Abstract: Methods and systems for allocating licenses to devices are provided. More particularly, the devices included in a system may each require a license having a release value that is equal to or greater than the release value of the device in order to be fully operational. Upon the unregistration of a device, the highest cost or value license that can be made available while maintaining proper registration of the remaining registered devices is freed. More particularly, the difference between the number of devices registered and the licenses used is calculated for each release value. A variance for each release value, beginning with the least cost or lowest release value license and working towards the highest cost or value license is then calculated. The highest cost license that can be released is equal to the license value for which the calculated variance is equal to zero.

Abstract: Methods and systems for allocating licenses to devices are provided. More particularly, the devices included in a system may each require a license having a release value that is equal to or greater than the release value of the device in order to be fully operational. Upon the unregistration of a device, the highest cost or value license that can be made available while maintaining proper registration of the remaining registered devices is freed. More particularly, the difference between the number of devices registered and the licenses used is calculated for each release value. A variance for each release value, beginning with the least cost or lowest release value license and working towards the highest cost or value license is then calculated. The highest cost license that can be released is equal to the license value for which the calculated variance is equal to zero.

Abstract: Symbol sequences of varying lengths and having logical meanings other than as network addresses (e.g., subscriber names), are assigned and used as actual telecommunications network addresses, without imposition of predefined fixed lengths, formats, or orderings on their constituent segments (e.g., given name, surname), in a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of individual address segments, called symbol strings, which have logical meanings. Each string's definition includes a string length range (332), a string type (331), and an indicator (VNI 334) of the string's influence on call treatment (e.g., route) selection.

Abstract: Symbol sequences of varying lengths and having logical meanings other than as network addresses (e.g., subscriber names), are assigned and used as actual telecommunications network addresses, without imposition of predefined fixed lengths, formats, or orderings on their constituent segments (e.g., given name, surname), in a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of individual address segments, called symbol strings, which have logical meanings. Each string's definition includes a string length range (332), a string type (331), and an indicator (VNI 334) of the string's influence on call treatment (e.g., route) selection.

Abstract: External invocation of features on a switching system (10) from a network (18) is made possible by aliasing otherwise-unused network numbers that are assigned to the switching system within the network numbering plan to feature-access codes of the switching system's internal numbering plan, in the switching system's call processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the internal and network numbering plans. The aliasing is accomplished as follows. The syntax definitions of the internal numbering plan include definitions (312) of individual feature access codes, while the syntax definitions of the network numbering plan include definitions (312) of the aliased network numbers, which either are the same as the definitions of the corresponding feature access codes or direct the aliased network numbers to be translated into the corresponding feature access codes.

Abstract: Use codes representative of uses of calls are defined as a part of a network numbering plan, and a route or a destination for a call is selected in full or in part on the basis of the use code dialed by a caller in conjunction with the called number via a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan.

Abstract: Recognition, including validation, of any dialed number may be fully accomplished entirely at an originating switching system (10) which includes a call-processing arrangement (200) that has stored definitions of the syntax (320, 350) and the grammar (400, 410) of one or more network numbering plans. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of all individual symbol strings that are valid for the defined network numbering plans. The dialed number is parsed (340) to recognize therein all included symbol strings. Network facilities (16) for the call outside of the originating switching system are seized and used (344) only after all the included symbol strings are recognized and the entire dialed number is validated.

Abstract: Tone treatment given to callers by an originating switching system (10) during dialing may be customized in a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of individual symbol strings and their associated tones (336), if any. Associations of tones with symbol strings are administratively reprogrammable to change the specified tone treatment. Following dialing and identification (340) of an individual symbol string, a caller is immediately fed back (906) the string's associated tone, if any. A caller is thus immediately advised during dialing of successful or unsuccessful input of a valid symbol string, and is selectively prompted for input of another string. Caller-perceivable feedback signals other than tones may be used with equal effect.

Abstract: In a shared-tenant services arrangement, numbering-plan independence and cross-plan access is provided to tenant groups by a call-processing arrangement (200) that stores separate definitions of both syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of each group's own extension numbering plan. In response to receipt from a member of an individual tenant group of an extension number unaccompanied by a network dial-access code (DAC), the received extension number is analyzed (210) using the syntax and grammar definitions of the extension numbering plan of the individual group. But in response to receipt from the member of the extension number accompanied by a DAC, the DAC is analyzed using the syntax and grammar definition of the extension numbering plan of the individual group to determine an extension numbering plan that corresponds to the received DAC, and the received extension number is then analyzed using the syntax and grammar definitions of whichever extension numbering plan corresponds to the received DAC.

Abstract: Choice of what portions of a dialed number are important and what weight they carry in deciding how to route or otherwise treat a call is customized and made contextually dependent via a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions are reprogrammable definitions (312) of individual symbol strings and include the string's associated virtual nodepoint index (VNI 334) which indicates the string's influence on call treatment, an indicator (335) of whether digit collection is to continue, an indicator (339) of whether the VNI is to be combined with a VNI resulting from any preceding symbol strings in the dialed number, and an indicator (338) of whether the VNI resulting from this symbol string is to be combined with a VNI of any succeeding symbol strings in the dialed number.

Abstract: A call-processing arrangement (200) views a network numbering plan as a language in the mathematical/computer science sense and takes a lexicographic approach to call processing. Numbering plan syntax is defined by data in tree data structures (320, 330), and numbering plan grammar is defined by data in matrix data structures (400, 410). The data structures are used by numbering plan-independent functions to determine the meaning of call-associated digit strings and to specify the treatment (e.g., routing, features,) to be given to the call based on that meaning. A string-identification function (340) applies collected digits to the trees and matrices to find leafs (312) that define digit strings that make up the number. A string-action function (341) uses the definitions in the found leafs to form a call-route-specifying or call-feature-specifying index (254) for the call.

Abstract: Any valid displayed called number may be properly visually segmented by a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the whole network numbering plan. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of individual symbol strings and their associated display demarcations (360), if any--such as spaces or dashes or parentheses--or even their associated replacement strings. Display demarcations or replacement strings that are specified for individual symbol strings are administratively reprogrammable to change the specified display demarcations or replacement string. Following dialing of an individual symbol string, the symbol string is identified and it or its replacement is displayed (986) on the display (19) of the caller's telephone set (17) along with any previously-dialed symbol strings and is demarcated therefrom as specified in the definition of the symbol string.

Abstract: Which call feature module, if any, is invoked in response to a user's input of a feature access code is made dependent upon the context in which the feature request is made, in a call-processing arrangement (200) that uses stored definitions of syntax (320, 350) and grammar (400, 410) of the network numbering plan. The syntax definitions are definitions (312) of individual symbol strings, including the feature access codes, and include the string's associated virtual node-point identifier (VNI 334) which indicates the string's influence on feature selections. A VNI (254) resulting from the VNIs of symbol strings included in the entire symbol sequence input by a user serves, along with parameters (1230, 1231, 1232) of the context, as a multi-dimensional pointer into a matrix (1202) of feature numbers (1203). The feature module (205) which corresponds to the feature number pointed to in the matrix by the pointer is then invoked and executed to provide a corresponding call feature.

Abstract: A data structure and program routines for use in a private branch exchange telephone system (PBX) for automatically routing calls via a private telephone network in response to a dialed public telephone network number and for restricting outgoing calls from the PBX to specific public network telephone stations. In a large corporate PBX switching network interconnected by both a public telephone network and a private telephone network, a telephone set connected to one PBX system establishes a switch connection through the private network by dialing the public telephone network's number for a destination telephone set connected to another PBX system. In response to the dialed number, the first PBX system automatically determines that the destination telephone set can be reached via the private telephone network and automatically converts the dialed public telephone network number to a private telephone network number designating the destination telephone set.