Means and method for providing local telephone number portability

• US 5,717,749 A
• Filed: 11/04/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sneed, Elbert Lee Jr., Stanley, Dorothy V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/742,175
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/115, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/213, 379/219, 379/220
• US Class Current: 379/221.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

The invention provides the capability for creating local number portability, enabling a telephone service subscriber to retain a phone number when the local switch servicing the subscriber changes. A database acts as a centralized source of call connection information. Two tiers of databases are used; local databases dedicated to local switches are first queried for call connection information matching the dialed number, and a centralized database serving all switches is subsequently queried if local database response is not sufficient for call placement. Each dialed number is correlated to a call connection a information set containing augmenting information to provide the equivalent of the actual service number for the subscriber for call placement. Call connection information sets are dynamically maintained and updated between the centralized database and the local databases.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system, a two tier database system recognizes a virtual service number for an intended call recipient and provides a corresponding call connection information set for the intended call recipient to the telecommunications system to connect a first telephone at which the virtual service number is dialed by a caller to a port identified by the corresponding call connection information set as a destination location of the intended call recipient, the two tier database system comprising:

a plurality of switches;

a centralized database storing a plurality of call connection information sets existing in the telecommunications system and serving the plurality of switches, the centralized database including;

means to count queries by a particular one of the plurality of switches for the corresponding call connection information set, the count representing the frequency of queries for the corresponding call connection information set, means to record the date and time of each query by the particular switch for the corresponding call connection information set, the date and time representing the recency of queries for the corresponding call connection information set;

a plurality of dedicated database means, each dedicated database means storing a limited number of call connection information sets, and a particular one of the plurality of dedicated database means serving a particular switch of the plurality of switches, wherein the particular switch first queries the particular dedicated database means for the corresponding call connection information set for the dialed virtual service number and the particular switch queries the centralized database for the corresponding call connection information set if the corresponding call connection information set is not present in the particular dedicated database means, whereupon the centralized database provides the corresponding call connection information set to the particular dedicated database means, the particular dedicated database means comprising;

means for dynamically maintaining in storage in the particular dedicated database means a group of call connection information sets most likely to be used by the particular switch by hierarchically ranking call connection information sets in the particular dedicated database means, as well as each call connection information set provided by the centralized database, each time a call connection information set is provided by the centralized database, the ranking based upon both the frequency of queries and the recency of queries for each call connection information set by the particular switch and the dynamically maintaining means deleting from the particular dedicated database means a call connection information set which is either ranking below a desired threshold of recency of queries and frequency of queries or, in the alternative, which is preempted by other call connection information sets having a greater hierarchical ranking.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1 in which the particular dedicated database means includes

means to record for each call connection information set the group of call connection information sets stored in the particular dedicated database means, information pertaining to the date and time the particular switch queries the particular dedicated database means for the stored call connection information set;

and

means to count and record the queries by the particular switch of the particular dedicated database means for the stored call connection information set, whereby, for the stored call connection information set, the recency of queries is determined from the information pertaining to the date and time of the queries by the particular switch and the frequency of queries is determined from the count of the queries by the particular switch, to provide for the hierarchical ranking of the stored call connection information set.

3. A method of providing in a telecommunications system the routing of calls by using a virtual service number correlated to an actual service number for a subscriber, comprising:

creating for the subscriber a call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number for the subscriber, the call connection information set including augmenting call connection information equivalent to the actual service number for the subscriber;

storing, in a centralized database the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number as one of all call connection information sets in the telecommunications system stored in the centralized database;

storing a limited number of the call connection information sets in the telecommunication system in a second database;

dialing the virtual service number;

querying the second database for the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number;

keeping count of the number of queries for the call connection set correlated to the virtual service number, the count representing the frequency of use for the call connection set correlated to the virtual service number;

recording the date and time of each query for the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number, the date and time representing the recency of use for the call connection set correlated to the virtual service number;

if the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number is not stored in the second database, providing the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number from the centralized database to the second database;

when the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number is provided by the centralized database to the second database, hierarchically ranking the limited number of call connection information sets in the second database, the ranking based upon the frequency of use for each particular call connection information set of the limited number of call connection information sets in the second database represented by the number of queries for each particular call connection information set of the limited number of call connection information sets in the second database, and also based upon the recency of use for each particular call connection information set in the second database represented by the date and time of the queries for each particular call connection information set of the limited number of call connection information sets in the second database; and

deleting from the second database each particular call connection information set ranking lower than a determined threshold criteria based upon the recency of use and the frequency of use for each particular call connection information set or ranking lower than the limited number of the call connection information sets to be stored in the second database;

utilizing the call connection information set correlated to the virtual service number to augment the dialed virtual service number to reach the subscriber.

4. In a telecommunications system having a centralized database and a plurality of switches, each switch of such plurality of switches served by a respective dedicated database, and in which calls are placed by dialing an actual service number for an intended subscriber in the form NPA-NXX-XXXX in which NPA stands for a 3-digit area code of an intended receiving subscriber, NXX stands for a 3-digit identification for the switch serving the intended receiving subscriber, and XXXX stands for a 4-digit personal identification number of the intended receiving subscriber, a method of employing numbers other than the area code NPA number, the serving switch NXX number and the personal identification XXXX number in dialing and successfully connecting with the intended receiving subscriber, comprising the steps of:

assigning to the actual service number a virtual service number to be dialed in lieu of the actual service number in placing a call to the intended receiving subscriber;

assigning to the virtual service number augmenting call connection information and other call connection information pertaining to the intended receiving subscriber, to properly connect the call to the intended receiving subscriber;

correlating the virtual service number to the augmenting call connection information and other call connection information to define a correlated call connection information set for the intended receiving subscriber;

storing the correlated call connection information set in the centralized database,;

dialing the virtual service number;

having the particular switch first receiving the dialed virtual service number query the dedicated database for the particular switch for the correlated call connection information set for the dialed virtual service number;

providing the correlated call connection information set from the centralized database to the dedicated database for the particular switch if the dedicated database for the particular switch does not contain the correlated call connection information set at the time of the query from the particular switch;

the particular switch receiving the correlated call connection information set properly connecting the call to the intended receiving subscriber;

counting and storing the number of queries by the particular switch for the correlated call connection information set, the number of queries representing the frequency of query for the correlated call connection information set;

recording the date and time the particular switch queries the dedicated database for the particular switch for the correlated call connection information set, the date and time representing the recency of query for the correlated call connection information set;

dynamically ranking the correlated call connection information set against at least one other call connection information set stored in the dedicated database for the particular switch according to a desired hierarchical method which takes into consideration the recency of query and the frequency of query by the particular switch for the correlated call connection information set;

storing the correlated call connection information set in the dedicated database for the particular switch if the ranking of the correlated call connection information set is higher than the ranking of the at least one other call connection information set stored in the dedicated database for the particular switch.