METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTER-NETWORK MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY

• US 20080171544A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dong, Peng Yu, Xu, Xi, Li, Yubin
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A method for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user. The method includes receiving a first request for a location associated with the second user from a first switching system for a first network. The method processes information associated with the first request and determines a network identifier for a second network related to the location associated with the second user. The method sends to the first switching system a location message, which includes the network identifier for the second network. The method includes receiving a third request for routing information associated with the second user in the second network from a second switching system for the second network. The method determines a location directory in the second network for the second user and receives the roaming information for the second user from the location directory. The method then sends the roaming information to the second switching system.

Claims

1. A method for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user, the method comprising:

receiving a first request for a location associated with the second user, the first request being sent by a first switching system for a first network in response to a second request, the second request being made by the first user to establish a communication with the second user;

processing information associated with the first request;

determining a network identifier for a second network related to the location associated with the second user based on at least information associated with the first request;

sending a location message to the first switching system, the location message including the network identifier for the second network;

receiving a third request for routing information associated with the second user in the second network, the third request being sent from a second switching system for the second network;

determining a location directory in the second network for the second user, the location directory being capable of determining roaming information for the second user in the second network;

receiving the roaming information for the second user from the location directory; and

sending the roaming information to the second switching system, the second switching system being capable of establishing the communication with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying a database for the first network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the database is an STP-NPDB for the first network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying a common database for the first network and the second networks.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the database is a shared STP-NPDB for the first network and the second network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a CDMA network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a GSM network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes calling-type communication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes voice communication.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes non-calling type communication.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes short message communication.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a CDMA network and the first request for location is a Loc_req for voice communication, wherein the location message includes a routing number (RN) and a mobile directory number (MDN) and the location message is included in a Loc_req_ack message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second network is a GSM network and the third request for routing number is an SRI message, wherein the roaming information is included in an SRI_ACK message.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a CDMA network and the first request for location is a SMSREQ for short message communication, wherein the location message includes a SMSACCDEN parameter and the location message is included in an ERROR message.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the SMSACCDEN parameter is selected from a range of 224-255.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the second network is a GSM network and the third request for routing number is an sri_for_sm message, wherein the roaming information is included in an sri_for_sm ack message.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a CDMA network and the first request for location is a mobile originated (MO) message for short message communication, wherein the location message includes an RN parameter and an MDN parameter and the location message is included in a second MO message.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second network is a GSM network and the third request for routing number is an sri_for_sm message, wherein the roaming information is included in an sri_for_sm ack message.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a CDMA network and the first request for location is a mobile terminated (MT) message for short message communication, wherein the location message includes an MIN parameter, an RN parameter, and an MDN parameter and the location message is included in a second MT message.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second network is a GSM network and the third request for routing number is an sri_for_sm message, wherein the roaming information is included in an sri_for_sm message.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a GSM network and the first request for location is an SRI for voice communication, wherein the location message includes a routing number (RN) and a mobile directory number (MSISDN) and the location message is included in an Sri_ack message.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the second network is a CDMA network, wherein the third request for routing number is a Loc-req message, wherein the roaming information is included in a Loc_req_ack message.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a GSM network and the first request for location is an sri_for_sm for short message communication, wherein the location message includes an error code and the location message is included in an ERROR message.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the error code is Unavailablesubscriber.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the second network is a CDMA network, wherein the third request for routing number is an SMSREQ message, wherein the roaming information is included in an smsreq message.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a GSM network and the first request for location is an MO message for short message communication, wherein the location message includes RN and MDN information and the location message is included in a second MO message.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the second network is a CDMA network, wherein the third request for routing number is an SMSREQ message, wherein the roaming information is included in an smsreq message.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a GSM network and the first request for location is an MT message for short message communication, wherein the location message includes an IMSI parameter, an RN parameter, and an MSISDN parameter, and the location message is included in an MT message.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the second network is a CDMA network, wherein the third request for routing number is an SMSREQ message, wherein the roaming information is included in an smsreq message.

30. A method for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user, the method comprising:

receiving a first request for a location associated with the second user, the request being sent by a switching system for a first network in response to a second request, the second request being made for the first user to establish a communication with the second user;

processing information associated with the first request;

determining NP attribute information associated with the second user;

if the NP attribute information is determined to indicate that a home network for the second user is the first network and the second user is currently in a second network,

determining a network identifier for the second network related to the location associated with the second user based on at least information associated with the first request; and

sending a location message to the switching system, the location message including the network identifier for the second network;

if the NP attribute information is determined to indicate that the home network for the second user is the second network and the second user is currently in the first network,

determining a location directory in the first network for the second user, the location directory being capable of determining roaming information for the second user;

receiving the roaming information for the second user from the location directory; and

sending the roaming information to the switching system, the switching system being capable of establishing the communication with the second user.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising querying a database for the first network.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising querying a common database for the first and the second networks.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the first network is a CDMA network and the second network is a GSM network.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the first network is a GSM network and the second network is a CDMA network.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the communication includes calling-type communication.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the communication includes voice communication.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the communication includes non-calling type communication.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the communication includes short message communication.

39. A system for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user, the system comprising:

one or more components configured to;

receive a first request for a location associated with the second user, the first request being sent by a first switching system in a first network in response to a second request, the second request being made by the first user to establish a communication with the second user;

process information associated with the first request;

determine a network identifier for a second network related to the location associated with the second user based on at least information associated with the first request;

send a location message to the first switching system, the location message including the network identifier for the second network;

receive a third request for routing information associated with the second user in the second network, the third request being sent from a second switching system for the second network;

determine a location directory in the second network for the second user, the location directory being capable of determining roaming information for the second user in the second network;

receive the roaming information for the second user from the location directory; and

send the roaming information to the second switching system, the second switching system being capable of establishing the communication with the second user.

40. A system for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user, the system comprising:

one or more components configured to;

receive a first request for a location associated with the second user, the request being sent by a switching system for a first network in response to a second request, the second request being made for the first user to establish a communication with the second user;

process information associated with the first request;

determine NP attribute information associated with the second user;

determine if the NP attribute information indicates that a home network for the second user is the first network and the second user is currently in a second network;

determine a network identifier for the second network related to the location associated with the second user based on at least information associated with the first request;

send a location message to the switching system, the location message including the network identifier for the second network;

determine if the NP attribute information indicates that the home network for the second user is the second network and the second user is currently in the first network;

determine a location directory in the first network for the second user, the location directory being capable of determining roaming information for the second user;

receive the roaming information for the second user from the location directory; and

send the roaming information to the switching system, the switching system being capable of establishing the communication with the second user.