Method and apparatus for presentation of calling subscriber number in mobile networks

• US 20020115441A1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Azorero, Fuencisla Garcia, Alonso, Susana Fernandez
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for reliable transmission of a calling subscriber number (“A-number”) received at a Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC) [N-101; N-201] of a home Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) [N-100; N-200] along with an incoming call [S-300] towards a roaming destination subscriber [N-104; N-204] wherein an entity selected from a GSM network entity [N-102; N-103], an UMTS network entity [N-102; N-103] and/or an Inter-Working Functions [N-300] is interrogated by means of a GSM and/or UMTS MAP operation to retrieve a routing number, and to further reach the roaming subscriber and set up the call; wherein the interrogation of the entity includes

extracting the previously received A-number identification at the interrogating network entity;

including the A-number identification in the interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation [S-175; S-185] at the interrogating network entity;

forwarding the interrogation and the A-number identification with the interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation [S-175; S-185] to the interrogated entity [N-102; N-103; N-300].

Claims

1. - A method for transmission of a calling subscriber number received at a Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC) [N-101;

N-201] of a home Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) [N-100;

N-200] along with an incoming call [S-300] towards a destination subscriber [N-104;

N-204] who is roaming subscriber in a visited Public Land Mobile Network [N-100;

N-200], said destination subscriber being one of a called subscriber and a forwarded-to subscriber, the method comprising at least one step of interrogating at least one entity selected from GSM network entities [N-102;

N-103], UMTS network entities [N-102;

N-103] and Inter-Working Functions [N-300] by means of at least one interrogating operation selected from GSM MAP operations, UMTS MAP operations and combinations thereof, in order to retrieve a routing number, and to further reach said roaming subscriber and set up the call;

characterized in that

the step of interrogating at least one of GSM network entities [N-102;

N-103], UMTS network entities [N-102;

N-103] and Inter-Working Functions [N-300] by means of said interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operations includes the steps of;

extracting the previously received calling subscriber number identification, to be further sent in an interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation, at the interrogating network entity;

including said calling subscriber number identification in the interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation [S-175;

S-185] at the interrogating network entity;

forwarding said interrogation and said calling subscriber number identification with the interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation [S-175;

S-185] to said at least one interrogated entity [N-102;

N-103;

N-300].

2. - A method according to claim 1, wherein an interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation for retrieving the routing number as well as to submit the calling subscriber number identification is a MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175].

3. - A method according to claim 1, wherein an interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation for retrieving a routing number as well as to submit the calling subscriber number identification is a MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185].

4. - A method according to any of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the home PLMN [N-100] is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network comprising a home GMSC [N-101], and the visited PLMN [N-200] where the home subscriber [N-104] is roaming, is neither a GSM nor a UMTS network.

5. - A method according to claim 4, wherein the home GMSC [N-101] interrogates a GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] by means of a MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data, and wherein the GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] interrogates an Inter-Working Function [N-300] used in intersystem roaming by means of a MAP operation;

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185] that also comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

6. - A method according to any of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the visited PLMN [N-100] where the home subscriber [N-204] is roaming, is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network, and the home PLMN [N-200] is neither a GSM nor a UMTS network.

7. - A method according to claim 6, wherein an Inter-Working Function [N-300] used in intersystem roaming interrogates a visited MSC/VLR [N-103] by means of a MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[N-185] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

8. - A method according to any of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the home PLMN [N-100] is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network comprising a home GMSC [N-101], and the visited PLMN [N-100] where the home subscriber [N-104] is roaming, is also one of a GSM network and a UMTS network.

9. - A method according to claim 8, wherein the home GMSC [N-101] interrogates a GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] by means of a MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[N-175] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data, and wherein the GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] interrogates the MSC/VLR [N-103] where the subscriber [N-104] is roaming by means of a MAP operation;

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[N-185] that also comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

10. - A method according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said calling subscriber number identification is included as a new parameter of specific type in said MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175].

11. - A method according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said calling subscriber number identification is included in an Extension Container field of said MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175] instead of a new parameter of specific type.

12. - A method according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said calling subscriber number identification is included as a new parameter of specific type in said MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185].

13. - A method according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said calling subscriber number identification is included in an Extension Container field of said MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185] instead of a new parameter of specific type.

15. - An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for storing on a per subscriber and per call basis, at any of GSM or UMTS entity, said calling subscriber number identification received in an interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation, in order to be further delivered to the destination subscriber.

16. - An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation is a MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175], and wherein said MAP operation is designed for including said calling subscriber number identification.

25. - A method according to any of claims 7 and 9, wherein any of GSM and UMTS MSC/VLR store on a per subscriber and per call basis, the calling subscriber number identification received in a MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185], in order to be further delivered to the destination subscriber.

14. - An apparatus for transmission of a calling subscriber number identification received at a home Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) [N-100;

N-200] or at an Inter-Working Function (IWF) [N-300], the apparatus comprising first means for interrogating at least one entity selected from GSM network entities [N-102;

N-103], UMTS network entities [N-102;

N-103] and Inter-Working Functions [N-300], by means of at least one interrogating operation selected from GSM MAP operations, UMTS MAP operations and combinations thereof, in order to retrieve a routing number, and to further reach a destination subscriber [N-104;

N-204] who is a roaming subscribed roaming in a visited Public Land Mobile Network, and set up the call;

characterized in that

the apparatus further comprises;

second means for extracting said calling subscriber number identification from a previously received signalling message and to be further sent in an interrogating operation [S-175;

S-185] selected from GSM MAP operations, UMTS MAP operations and combinations thereof; and

third means for including said calling subscriber number identification obtained by said second means, in the interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation [S-175;

S-185] in order to retrieve a routing number, and to further reach such a roaming subscriber and to set up the call, presenting said calling subscriber number identification.

17. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 and 15, wherein said interrogating GSM/UMTS MAP operation is a MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185], and wherein said MAP operation is designed for including said calling subscriber number identification.

18. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the home PLMN [N-100] is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network comprising a home GMSC [N-101], and a visited PLMN [N-200] where the home subscriber [N-104] is roaming, is neither a GSM nor a UMTS network;

the home GMSC [N-101] interrogates a GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] by means of a MAP operation;

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data; and

the GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] interrogates an Inter-Working Function [N-300] used in intersystem roaming by means of a MAP operation;

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185] that also comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

19. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the visited PLMN [N-100] where the home subscriber [N-204] is roaming, is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network, and the home PLMN [N-200] is neither a GSM nor a UMTS network;

and

wherein an Inter-Working Function [N-300] used in intersystem roaming interrogates a visited MSC/VLR [N-103] by means of a MAP operation;

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

20. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the home PLMN [N-100] is one of a GSM network and a UMTS network comprising a home GMSC [N-101], and the visited PLMN [N-100] where the home subscriber [N-104] is roaming, is also one of a GSM network and a UMTS network;

the home GMSC [N-101] interrogates a GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] by means of a MAP operation;

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175] that comprises the calling subscriber number identification data; and

the GSM/UMTS HLR [N-102] interrogates the MSC/VLR [N-103] where the home subscriber [N-104] is roaming, by means of a MAP operation;

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185] that also comprises the calling subscriber number identification data.

21. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 20, wherein said calling subscriber number identification is included as a new parameter of specific type in said MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175].

22. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 20, wherein said calling subscriber number identification is included in an Extension Container field of said MAP operation:

“

Send Routing Information”

[S-175];

instead of a new parameter of specific type.

23. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 22, wherein said calling subscriber number identification is included as a new parameter of specific type in said MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185].

24. - An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 22, wherein said calling subscriber number identification is included in an Extension Container field of said MAP operation:

“

Provide Roaming Number”

[S-185];

instead of a new parameter of specific type.