Importance

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Abstract

In a method of controlling overloads in a telecommunications network, a module 46 for detecting and monitoring overloads is provided at a node 40. The node 40 includes a module 44 for controlling access to terminal resources such as telephones and fax machines. The module 44 also detects failed calls. Upon detecting an initial failed call to a particular called party number, a counter in module 46 is initialized. The counter is incremented for each further failed call to the particular called party number and also decremented at a fixed rate. When the number of calls in the counter rises above a first threshold, the counter goes into an overload state. When the number of calls in the counter falls below a second threshold, the counter goes into a no overload state. The module 46 sends an indication of the state of the counter and the identity of the called number to a module 48 in a node 41 which sets and updates a restriction parameter. The node 41 is upstream from the node 40 in the direction of call set up and the overload status is transmitted in the backward call set up messages. The module 48 then sets the restriction parameter in accordance with the overload status of calls to the called number and supplies this parameter to a module 49 which restricts calls to the called number. Call restriction is maintained until the overload to the called number subsides completely. The invention may also be used to detect and control calls whose call identities belong to a common set of call identities.

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First Claim