Call handling in a communication network

• US 20030138092A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vainiomaki, Hannu, Maekiniemi, Petri
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0037 involving call modelling techniques, e.g. modifications to the basic call state model [BCSM]

Abstract

The invocation of an intelligent network service in a call handler for calls being routed to mobile stations in a mobile communication network is done in such a way that if a call being handled is a call to be routed to a mobile station, and if it is determined that at least one intelligent network identifier is activated in said stored information, a further determination may be executed, where said further determination comprises comparing a stored comparison value of a mobile station condition parameter associated with a corresponding condition of the mobile station to which said call being handled is to be routed, with a current value of said mobile station condition parameter of said mobile station, and where said decision regarding the invocation of an intelligent network service depends on the outcome of said comparison.

Claims

1. A call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) that is connectable to a mobile communication network (3) through which calls are routed to and from mobile stations, where said calls contain call destination information,

said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) being arranged to receive calls that are to be routed and being operable to determine routing information for said received calls by interrogating information stored in said call handler (GSMC, HLR;

1) that relates to call destination information contained in a call being routed, to apply said routing information to a corresponding call and to pass said calls into said mobile communication network together with said routing information, and

said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) being arranged to store a current value of at least one mobile station condition parameter,

said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) furthermore being connectable to an intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

2) and being operable to perform a decision routine that makes a decision if an intelligent network service is to be invoked, said decision routine being executable to check (S1) if one or more intelligent network identifiers are activated in the stored information that relates to a call destination, and if it is decided that an intelligent network service is to be invoked for a call, said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) being operable to send at least signaling information associated with said one or more intelligent network identifiers to said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

3),

characterized in that

said decision routine is furthermore executable such that

if a call being handled is a call to be routed to a mobile station, and

if it is determined that at least one intelligent network identifier is activated in said stored information,

a further determination (S3, S4) is executable, where said further determination comprises comparing (S3) a stored comparison value of a mobile station condition parameter associated with a corresponding condition of the mobile station to which said call being handled is to be routed, with a current value of said mobile station condition parameter of said mobile station, and where said decision regarding the invocation of an intelligent network service depends (S4) on the outcome of said comparison.

2. The call handler of claim 1, characterized in that said condition is an operating condition or a circumstantial condition.

3. The call handler of claim 2, characterized in that said operating condition is the status of said mobile station.

4. The call handler of claim 3, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the status is an on/off indicator and/or a busy indicator and/or an operating mode indicator.

5. The call handler of claim 2, characterized in that said circumstantial condition is the location of said mobile station.

6. The call handler of claim 5, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the location is a country indicator and/or a network indicator and/or a cell indicator.

7. The call handler of claim 2, characterized in that said circumstantial condition is a time associated with said mobile station.

8. The call handler of claim 7, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the time is a date indicator and/or a clock indicator.

9. The call handler of one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said further determination is executed under the condition (S2) that a validity indicator associated with said activated intelligent network identifier is set.

10. The call handler of one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said call handler (1) has a first part (10;

GMSC) connected to said mobile communication network, and a second part (11;

HLR) in which said routing information is stored and in which said decision routine is performed.

11. The call handler of claim 10, characterized in that said mobile communication network (3) is a GSM network or a UMTS network, and said first part (10) is a gateway mobile switching center and said second part (11) is a home location register.

12. The call handler of one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said intelligent network service is provided in accordance with Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL).

13. A call handling system, comprising a call handler (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, and an intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

3), where said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

3) comprises a first part (20;

gsmSSF) that is connected to said call handler (1) and receives said at least signaling information when it is decided that an intelligent network service is to be invoked for a call, and a second part (21;

gsmSCF) that is interrogated by said first part (20;

gsmSSF) in response to having received said at least signaling information, where said second part (21;

gsmSCF) provides said first part (20;

gsmSSF) with control information in response to being interrogated.

14. The call handling system of claim 13, characterized in that said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) and said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

2) belong to said mobile communication network.

15. The call handling system of claim 13 or 14, characterized in that said mobile communication network operates in accordance with GSM or UMTS, and said first part (gsmSSF) of said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF) is a GSM service switching function, and said second part (gsmSCF) of said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF) is a GSM service control function.

16. Method of controlling the invocation of an intelligent network service in a call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) that is connectable to a mobile communication network (3) through which calls are routed to and from mobile stations, where said calls contain call destination information, said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) being arranged to receive calls that are to be routed and being operable to determine routing information for said received calls by interrogating information stored in said call handler (GSMC, HLR;

1) that relates to call destination information contained in a call being routed, to apply said routing information to a corresponding call and to pass said calls into said mobile communication network together with said routing information, said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) being arranged to store a current value of at least one mobile station condition parameter, said call handler (GMSC, HLR;

1) furthermore being connectable to an intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

3), said control method comprising a decision routine that makes a decision if an intelligent network service is to be invoked, comprising;

checking (S1) if one or more intelligent network identifiers are activated in the stored information that relates to a call destination,

deciding it an intelligent network service is to be invoked on the basis of the result of said checking step (S1), and if it is decided that an intelligent network service is to be invoked for a call, sending at least signaling information associated with said one or more intelligent network identifiers to said intelligent network service handler (gsmSSF, gsmSCF;

2),

characterized in that

if a call being handled is a call to be routed to a mobile station, and

if it is determined that at least one intelligent network identifier is activated in said stored information,

said decision routine (S3, S4) is executable to perform a further determination, where said further determination comprises comparing (S3) a stored comparison value of a mobile station condition parameter associated with a corresponding condition of the mobile station to which said call being handled is to be routed, with a current value of said mobile station condition parameter of said mobile station, and where said decision regarding the invocation of an intelligent network service depends on the outcome (S4) of said comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, characterized in that said condition is an operating condition or a circumstantial condition.

18. The method of claim 17, characterized in that said operating condition is the status of said mobile station.

19. The method of claim 18, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the status is an on/off indicator and/or a busy indicator and/or an operating mode indicator.

20. The method of claim 17, characterized in that said circumstantial condition is the location of said mobile station.

21. The method of claim 20, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the location is a country indicator and/or a network indicator and/or a cell indicator.

22. The method of claim 17, characterized in that said circumstantial condition is a time associated with said mobile station.

23. The method of claim 22, characterized in that the mobile station condition parameter associated with the time is a date indicator and/or a clock indicator.

24. The method of one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that said further determination is executed under the condition that a validity indicator associated with said activated intelligent network identifier is set.

25. The method of one of claims 16 to 24, characterized in that said call handler has a first part (10;

GMSC) connected to said mobile communication network, and a second part (11;

HLR) in which said routing information is stored and in which said decision routine is performed.

26. The method of claim 25, characterized in that said mobile communication network is a GSM network or a UMTS network, and said first part is a gateway mobile switching center and said second part is a home location register.

27. The method of one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that said intelligent network service is provided in accordance with Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL).

28. A computer program product, stored on a computer readable medium, which is arranged to perform the method of one claims 16 to 27 when read into the memory of a computer.