapting module 30 for each service aggregate-value platform with which one wishes to communicate.
• each adapting module 30 comprises one controlling module 31 , associated to at least one providing module 32, the internal communication of which takes place by means of the protocol RMI.
• the adapting module 30 can communicate with the processing nucleus 20 and the interface module 10, that is to say, with the rest of the integration system, via lines of messages, whereas by the provider 32 the adapting module 30 can communicate with the service platforms of the telephony network implementing the specific protocol that each aggregate-value platform makes available for external communication.
• the controlling module 31 may be associated to a plu- rality of providing modules 32, distributing the requisition load to the service platform of the telephony network.
• the controller 31 In order for the controller 31 can communicate with the other modules that compose the integration system, the latter is capable of reading the information contained in the standard transport message STM and mak- ing the charge balancing between the providers 32.
• the providing module 32 is responsible for the communication between the controlling module 31 and the legated system or the aggregate-value platforms VAS.
• the providing module 32 is capable of reading the standard transport message STM and converts it into the specific protocol of each platform.
• the adapting modules 30 are responsible for implementing the services that represent an access to the resources available in each interconnected platform.
• the provider 32 since the provider 32 has the function of converting the standard transport message STM to the specific protocols of each platform; it becomes less complex and expensive to implement services by associating platforms of the telephony network. This is because adaptations or modifications are no longer necessary for one to develop new telephony services that may be offered to clients by several channels, as for example, Web, MO, WAP, among others.
• the adapting module 30 With the presence of the adapting module 30 the partners and developers will not have to develop their products focusing on the specific communication protocol of the platform, but rather by resorting to the available services. These services are specialized in the platforms and adaptable to the system of the telephony network, which brings about greater versatility to the development of new products and services, besides reducing the costs involved.
• the service integration and management system utilizes resources of the telephony network, and the aggregate-value platforms VAS correspond to the platforms that compose the telephony network.
• service integration and management system of this invention may be embodied by means of electric and electronic circuits, formed from processors, memory devices, transistors, among other conventional or commercial components.
• Figure 6 illustrates the flowchart of a service integration management, particularly used in telephony networks and that comprises the fol- lowing steps:
• TDR Transaction detail record
• step A the process is initiated with a requisition for a service.
• This requisition is a different protocol 40, which is received by the interface module 10 by means of an external interface 11.
• step A1 the different protocol 40 received by the external interface 11 to an internal interface 12.
• the sending is made by means of a remote- message transport system - RMI (Remote Method Invocation).
• the internal interface 12 receives the different protocols 40, initi- ating the step B.
• this step before the transformation of the different protocol 40 takes place in standard transport messages STM, there is a step B1 of transmitting the different protocols 40 to a security module 25.
• the security module 25 receives the information and, by a step of verification of authenticity B2, the security module 25 verifies the user who makes the requisition for the service and further verifies the possibility of this user requesting such a service. This verification is effected by comparing the data received with the data stored in a memory device 252.
• step B3 If this verification results in a rejection of the requisition, one initiates the step B3 of transmitting message to the external interface 11 , inform- ing the user of the rejection of his request.
• the internal interface 12 executes the transformation of the different protocols 40 into standard transport message STM. Further during the step B, the internal interface 12 generates a transaction identifier 51 during the conversion of the different protocols 40 and transmits it to the external interface 11, by a communication step B4,so the that the user will take cognizance of the number that identifies his requisition. The communication step B4 brings the step B to a conclusion.
• the standard transport message STM is transmitted to a storage module 22 of the processing nucleus 20.
• step D begins.
• step D1 of reading, priorization and distribution of the stored transactions to the other modules of the processing nucleus 20 by means of a distribution module 21, permanently in contact with the storage module 22.
• step D2 of receiving the transactions begins.
• an execution mechanism 242 receives the order of priorization of the transactions organized by the distribution module 21.
• the order of priorization of the transactions to be carried out is again recorded in the storage module 22 by means of an execution mechanism 242, during a recording step D3.
• the execution mechanism 242 sends orders of execution to the adapting modules 30, which will be responsible for the execution, according to the type of service requested.
• the step E begins when the execution mechanism 242 requests a note management module 24 for the opening of a transaction detail record TDR.
• the opening of a transaction detail record TDR note requested takes place during a note opening step E1 , executed at each request for execution of a transaction.
• Each adapting module 30 makes, by means of its controlling modules 31 , the reading and consumption of its respective line of transactions that is stored in the storage module 22.
• the providers 32 of each adapting module 30 one makes the communications with the legated systems or with the aggregate- value platforms VAS of the telephony network responsible for carrying out the requested service.
• the requested service is carried out by the aggregate-value platforms VAS of the telephony network, and upon completion of this service the step G begins.
• the providing module 32 receives the results from the transactions carried out and send them to the controlling module 31 , which, in turn, transmits the results to the storage module 22 of the process- ing nucleus 20.
• step G there is a step G1 of sending the results of the transaction by the storage module 22 to the distributing module 21 , which informs the execution mechanism 242 of the completion of the service requested, thus completing the step G.
• the requested service requires the requester to be informed of its completion, that it so say, requires a response to the interface before closing the transaction detail record TDR, there will be a response step G2, when the execution mechanism 242 will request the storage module 22 to transmit, through the transmitting step G3, the information of comple- tion of the service to a response interface 13.
• the response interface 13 After the transmission step G3, the response interface 13 sends a communication to the external interface 11 (interface communication step G4) or to the user, through the user communication step G5.
• the execution mechanism 242 requests that the transaction detail record TDR be closed, which had been opened in the step E1 , thus completing the process.
• This transaction detail record TDR note will later be used by the charging system.
• the step A will be initiated by means of a requisition received by the adapting module 30.
• the different protocols 40 come from the aggregate value platforms VAS and are received by the providing modules 32, which, in this context, play the role of interface and sends, through intermediate protocols, the received requests to the internal interface 12.
• step B1 of transmitting the different protocols 40 to the security module 25, which receives the information from the providing module 32 and, through an authenticity verification step B2, the security module 25 veri- fies the user who makes the requisition for service and further verifies the possibility of this user requesting such a service. This verification occurs upon comparison of the received data with the data stored in a memory device 252.
• step C the standard transport message STM is sent to the storage module 22 of the processing nucleus 20.
• step D begins.
• step D1 there is a step D1 of reading, priorization and distribution of the transactions stored to the other modules of the processing nucleus 20 through a distribution module 21, permanently in contact with the storage method 22.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

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Citations (7)

• 2002
  • 2002-12-30 BR BR0205203-2A patent/BR0205203A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2003
  • 2003-12-30 AU AU2003287798A patent/AU2003287798A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-12-30 WO PCT/BR2003/000206 patent/WO2004059905A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (7)

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