Communication system and method for minimizing international roaming costs
First Claim
1. A method for providing real-time communication to a subscriber outside a home system in a communication network, wherein the communication network includes the home system and a roaming system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing access to a home switch located in the home system;
providing access to a roaming switch located in the roaming system;
providing access to a trunk operatively connecting the home switch to the roaming switch;
providing the subscriber with a universal address that can be mapped to one or more addresses of the subscriber;
storing the universal address in a database operatively connected to the home switch and the roaming switch;
providing the subscriber with a local mobile station having a local roaming address code within the roaming system;
updating the universal address to map to the local address code; and
allowing the subscriber to receive incoming calls from the universal address within the roaming system through the local mobile station without incurring roaming charges.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system and method for minimizing international roaming costs leverages an existing communication network to convert roaming communication sent to and from a mobile telephone into a series of local telephone calls to and from the communication network. Using a universal address, subscribers of the communication system can initiate or participate in real-time communication through the network while roaming outside of a home system, without incurring roaming charges.
19 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for providing real-time communication to a subscriber outside a home system in a communication network, wherein the communication network includes the home system and a roaming system, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing access to a home switch located in the home system;
providing access to a roaming switch located in the roaming system;
providing access to a trunk operatively connecting the home switch to the roaming switch;
providing the subscriber with a universal address that can be mapped to one or more addresses of the subscriber;
storing the universal address in a database operatively connected to the home switch and the roaming switch;
providing the subscriber with a local mobile station having a local roaming address code within the roaming system;
updating the universal address to map to the local address code; and
allowing the subscriber to receive incoming calls from the universal address within the roaming system through the local mobile station without incurring roaming charges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communication system for providing real-time communication to a subscriber, the communication system comprising:
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a home network having a home switch for receiving a call from a caller;
a roaming network having a roaming switch;
a trunk operatively connecting the home switch to the roaming switch;
a universal address for the subscriber, wherein the universal address can be mapped to one or more address of the subscriber;
a memory, operatively coupled to the home switch and the roaming switch, for storing the universal address; and
a local mobile station having a local roaming address code within the roaming system, wherein, when the subscriber travels from the home network to the roaming network, the communication system;
provides the subscriber with the local mobile station, updates the universal address to map to the local roaming address code, and allows the subscriber to receiving incoming calls from the universal address within the roaming system through the local mobile station without incurring roaming charges. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A communication system for providing real-time communication to a subscriber, the communication system comprising:
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a home network having a home PBX for receiving a call from a caller;
a roaming network having a roaming PBX;
means for operatively connecting the home PBX to the roaming PBX;
a universal address for the subscriber;
means for dynamically mapping the universal address to one or more addresses of the subscriber;
means for storing the universal address so that it can be accessed, in real-time, by the home PBX and the roaming PBX;
a local mobile station having a local roaming address code within the roaming system;
means for providing the subscriber with the local mobile station when he travels to the roaming network;
means for updating the universal address to map to the local roaming code; and
means for the subscriber to communicate with others in real-time through the local mobile station using the universal address within the roaming system without incurring roaming charges. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification