SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY

• US 20110019811A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoefelmeyer, Ralph S., Leung, Harry C., MAY, Anna Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,908,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator

Abstract

A system for and method of providing local number portability is presented. A request may be received to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent. The request may comprise a destination user agent identifier. It may be determined whether the destination user agent identifier was ported from one service provider to another. If so, routing information may be provided for establishing the session through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider. The session may be established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent, the request comprising a destination user agent identifier;

using one or more processors, determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from a first service provider to a second service provider; and

providing routing information for establishing the session from the origination user agent to the destination user agent through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider, wherein the session is established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the request, receiving an indication that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider is based on the indication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication is received from the second service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

prior to receiving the request, verifying with the first service provider that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication results from querying the first service provider for a previous session and receiving the indication from the first service provider.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication is stored in a cache for a fixed period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider comprises querying the first service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the session is established as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session using a Network Server/Redirect Server (NS/RS).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the session based on the routing information.

10. A computer readable medium comprising code to perform the steps of the methods of claim 1.

11. A computer-based system, comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a request to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent, the request comprising a destination user agent identifier;

a determination module configured to determine that the destination user agent identifier was ported from a first service provider to a second service provider; and

a routing module configured to provide routing information for establishing the session from the origination user agent to the destination user agent through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider, wherein the session is established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication module if further configured to, prior to receiving the request, receive an indication that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider is based on the indication.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication is received from the second service provider.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication module is further configured to, prior to receiving the request, verify with the first service provider that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication results from the communication module querying the first service provider for a previous session and receiving the indication from the first service provider.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication is stored in a cache for a fixed period of time.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider comprises querying the first service provider.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the session is established as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session using a Network Server/Redirect Server (NS/RS).

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the routing module is further configured to establish the session based on the routing information.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the communication module, determination module, and routing module is configured as a Domain Name System (DNS) server.