Patents by Inventor Robert B. Howell

Robert B. Howell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6618471
    Abstract: A method and system for measuring the usage of advanced intelligent network (AIN) resources includes providing a call processing record (CPR) logic diagram for a service control point (SCP) in an AIN to follow for providing an AIN service for a call. The CPR logic diagram includes separate paths having functions to be performed by the SCP during the call. The processing times required by the SCP for performing the functions associated with the paths of the CPR logic diagram is then estimated. The estimated processing times are then associated with respective paths of the CPR logic diagram. The SCP is then monitored to determine which path the SCP follows during the call. The actual processing time expended by the SCP during the call is then determined as a function of the path followed by the SCP for the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Qwest Communications International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Howell, Donald E. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 6226374
    Abstract: Existing and new service provisioning capacity in an AIN is determined by calculating processor utilization. Existing service demand and component usage information is automatically acquired from the AIN. ISP service data and SCP configuration descriptions are updated as needed. For each new service modeled, a call processing record is developed. A time of day usage for each service is also entered. For each city in the region covered by the AIN, demand forecasts for each new service in the city is determined. Utilization is determined for SCPs, ISPs, and SPACE systems provisioning capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Qwest Communications International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Howell, Mark Choey, Xiaojiang Lu, Jeffrey C. Mitchell, Neil K. Nelson