Management of calls to a roaming subscriber

• US 20040053618A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pitkanen, Risto A., Malk, Kirsi, Rissanen, Jenni, Partanen, Veijo, Tuunanen, Timo I., Palkola, Jani, Leppanen, Eva-Maria
• Application Number:
  US10/450,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20040053618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/68 Billing calls completely to the calling party, except POTS, e.g. charge on caller's choice service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems email H04Q2213/13375
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for establishing a connection between two communication terminals, comprising the steps of receiving a request for establishing a connection from a first communication terminal (TA) to a second communication terminal (TB), checking whether the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in a second network (N2), and in case the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming, informing the first communication terminal (A) that the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network and allowing the user of the first communication terminal (TA) to select between different options how the call is to be handled, and controlling the establishment of a connection between the two communication terminals according to the selection of the user of the first communication terminal (TA). The invention also proposes a method in which the called, i.e., the second communication terminal has the possibility to select different options to handle a call.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection between two communication terminals, comprising the steps of

receiving a request for establishing a connection from a first communication terminal (TA) to a second communication terminal (TB),

checking whether the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in a second network (N2),

in case the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming,

informing the first communication terminal (TA) that the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network and allowing the user of the first communication terminal (TA) to select between different options how the call is to be handled, and controlling the establishment of a connection between the two communication terminals according to the selection of the user of the first communication terminal (TA).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the call handling options comprises indicating of paying the cost of international roaming.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking step is performed by a Service Control Point (SCP).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the informing and selecting steps are performed using Wireless Telephony Application (WTA) functionality.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the informing and selecting steps are controlled by a Wireless Telephony Application (WTA) server.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the informing and selecting steps are performed using Simple Retransmission Protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an option to be selected is accepting or not accepting a call.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein an option to be selected is sending a message to the second communication terminal (TB) instead of establishing the call.

2. A method for establishing a connection between two communication terminals, comprising the steps of

receiving a request for establishing a connection from a first communication terminal (TA) to a second communication terminal (TB),

checking whether the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network (N2),

in case the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming,

informing the second communication terminal (TB) that a first communication terminal (TA) wishes to establish a connection and allowing the user (B) of the second communication terminal (TB) to select between different options how the call is to be handled, and

controlling the establishment of a connection between the two communication terminals according to the selection of the user (B) of the second communication terminal (TB).

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein an option to be selected is sending a message to the calling communication terminal (TA) instead of accepting the call.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the message comprises at least one of the following:

a SMS message, an instant message, a multimedia message, a unified message, an email and a voice message.

12. A network system comprising

a first network (N1), a second network (N2), a first communication terminal (TA) capable of being connected to the first network (N1) and a second communication terminal (TB) capable of being connected to the first or the second network (N1, N2),

wherein the first network (N1) is adapted to receive a request for establishing a connection from the first communication terminal (TA) to the second communication terminal (TB), and to check whether the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network (N2), and

wherein the first network (N1) is adapted to inform the first communication terminal (TA), in case the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming, that the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network (N2) and to allow the user (A) of the first communication terminal (TA) to select between different options how the call is to be handled, and to control the establishment of a connection between the two communication terminals according to the selection of the user (A) of the first communication terminal (TA).

14. The network system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the call handling options comprises indicating of paying the cost of international roaming.

15. The network system according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a Service Control Point (SCP) which is adapted to perform the check whether the second communication terminal is roaming.

16. The network system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein in the informing and selecting functions are performed using Wireless Telephony Application (WTA) functionality.

17. The network system according to claim 16, further comprising a Wireless Telephony Application (WTA) server which is adapted to control informing and selecting functions.

18. The network system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the informing and selecting functions are performed using Simple Retransmission Protocol.

19. The network system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein an option to be selected is accepting or not accepting a call.

20. The network system according to claim 12, wherein an option to be selected is sending a message to the second communication terminal (TB) instead of establishing the call.

24. The network system according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the message comprises at least one of the following:

a SMS message, an instant message, a multimedia message, a unified message, an email and a voice message.

13. A network system comprising

a first network (N1), a second network (N2), a first communication terminal (TA) capable of being connected to the first network (N1) and a second communication terminal (TB) capable of being connected to the first or the second network (N1, N2),

wherein the first network (N1) is adapted to receive a request for establishing a connection from the first communication terminal (TA) to the second communication terminal (TB), and to check whether the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming in the second network (N2), and

wherein the first network (N1) is adapted to allow the user (B) of the second communication terminal (TB), in case the second communication terminal (TB) is roaming, to select between different options how the call is to be handled, and to control the establishment of a connection between the two communication terminals according to the selection of the user (B) of the second communication terminal (TB).

21. The network system according to claim 13, wherein an option to be selected is sending a message to the calling communication terminal (TA) instead of accepting the call.

25. A communication terminal comprising

a selection means which is adapted to receive a message indicating a plurality of options to handle a call when the communication terminal (TA) is calling a communication terminal (TB) and one of the communication terminals (TA, TB) is roaming, wherein

the selection means has an input means by which a user (A) of the communication terminal (TA) can select one of the options, and

the selection means is adapted to send the selected option to the network (N1) to which the communication terminal (TA) is connected.

26. The communication terminal according to claim 25, wherein the call handling options comprises indicating of paying the cost of international roaming.