1. A method of providing priority service in a telecommunications network, comprising:
(a) monitoring a rate at which priority service requests are received at a node of the telecommunications network;
(b) comparing the rate to a threshold;
(c) disabling a gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is less than the threshold;
(d) enabling the gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is not less than the threshold, and,
(e) dynamically regulating a parameter of the gapping function when the gapping function is enabled based at least in part on whether a select priority service request received at the node is accompanied by valid or invalid credentials, wherein the regulated parameter is a duration of a gap defined by the gapping function, the regulating comprising:
comparing a current value of the parameter to a maximum limit and if the maximum limit has not yet been reached, then incrementing the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is invalid.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises:
determining a validity of the select priority service request such that the parameter is dynamically regulated in response to said determination.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises:
comparing a current value of the parameter to a minimum limit and if the minimum limit has not yet been reached, then decrementing the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is valid.
4. A telecommunications network including a throttle for priority service traffic in said network, said throttle comprising:
monitoring means for monitoring a rate at which priority service requests are received from user equipment by the telecommunications network;
comparison means for comparing the rate to a threshold;
gapping function control means for (i) disabling a gapping function for priority service traffic when the rate is less than the threshold, and (ii) enabling the gapping function for priority service traffic when the rate is not less than the threshold, and,
gapping parameter regulation means for dynamically regulating a parameter of the gapping function when the gapping function is enabled based at least in part on whether a select priority service request received by the telecommunications network is accompanied by valid or invalid credentials’
wherein the regulated parameter is a duration of a gap defined by the gapping function;
wherein the gapping parameter regulation means compares a current value of the parameter to a maximum limit and if the maximum limit has not yet been reached, then the gapping parameter regulation means increments the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is invalid.
5. The throttle of claim 4, wherein the gapping parameter regulation means comprises:
validity determination means for determining a validity of the select priority service request such that the parameter is dynamically regulated in response thereto.
6. The throttle of claim 4, wherein the gapping parameter regulation means compares a current value of the parameter to a minimum limit and if the minimum limit has not yet been reached, then the gapping parameter regulation means decrements the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is valid.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority service traffic comprises priority calls to which the telecommunications network provides a higher rate of call completion than non-priority calls.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the priority calls include at least one of national security calls, emergency calls, government emergency telecommunication service (GETS) calls, and wireless priority service (WPS) calls.
9. The throttle of claim 4 wherein the priority service traffic comprises priority calls to which the telecommunications network provides a higher rate of call completion than non-priority calls.
10. The throttle of claim 9 wherein the priority calls include at least one of national security calls, emergency calls, government emergency telecommunication service (GETS) calls, and wireless priority service (WPS) calls.
11. A method of providing priority service in a telecommunications network, comprising:
a) monitoring a rate that priority service requests are received at a serving node of a telecommunications network;
b) comparing the priority service request rate to a gapping threshold;
c) enabling a gapping function for priority service traffic at the serving node when the priority service request rate is not less than the gapping threshold,
d) determining if each priority service request associated with the priority service traffic at the serving node is accompanied by invalid credentials when the gapping function is enabled; and,
e) dynamically regulating a gap duration parameter of the gapping function at the serving node for priority service requests accompanied by invalid credentials by incrementing the gap duration parameter unless a current value of the gap duration parameter has reached a maximum limit.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
f) determining if each priority service request associated with the priority service traffic at the serving node is accompanied by valid credentials when the gapping function is enabled; and,
g) dynamically regulating the gap duration parameter of the gapping function at the serving node for priority service requests accompanied by valid credentials by decrementing the gap duration parameter unless a current value of the gap duration parameter has reached a minimum limit.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the priority service traffic at the serving node comprises priority calls to which the telecommunications network provides a higher rate of call completion than other calls.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the priority calls include government emergency telecommunication service (GETS) calls.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the priority calls include wireless priority service (WPS) calls.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the other calls include at least one of ordinary calls and non-priority calls.
17. A method of providing priority service in a telecommunications network, comprising:
(a) monitoring a rate at which priority service requests are received at a node of the telecommunications network;
(b) comparing the rate to a threshold;
(c) disabling a gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is less than the threshold;
(d) enabling the gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is not less than the threshold, and,
(e) dynamically regulating a parameter of the gapping function when the gapping function is enabled based at least in part on whether a select priority service request received at the node is accompanied by valid or invalid credentials, wherein the regulated parameter is a duration of a gap defined by the gapping function, the regulating comprising:
comparing a current value of the parameter to a minimum limit and if the minimum limit has not yet been reached, then decrementing the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is valid.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (e) comprises:
determining a validity of the select priority service request such that the parameter is dynamically regulated in response to said determination.
19. A telecommunications network including a throttle for priority service traffic in said network, said throttle comprising:
monitoring means for monitoring a rate at which priority service requests are received from user equipment by the telecommunications network;
comparison means for comparing the rate to a threshold;
gapping function control means for (i) disabling a gapping function for priority service traffic when the rate is less than the threshold, and (ii) enabling the gapping function for priority service traffic when the rate is not less than the threshold, and,
gapping parameter regulation means for dynamically regulating a parameter of the gapping function when the gapping function is enabled based at least in part on whether a select priority service request received by the telecommunications network is accompanied by valid or invalid credentials’
wherein the regulated parameter is a duration of a gap defined by the gapping function;
wherein the gapping parameter regulation means compares a current value of the parameter to a minimum limit and if the minimum limit has not yet been reached, then the gapping parameter regulation means decrements the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is valid.
20. The throttle of claim 19, wherein the gapping parameter regulation means comprises:
validity determination means for determining a validity of the select priority service request such that the parameter is dynamically regulated in response thereto.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of providing multimedia services to a subscriber within a domain of a communication network, wherein the subscriber utilizes one or more predetermined access terminals to access the multimedia services according to a current network presence configuration of the subscriber selected from a plurality of network presence configurations, wherein each access terminal has respective multimedia capabilities, and wherein the domain includes an application server for accessing the multimedia services, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a user profile for the subscriber including a plurality of presence identifiers, the user profile relating each respective presence identifier to a respective user service definition, wherein each user service definition specifies a set of the predetermined access terminals and respective multimedia services to be available for a respective network presence configuration;
registering a current presence identifier of the subscriber;
the application server accessing the user profile to determine a user service definition corresponding to the current presence identifier;
the subscriber initiating one of the multimedia services by sending a request to the application server from one of the access terminals in the set of predetermined access terminals;
the application server interfacing with the multimedia service to obtain multimedia content from the initiated multimedia service;
the application server determining rules of service delivery according to the set of predetermined access terminals;
the application server re-formatting received multimedia content according to the rules of service delivery for the set of predetermined access terminals; and
the application server transmitting re-formatted multimedia content to the corresponding access terminals.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of manually configuring the user profile by accessing a profile database within the domain.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the registering step comprises the subscriber manually updating the current presence identifier by accessing a profile database within the domain.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein an access terminal used by the subscriber to manually update the current presence identifier comprises a cellular telephone.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein an access terminal used by the subscriber to manually update the current presence identifier comprises a microcomputer.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the registering step comprises automatically updating the current presence identifier by detecting a physical location of the subscriber.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the physical location is detected by a GPS receiver contained in a cellular telephone, wherein a profile database within the domain stores the user profile and the current presence identifier, and wherein the detected physical location is transmitted by the cellular telephone to the profile database.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the rules of service delivery identify a device type corresponding to an access terminal within the set of predetermined access terminals, and wherein the device type indicates a corresponding level of multimedia capabilities.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the rules of service delivery identify a media type corresponding to an access terminal within the set of predetermined access terminals, and wherein the media type indicates a multimedia format.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the rules of service delivery include a determination of network load and a corresponding adjustment of re-formatted multimedia content transmission.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
the application server sending a configuration message to one of the multimedia services in response to the rules of service delivery in order to enable one of the rules of service delivery.
12. A system for providing multimedia services to a subscriber within a domain of a communication network, wherein the subscriber utilizes one or more predetermined access terminals to access the multimedia services according to a current network presence configuration selected from a plurality of network presence configurations of the subscriber, wherein each access terminal has respective multimedia capabilities, the system comprising:
a user profile database including a user profile for the subscriber relating respective presence identifiers to respective user service definitions, wherein each user service definition specifies a set of the predetermined access terminals and respective multimedia services to be available for a respective network presence configuration;
a presence server for registering a current presence identifier of the subscriber selected from the respective presence identifiers;
a rules database including respective rules of service delivery for the user service definitions;
an application server for accessing the multimedia services on behalf of the subscriber, wherein the application server accesses the user profile to determine a user service definition corresponding to the current presence identifier, wherein the application server receives a subscriber request for initiating one of the multimedia services, wherein the application server interfaces with the multimedia service to obtain multimedia content from the initiated multimedia service, wherein the application server retrieves rules of service delivery according to the set of predetermined access terminals and the user service definition of the initiated multimedia service, wherein the application server re-formats received multimedia content according to the rules of service delivery for the set of predetermined access terminals, and wherein the application server transmits re-formatted multimedia content to the corresponding access terminals.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the user profile database includes geographic coordinate information associated with respective presence identifiers, and wherein one of the access terminals sends current geographic coordinates to the presence server to automatically register the current presence identifier.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein the rules of service delivery identify a device type corresponding to an access terminal within the set of predetermined access terminals, and wherein the device type indicates a corresponding level of multimedia capabilities.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein the rules of service delivery identify a media type corresponding to an access terminal within the set of predetermined access terminals, and wherein the media type indicates a multimedia format.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein the rules of service delivery include a determination of network load and a corresponding adjustment of re-formatted multimedia content transmission.
17. The system of claim 12 wherein the application server sends a configuration message to one of the multimedia services in response to the rules of service delivery in order to enable one of the rules of service delivery.