Supplementary Services in Communication Networks

• US 20100088374A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Terrill, Stephen, Aström, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and application server for handling a supplementary services message in a communication network. A subscriber'"'"'s Home Location Register (HLR) sends an Interrogation marker to the subscriber'"'"'s Mobile-services Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) instructing the MSC/VLR to forward all supplementary services messages from the subscriber to the HLR. When the subscriber'"'"'s user terminal sends a supplementary services message to the MSC/VLR requesting a supplementary service, the MSC/VLR forwards the message to the subscriber'"'"'s HLR. The HLR retrieves an address of an IP Multimedia Application Server associated with the subscriber, and sends the supplementary services message to the addressed Application Server for handling the supplementary services request.

Claims

1. A method of sending a supplementary services message in a communications network, the method comprising:

sending an Interrogation marker from a Home Location Register node in a Circuit Switched network to a subscriber'"'"'s Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register, the Interrogation marker informing the Mobile-service Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register that all supplementary services messages received at the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register from a user terminal are to be sent to the Home Location Register;

receiving at the Home Location Register node, a supplementary services message sent from the subscriber'"'"'s Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register;

retrieving by the Home Location Register node, an address of an IP Multimedia Application Server associated with the subscriber, wherein the Application Server is used for handling supplementary service requests; and

sending the supplementary services message from the Home Location Register node to the addressed Application Server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Application Server is a Telephony Application Server.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the Telephony Application Server is selected from a group consisting of:

a Telephony Application Server for an IP Multimedia Subsystem network;

a Telephony Application Server-XML Document Management Server;

a Telephony Application Server for an Intelligent Network; and

a Telephony Application Server for an H.323 network.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the supplementary services message, sending an Insert Subscriber Data message from the Home Location Register node to the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register, the Insert Subscriber Data message containing a CAMEL Mobility Management Service Indication, which includes the address of the Application Server; and

sending a Mobility Management Notification message from the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register to the addressed Application Server.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, at the Application Server:

generating a further Insert Subscriber Data message, the further Insert Subscriber Data message containing an allocation determined by the Application Server of which supplementary services are to be handled in the Circuit Switched network; and

sending the further Insert Subscriber Data message from the Application Server to the Mobile-services Switching Centre via the Home Location Register node.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the Application Server dynamically allocates the types of supplementary services that are handled by the Application Server, and the types of supplementary services that are handled by the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising sending a query message from the Application Server to the user terminal via the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register, the query message requesting additional supplementary services data that can be transported over the Circuit Switched network using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data.

8. An Application Server for use in an IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the Application Server comprising:

a receiver for receiving a subscriber services message sent from a Home Location Register;

conversion means for converting the received message between protocols; and

a processor for processing the subscriber services message.

9. The Application Server according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the protocols is selected from a group consisting of:

Mobile Application Part; and

Sh protocol.

10. The Application Server according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for allocating subscriber services to be handled by the Application server, and subscriber services to be handled by a node in the Circuit Switched network;

means for generating an allocation message containing information specifying the allocation; and

a transmitter for sending the allocation message to a Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register.

11. The Application server according to claim 8, further comprising means for generating an Unstructured Supplementary Services Data message to query a user terminal that originated the subscriber services message for further information relating to the subscriber services message.

12. The Application Server according to claim 8, wherein the Application Server is a Telephony Application Server.

13. A Home Location Register for use in a Circuit Switched network, the Home Location Register node comprising:

means for generating and sending an Interrogation marker to a Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register, the Interrogation marker informing the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register to forward all supplementary service interrogation messages from a subscriber to the Home Location Register;

a receiver for receiving a supplementary services message sent from the subscriber'"'"'s Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register;

means for retrieving an address of an IP Multimedia Application Server associated with the subscriber, wherein the Application Server is used for handling supplementary service requests; and

a transmitter for transmitting the supplementary services message to the addressed Application Server.

14. The Home Location Register according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving an Insert Subscriber Data message from the Application Server, the Insert Subscriber Data message containing information relating to an allocation of responsibility for handling a supplementary services request; and

means for sending the Insert Subscriber Data message to the Mobile-services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register.

15. A Mobile Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register for use in a Circuit Switched network, the Mobile Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register comprising:

means for receiving an Interrogation marker from a Home Location Register;

means for receiving a supplementary services Interrogation from a user terminal;

means for ascertaining the presence of an Interrogation marker in the Mobile Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register;

means for forwarding the supplementary services Interrogation to the Home Location Register if the Interrogation marker is present; and

means for processing the supplementary services Interrogation If the Interrogation marker is not present.