JPH04362845A - User information transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To expand a range of the user and to reduce user information quantity relayed and transferred in a communication network by providing a user information transmission request transfer means into a caller exchange and providing a user information collection means and a user information transmission means into a terminating exchange. CONSTITUTION:A caller terminal equipment 4 registers user information sent to a terminating terminal equipment 7 to a user information storage means 2 in advance. When the terminal equipment 4 makes communication to the terminal equipment 7, the registered user information together with a connection request is designated to make a transmission request. A user information transmission request transfer means 5 of a caller exchange 3 sends the transmission request to a communication network 1 while being included in a call control signal. A user information collection means 8 identifies it to make access with the user information storage means 2 in a network 1 to designate the user information designated to the transmission request and to make a request of transfer to the user information. The user information read from the means 2 is sent to a user information transmission means 9, in which the user information is incorporated to the call control signal to the terminal equipment 7 and the result is sent thereto. Thus, the user information requested by the terminal equipment 4 is sent to the terminal equipment 7 and it is not required for the terminal equipment 4 to enter the user information at communication.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for transferring user information in a communication network. In recent years, with the introduction of ISDN, it has become possible to transfer a variety of information from a calling terminal to a receiving terminal. The above information exchanged between user terminals is based on the ISDN protocol as user-user information (UUI).
n, hereinafter abbreviated as "user information" or "UUI"). The user information transfer service is one of the additional services of ISDN, and this user information can be used to individually specify multiple terminals connected to the called party, or to transmit the address and address of the caller to a fax terminal. It is possible to send information such as the name, or to freely set the process to be performed when a specific terminal is busy (such as requesting a call back).

[0002] However, this user information transfer is possible only if both the calling terminal and the receiving terminal are equipped with an IS system that has a user information transfer function.
The condition is that the terminal is a DN terminal, and even if the receiving terminal has this function, if the calling terminal is an old standard ISDN terminal without a user information transfer function or an analog terminal, the user Information cannot be transferred.

[0003] Furthermore, user information is information that is exchanged end-to-end between a calling terminal and a called terminal, and is transferred transparently within a communication network, but is also transferred along with call control messages. Therefore, it is transferred link-by-link between relay exchanges within the communication network. Therefore, if the user information is long or used frequently, the amount of signal processing by the relay exchange may increase, which may put pressure on the transmission capacity of the transmission path.

[0004] Under the above circumstances, there is a desire for a user information transfer system that can be applied to calling terminals that do not have a user information transfer function and that does not burden the throughput of relay exchanges or transmission lines.

[0005]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a prior art. In the figure,
Reference numerals 21 to 28 indicate respective constituent parts, and 31 to 33 indicate the structure of a call control message that passes through each section (indicated by ■ to ■) in the communication network.

[0006] In FIG. 3, a calling terminal 24 and a receiving terminal 27 that transfer user information are both ISDN terminals equipped with a user information transfer function. The calling terminal 24 is the receiving terminal 2
7 to perform circuit-switched communication, the calling terminal 24 uses the known ISDN user-network D
According to the channel protocol, the SETUP message (
Hereinafter, the word "message" will be omitted for call control messages. ) to request call setup. Receiving terminal 2
User information (UUI) for 7 is included in the above SETUP, and section ■ is included in SETUP 3 along with the number of the receiving terminal etc.
1 to the originating exchange 23.

[0007] When the originating exchange 23 receives the SETUP 31, it performs the necessary processing, and then transmits the ISDN user section (ISUP) used for control within the communication network.
call setup request IAM (I
initial Address) is sent to the communication network 21. At this time, the UUI in SETUP 31 is transferred to IAM by the user information transfer unit 25 in the originating exchange 23.
The data is transferred to the IAM 32 and relayed by the relay exchanges 22a and 22b in the communication network 21, and is received by the destination exchange 26 through sections (1) to (2).

[0008] In the terminating exchange 26, when the IAM 32 is received from the communication network 21, the user information transfer unit 28 transmits the UU
I is transferred to the SETUP 33 according to the protocol between the user and the network, and sent to the receiving terminal 27 through the section (3). That is, user information (UUI) is sent from the calling terminal 24 to the receiving terminal 2.
End-to-end communication between terminals without changing the contents up to 7.
This means that it was sent two ends.

[0009] The length of IAM messages sent and received within the communication network 21 is specified as a maximum of 270 octets, including the UUI, and within this, the UUI can use approximately 128 to 256 octets; If the message length exceeds the maximum message length of IAM, it is necessary to divide the call control message and transfer it. As described above, this user information is transferred to transparency without being processed by the relay exchanges 22a and 22b in the communication network 21, but the
22b, ■, ■, ■, etc., the signal processing capacity of these relay exchanges 22a, 22b and a part of the transmission capacity of the transmission path are used for transferring user information. Therefore, if a large amount of user information is frequently transferred, there is a possibility that the signal processing capacity and transmission capacity of the exchange and the transmission line will be strained.

Furthermore, although the calling terminal 24 in FIG. 3 needs to be an ISDN terminal equipped with a user information transfer function as described above, many early ISDN terminals were not equipped with a user information transfer function. User information cannot be transferred from this terminal. For ISDN terminals where multiple terminals are connected to one subscriber line, it would be more convenient if the calling terminal could specify the terminal (for example, specifying a telephone and a fax terminal) using user information. It is impossible to transfer user information not only with analog terminals but also with ISDN terminals which do not have the above-mentioned user information transfer function.

[0011]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In the prior art,
Even if the receiving terminal is an ISDN terminal, user information cannot be transferred if the calling terminal is an old standard ISDN terminal or an analog terminal that does not have a user information transfer function. Furthermore, in the prior art, the user information is transferred link-by-link within the network together with the call control message, which may put pressure on the processing capacity of the relay exchange or transmission line.

An object of the present invention is to expand the range of users who can transmit user information and to reduce the amount of user information relayed within a communication network.

[0013]

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a communication network, 3 is an originating exchange, 4 is an originating terminal, 6 is a terminating exchange, and 7 is a terminating terminal. Reference numeral 2 is provided within the communication network 1 and stores user information for each user to be transmitted from a calling terminal to a receiving terminal registered in advance by the user; user information transmission for transmitting a call control signal including a user information transmission request to the communication network 1 when receiving a request to transmit the user information registered in the user information storage means 2 to the receiving terminal 7 at the time of making a call; It is a request transfer means.

8 and 9 are provided in the terminating exchange 6;
9 is a user information collecting means for collecting user information designated by the user information storage means 2 when receiving a call control signal including the user information transmission request via the communication network 1; 9 is the user information collecting means; This is a user information transmitting means that includes the user information transferred from the means 8 in a call control signal and sends it to the receiving terminal 7.

[0015]

[Operation] In FIG. 1, the originating terminal 4 registers user information to be transmitted to the receiving terminal 7 in the user information storage means 2 in advance. When the originating terminal 4 communicates with the receiving terminal 7, it specifies the registered user information along with the connection request and requests transmission to the receiving terminal 7. In the originating exchange 3, when performing a known call setting process, the user information transmission request transfer means 5 includes this user information transmission request in a call control signal and transmits it to the communication network 1.

The call control signal is sent to the terminating exchange 6 via the communication network 1 and received by the user information collection means 8. When the user information collection means 8 identifies that there is a user information transmission request in the call control signal, it accesses the user information storage means 2 provided in the communication network 1 and collects the information specified in the user information transmission request. Specify the user information that is currently available and request the transfer of that user information.

When the user information storage means 2 reads out the requested user information and sends it back to the user information collection means 8,
The user information collecting means 8 receives this user information and sends it to the user information transmitting means 9. The user information transmitting means 9 transmits the user information included in a call control signal to the receiving terminal 7. As a result, the user information requested by the calling terminal 4 is transmitted to the receiving terminal 7.

As described above, in FIG. 1, if user information is stored in the user information storage means 2 in advance, it is not necessary to input the user information from the originating terminal 4 during communication. Therefore, if the user information is stored in the user information storage means 2 by offline processing, for example, the user information can be transferred even if the originating terminal 4 is a terminal that does not have a user information transfer function.

Further, in FIG. 1, user information is transferred between the user information storage means 2 and the terminating exchange 7 without being relayed along the communication path from the originating exchange 3 to the terminating exchange 6. Therefore, the relay exchange (not shown) in the communication network 1 interposed between the originating exchange 3 and the terminating exchange 6 transfers only the user information transmission request with a short message length, and the user information itself which may have a long message length. There is no need to relay.

As described above, in the present invention, user information can be transferred even if the originating terminal is an ISDN terminal or analog terminal of old standards that does not have a user information transfer function, and it is possible to transfer user information even if the originating terminal is an ISDN terminal or an analog terminal of the old standard that does not have a user information transfer function. There is no pressure on the processing capacity of the road.

[0021]

Embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, objects that are the same as those in Figure 1 are shown with the same symbols, and 2 is shown in Figure 1.
User information (UUI) that realizes the user information storage means of
10 is a call control unit that performs call connection control within the terminating exchange 6; 11 is a database installation station where the user information file 2 is installed; 12 is one piece of user information stored in the user information file 2; Reference numerals 13 and 14 are provided in the database installation station 11, 13 is an input device (KB) such as a keyboard for offline input of user information to be stored in the user information file 2, and 14 is an input device (KB) for inputting user information to be input online. User information receiving device (RE) to be stored in file 2; 15 is calling terminal 4;
A line-compatible network 16 used for communication between the terminal 7 and the receiving terminal 7 is a line-incompatible signal network configured separately from the line-compatible network 15 used for communication.

First, the user information registration operation will be explained. When the calling terminal 4, which is an ISDN terminal equipped with a user information transfer function, registers user information, it dials a predetermined number for user information registration after making a call. The originating exchange 3 thereby connects the originating terminal 4 to the user information receiving device 14 of the database installation station 11. The user information receiving device 14 sends information or a signal sound to prompt the transmitting terminal 4 to input user information, and the transmitting terminal 4 inputs the user information accordingly. (The above operation is no different from the known registration operation in existing services, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.) Since the calling terminal 4 is not limited to one type of user information that can be registered, multiple pieces of user information are accumulated. In this method, the originating terminal 4 specifies the identification information of the user information, or when the user information is stored in the user information file 2, a number identifying the accumulated user information is sent from the user information file 2 side to the originating terminal 4. and the registration operation ends.

Note that the connection between the originating exchange 3 and the database installation station 11 in the online registration described above may be via the line compatible network 15, but in FIG. An example in which the data is routed through an unsupported network 16 is shown.

[0024] If the calling terminal 4 does not have a user information transfer function, the user of the calling terminal 4 requests in advance, by document, etc., user information to be registered with the communication carrier providing the service. The telecommunications carrier that receives the request either registers this user information online using a business terminal (not shown) or performs offline processing, and registers the user information at the database installation station 11.
The information is registered in the user information file 2 using an input device 13 such as a keyboard provided in the user information file 2.

Next, the registered user information is sent to the sending terminal 4.
The operation of transferring the call from the call to the receiving terminal 7 will be explained. When the calling terminal 4 is an ISDN terminal with a user information transfer function and transfers registered user information to the receiving terminal 7, call control is performed according to the known ISDN user-to-network D channel protocol. SE, one of the signals
A call setup request is made to the originating exchange 3 using the TUP message, and at this time, a code for identifying a user information transmission request and a user information identification number are included in the SETUP message and sent to the originating exchange 3.

[0026] Upon receiving the SETUP, the originating exchange 3 performs the necessary call control and uses the ISDN used for control within the communication network.
Call setup request IAM according to user part (ISUP) regulations
is sent to the line compatible network 15. At this time, the user information transmission request transfer unit 5 performs processing to transfer the user information transmission request code etc. in SETUP to the user information part of the IAM and transmit it.

[0027] IA including user information transmission request code, etc.
M is relayed within the circuit corresponding network 15 and is received by the terminating exchange 6. The call control unit 10 of the incoming exchange 6 performs normal incoming call processing upon reception of the IAM, but the processing of user information transmission requests is performed by the user information collection unit 8 and user information transmission unit 9 through interwork with the call control unit 10. will do.

First, when the user information collection section 8 detects the user information transmission request code, it makes a call to the database installation station 11 where the requested user information is stored. In this case, for connection to the database installation station 11, the line-incompatible network 16, which has a large signal transmission capacity and does not perform normal call processing, is mainly used instead of the line-compatible network 15, which is composed of exchanges that perform normal call processing. be done.

When connected to the database installation station 11, the user information collection unit 8 sends information identifying the requested user information and a caller identification number identifying the user who registered the user information, and collects the user information. Request a transfer. In addition,
The calling party identification number used is one sent from the originating exchange 3 as part of the ISDN functions.

The database installation station 11 searches the user information file 2 and reads out specified user information, for example, user information 12, and sends it back to the user information collection section 8. When the user information collection unit 8 receives this user information and transfers it to the user information transmission unit 9, the user information transmission unit 9 sends a SETUP call setup request message to be sent to the receiving terminal 7 under the control of the call control unit 10. The user information is then transferred to the receiving terminal 7.

Next, as an example of a case where the calling terminal 4 does not have a user information transfer function, a case where the calling terminal 4 is an analog telephone will be described. In this case, the call is set to the receiving terminal 7 using the normal analog telephone connection method, that is, off-hook and dialing, but at this time, in addition to the telephone number of the receiving terminal 7, a predetermined user information transmission request code is sent. Insert using the numbers on the dial (including # and * on the push button dial). When the user information transmission request transfer unit 5 of the originating exchange 3 detects this code, it sends a call from an ISDN terminal having the user information transfer function described above.
This user information transmission request code is included in the IAM and transmitted. Note that at this time, the code used in SETUP is converted to an IAM code if necessary. The subsequent operation is exactly the same as in the case of an ISDN terminal having a user information transfer function, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in FIG.
However, even a terminal that does not have a user information transfer function can transmit user information to the receiving terminal 7. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to input user information each time a communication is made, regardless of the type of transmitting terminal, the input operation at the transmitting terminal is simplified when the user information is long or frequently transmitted.

[0033] Furthermore, the user information itself is
5, the database installation station 11 and the incoming exchange 6
The call setup request message IAM, which is transferred between the two terminals and relayed link-by-link within the line-compatible network 15, contains only short information such as a code requesting transmission of user information. Therefore, the signal processing capacity of the relay exchange (not shown) and the transmission line constituting the line compatible network 15 is not put under pressure.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to only FIG. Of course. For example, the user information transmission request transfer unit 5 provided in the originating exchange 3 can be included in a call control unit (not shown) that normally performs call control processing within the exchange, and the terminating exchange 6 It is also possible to easily combine the user information collection section 8 and the user information transmission section 9 in the exchange control section 10.

In addition, in FIG. 2, the line compatible network 15 and the line non-compatible signal network 16 are used separately, but the configuration of the communication network 1, for example, the database installed station 11 and the originating exchange 3 or the terminating exchange 6, is used separately. Depending on the relative positional relationship of the installation locations and the traffic (volume of calls) of user information, there may be cases where the line compatible network 15 is partially used instead of the line non-compatible signal network 16. However, it is clear that even if the line compatible network 15 is used partially, the effect of reducing the amount of user information relayed within the line compatible network 15 can be obtained.

Furthermore, since the database installation station 11 and the user information file 2 do not need to be dedicated to the above-mentioned user information, efficiency can be improved by sharing them with other network services. Furthermore, database installation station 1
1 does not need to be one station in a communication network that covers the entire country, for example, by arranging multiple database installation stations 11 at appropriate positions within the communication network 1 depending on the amount and flow of user information traffic. Resources used for transferring user information can be used more efficiently.

The present invention does not exclude the above-mentioned modifications that do not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0038]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
If the receiving terminal is an ISDN terminal equipped with a user information transfer function, even if the calling terminal is a terminal without a user information transfer function, user information transfer, which is performed as an additional service of ISDN, becomes possible. In addition, since it is no longer necessary to enter user information each time a communication is made at the originating terminal, operability can be improved.

Furthermore, since user information is not combined with call control messages and transferred link-by-link between trunk exchanges in the circuit-compatible network, it is However, it does not increase the amount of signal processing in the relay exchanges in the circuit-compatible network, nor does it burden the transmission capacity of the transmission path.

As described above, the present invention greatly contributes to improving the functions of ISDN and the signal communication capability of the network.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Basic configuration diagram of the present invention

[Figure 2] Embodiment configuration diagram of the present invention

[Figure 3] Block diagram of conventional technology

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Communication network 2 User information storage means 3 Outgoing exchange 4 Calling terminal 5 User information transmission request transfer means 6 Incoming call exchange 7 Incoming call terminal 8 User information collection means 9 User information transmission means

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A communication network (1) is provided with user information storage means (2) for storing, for each user, user information to be sent from a calling terminal to a receiving terminal registered in advance by the user, and an originating exchange (3). When a request is received from the calling terminal (4) to send the user information registered in the user information storage means (2) to the called terminal (7) at the time of the call, the call containing the user information sending request is received. User information transmission request transfer means (1) for sending control signals to the communication network (1);
5), and when a call control signal including the user information transmission request is received in the terminating exchange (6) via the communication network (1), the user information storage means (2)
) and a user information collecting means (8) that collects user information specified by the user information collecting means (8), and includes the user information transferred from the user information collecting means (8) in a call control signal and sends it to the called terminal (7). User information transmission means (9)
A user information transfer method characterized by comprising: