Communication network call traffic manager

US5708697A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• MCI Communications Corporation · US

Inventors

• Kenneth J. Fischer · Parker, US
• Samuel Mullins · Cedar Rapids, US
• Randall Ethier · Herndon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 27, 1996
• Grant date: Jan 13, 1998
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M3/36
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A communication network call traffic management system includes a plurality of special resource devices, at least one telephone switch connected to a telecommunications network, a switch control interface, a plurality of application platforms, a control network, and a call traffic manager. The telephone switch has a plurality of telephone switch ports with each switch port being associated with a special resource device. Each special resource device detects user-selectable information contained in a telephone call. The call traffic manager uses initial call information to allocate a special resource device, control the switch to direct the telephone call to a switch port that is associated with the allocated special resource device, and allocate a first application platform for interacting with the telephone call. At any point during the telephone call, the call traffic manager can interact with the telephone switch and/or the application platform to dynamically reallocate a new special resource device and/or a new application platform necessary to service the call.