Telecommunications system and method enabling use of a general personal number in fixed and mobile networks and cordless access systems

• US 5,909,650 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telia AB (Government of Norway)
• Inventors: Jonsson, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/630,459
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/445, 455/436, 455/432, 455/433, 455/552
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A device and a procedure for a telecommunications system that makes possible the introduction of a general personal telephone number which functions in both fixed and mobile networks as well as in cordless access systems connected to these networks. A condition for this personal number is a central network node located at, or in connection to, these telecommunications networks (7), preferably PSTN, ISDN, GSM, NMT, without influencing network functions, numbering schemes, terminals in these networks. For a call to a subscriber located in any telecommunications network, the call, independent of from which telecommunications network the call emanates, is connected to this central network node which converts the received personal number to the specific number corresponding to the telecommunications network at which the subscriber has registered himself/herself, whereafter said network node executes connection of the call to the current access point which corresponds to the specific number.

Claims

1. A calling method comprising the steps of:

initiating a call from at least one of a first telecommunications network and a cordless access system to a subscriber located in at least one of a second telecommunications network and a second cordless access system, including DECT;

registering the subscriber in the second telecommunications network with a specific number that corresponds to a current access point in the at least one of a second telecommunications network and a second cordless access system; and

connecting the call to the subscriber through a central network node, including the steps of,

transmitting within the call a general personal number corresponding to the subscriber,

connecting the call having the general personal number contained therein at the central network node, regardless of which type of telecommunication network the call emanates from or form of the call,

converting in the central network node the received general personal number to the corresponding specific number that corresponds with the current access point, and

executing a connection to the current access point, so that the connection is made independent of the at least one of the first telecommunications network and the cordless access system from which the call is initiated and independent of the at least one of the second telecommunications network and the cordless access system in which the subscriber is located, wherein said connecting step includes connecting the central network node to at least one of the first telecommunication network and the second telecommunications network without influencing a function of either respective network, a numbering scheme of either respective network, or a terminal in either respective network, said executing step includes realizing a direct communication between the central network node and at least one of a HLR of a GSM system and a HMTX of a NMT system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said connecting step includes connecting the central network node to at least one of the first telecommunications network and the second telecommunications network without influencing a function of either respective network, a numbering scheme of either respective network, or a terminal in either respective network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

using at the central network node an automatic registration function of at least one of a mobile telephone network and a cordless telephone system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the central network node relates the personal number to a corresponding terminal identity in at least one of a NMT system and a GSM system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

relating the personal number within the central network node to a current access point in the second cordless access system; and

registering automatically a cordless telephone in the second cordless access system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said registration step is a manual registration step and said central network node relates the personal number to a current fixed access point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said registering step includes using a telephone jack for the current fixed access point.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

managing a number conversion from a dialed number of an incoming call to at least one of a related mobile terminal identity, a related cordless access point, and a related fixed access point.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

identifying in the central network node a user who placed an outgoing call to a corresponding terminal identity, thereby facilitating debit collection.

10. The procedure according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

introducing a mobility management function into an AXE local station of the central network node so to enhance mobile management efficiency.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said connecting step includes:

locating the central network node in at least one of the first telecommunications network and the second telecommunications network without influencing a function of either respective network, a numbering scheme of either respective network, or a terminal in either respective network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said the initiating step includes using as the first telecommunications network being at least one of a PSTN, an ISDN, a GSM, and a NMT system.

13. A system using at least one of an existing telecommunications network and a cordless access system connected to said existing telecommunication network, comprising:

means for initiating a call from a calling subscriber to the existing telecommunications network in which the calling subscriber is located, said means for initiating a call includes transmitting within the call a personal number corresponding to a called subscriber, said called subscriber being registered in a second telecommunications network; and

a central networking node connected to the existing telecommunications network without influencing a function of the network, a numbering scheme of the network, and a terminal of the network, comprising,

means for connecting the call with the central networking node, regardless of which type of telecommunication network the call emanates from or form of the call,

means for receiving the personal number at the central network node,

means for converting the personal number to a specific number corresponding to a current access point of the second telecommunications network, and

means for executing a connection of the call to the current access point, said means for executing includes means for realizing a direct communication between the central network node and at least one of a HLR of a GSM system and a HMTX of a NMT system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said central network node is located at said existing telecommunications network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second telecommunications network is the same as the existing telecommunications network.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said central network node includes means for defining the personal number as a user specific service profile that includes at least one of a current routing address, a personal mail box address, a debiting parameter, and an invoice address.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the central network node includes means for relating the personal number to a current access point of a cordless telephone access system for automatic registration of a cordless telephone in the cordless telephone access system.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the central network node includes means for relating the personal number to a current fixed access point for manual registration.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the current fixed access point is a telephone jack.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said central network node is an Intelligent Network node.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the central network node includes a first IN-node level for management of local respective central service controls and a second IN-node level for data management for a mobile user.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the mobile user is a cordless access system user.