Method and system for wireless number portability

• US 20060293021A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Yi
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A method and system for providing improved wireless number portability. This invention allows the mobile switching center (MSC) to use a separate database to store the number portability information gathered earlier through sending NPreq messages to the number portability database (NPDB) and various strategies for refreshing or updating the internal database. The invention enables the MSC to use the separate database to check whether a portable number is ported and what the associated location routing number (LRN) if it is ported, so that the MSC does not need to send NPreq messages to the NPDB many times for the same ported number. This invention may apply to any number of switching systems, including CDMA, GSM and UMTS mobile switching systems.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications network, a call processing method comprising:

receiving a call to a directory number via a switching element;

checking whether number portability information for the directory number is stored in a first database in communication with the switching element;

routing the call based upon the number portability information for the directory number, when there is number portability information for the directory number stored in the first database; and

sending a number portability request message to a second database in communication with the switching element, when there is no number portability information for the directory number stored in the first database; and

receiving a number portability request return result from the second database;

inserting a number portablity record for the directory number in the first database; and

routing the call using the number portability request return result received from the second database.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of number portability records in the first database; and

emptying the stored number portability records from the first database at a predetermined time interval.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of number portability records in the first database;

attaching a time stamp to each record; and

removing at least one number portablity record from the first database through a periodical audit on the database based upon the age of the number portability record according to the timestamp.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

updating the number portability record for the directory number in the first database whenever the switching element misroutes a call based upon number portability information in the record.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the switching element comprises a mobile switching center (MSC) and the first database is internal to the MSC.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the second database comprises an external number portability database (NPDB).

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the number portability information for the directory number is stored in a table with a plurality of fields, and wherein the plurality of fields includes at least one of a directory number data field, a ported number data field, a location routing number data field, and a timestamp data field.

18. The system in claim 1, further comprising:

updating means for updating the number portability record for the directory number in the first database whenever the switching element misroutes a call based upon number portability information in the record.

8. In a wireless communications network, a call processing system comprising:

a switching element for processing wireless calls;

a first database in communication with the switching element for storing directory number information; and

means for facilitating communication between a caller and the switching element, wherein the switching element is programmed to;

receive a wireless call to a directory number;

check whether number portability information for the directory number is stored in the first database;

route the call based upon the number portability information for the directory number, when there is number portability information for the directory number stored in the first database; and

send a number portability request message to a second database, when there is no number portability information for the directory number stored in the first database; and

receive a number portability request return result from the second database;

insert a record for the directory number in the first database; and

route the call using the number portability request return result received from the second database.

9. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the switching element is further programmed to:

store a plurality of number portability records in the first database; and

empty the stored number portability records from the first database at a predetermined time interval.

10. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the switching element is further programmed to:

store a plurality of number portability records in the first database;

attach a time stamp to each record; and

remove at least one number portablity record from the first database through a periodical audit on the database based upon the age of the number portability record according to the timestamp.

11. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the switching element is further programmed to:

update the number portability record for the directory number in the first database whenever the switching element misroutes a call based upon number portability information in the record.

12. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the switching element comprises a mobile switching center (MSC) and the first database is internal to the MSC.

13. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the second database comprises an external number portability database (NPDB).

14. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the number portability information for the directory number is stored in a table with a plurality of fields, and wherein the plurality of fields includes at least one of a directory number data field, a ported number data field, a location routing number data field, and a timestamp data field.

15. In a wireless communications network, a call processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a call to a directory number;

checking means for checking whether number portability information for the directory number is stored in a first database in communication with the switching element;

routing means for routing the call based upon the number portability information for the directory number;

sending means for sending a number portability request message to a second database in communication with the switching element;

accepting means for accepting a number portability request return result from the second database;

inserting means for inserting a record for the directory number; and

routing means for routing the call using the number portability request return result from the second database.

16. The system defined in claim 15, further comprising:

storing means for storing a plurality of number portability records in the first database; and

emptying means for emptying the number portability records from the first database at a predetermined time interval.

17. The system defined in claim 15, further comprising:

storing means for storing a plurality of number portability records in the first database;

attaching means for attaching a time stamp to each record; and

removing means for removing at least one number portablity record from the first database through a periodical audit on the database based upon the age of the number portability record according to the timestamp.

19. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the switching element comprises a mobile switching center (MSC) and the first database is internal to the MSC.

20. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the second database comprises an external number portability database (NPDB).

21. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the number portability information for the directory number is stored in a table with a plurality of fields, and wherein the plurality of fields includes at least one of a directory number data field, a ported number data field, a location routing number data field, and a timestamp data field.