SIGNALLING MESSAGES IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK NODE TO COMMUNICATE A CALLED ADDRESS STRING

• US 20110292929A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Haster, Lars-Olof
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks

Abstract

Communications network node (5) configured to receive a called address string of a call destination and to output the called address string. The node comprises a processor (10) and a memory (12). The memory arranged to store at least one address string, and the processor configured to compare the called address string with the at least one stored address string. If the received called address string corresponds to one of the at least one stored address string the processor configured to cause the called address string to be output as a single signalling message.

Claims

1. Communications network node configured to receive a called address string of a call destination and to output the called address string, the node comprising a processor and a memory, the memory arranged to store at least one address string, and the processor configured to compare the called address string with the at least one stored address string. and if the received called address string corresponds to one of the at least one stored address string the processor configured to cause the called address string to be output as a single signalling message, comprising the digits of the at least one stored address string as a single string of digits.

2. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 configured to output the called address string in multiple signalling messages if the called address string does not correspond to one of the at least one of the stored address strings, each signalling message comprising a subset of digits of the called address string.

3. Communications network node as claimed in claim 2 in which the signalling messages are signalling messages in accordance with DigitMap H.248 signalling or Session Initiation Protocol, SIP.

4. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 the memory arranged to store at least one previously called address string received by the node during a call establishment process

5. Communications network node as claimed in claim 4, the processor configured to store the called address string in the memory as a previously dialed address string if the processor determines that the called address string does not correspond to any of the stored address strings and the processor determines that a connection to a recipient communications device has been achieved using the address string.

6. Communications network node as claimed in claim 5, the processor configured to determine that a called address string should be stored in the memory on receipt of a signal indicative that a connection has been achieved to the recipient communications device.

7. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 the memory arranged to store caller-specific address strings.

8. Communications network node as claimed in claim 7, the processor arranged to associate in the memory a caller address string with address strings called by that caller.

9. Communications network node as claimed in claim 7 the memory arranged to store a predetermined maximum number of validated address strings for each caller.

10. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 the memory arranged to store at least one address string available for use by the processor in respect of called address strings received from any of a plurality of caller address strings.

11. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 arranged to at least in part enable call establishment between a caller communications device and a call recipient communications device.

12. Communications network node as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communications network node comprises a gateway equipment.

13. A method for use in establishing a call connection between communications devices, the method comprising receiving a called address string of a call destination, comparing the received called address string with at least one stored called address string, and if the received called address string corresponds to one of the least one stored address string then outputting the called address string as a single signalling message, comprising the digits of the at least one stored address string as a single string of digits.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 in which the received called address string comprises a plurality of digits and the method comprises receiving the digits one at a time.

15. Machine-readable instructions for a processor of a communications network node, the instructions configured, when loaded onto the processor. to cause the processor to compare a received called address string to at least one previously called address string, and if the received called address string corresponds to the at least one stored called address string then the processor causes the node to output the called address string as a single signalling message, comprising the digits of the at least one stored address string as a single string of digits.