Global title translation in a telecommunications signalling network supporting local number portability
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating global title translation in a telecommunications signalling network supporting local number portability (LNP) for each subscriber number determined to be ported;
- said signalling network comprising signalling links for carrying control messages between signalling end points at least some of which correspond to bearer-circuit switches, signalling transfer points for routing the control messages, and LNP resource means for providing for each said subscriber number determined to be ported, a routing number related to an actual network location of said subscriber number determined to be ported;
said control messages including particular messages intended to be routed by said signalling transfer points in dependence on global title data held in each such particular message in the form of a subscriber number;
said method comprising the steps of;
(a) intercepting said control messages on at least one of said signalling links of the signalling network and selecting from the intercepted messages certain of said particular messages,(b) for each selected one of said particular messages, determining by reference to said LNP resource means whether the subscriber number forming the global title data of the particular message is a ported number,(c) where step (b) determines the subscriber number to be a ported number, modifying the global title data through use of said routing number corresponding to the ported number forming the global title data received with the particular message, and(d) forwarding on over the signalling network, after said modifying thereof said selected particular messages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is disclosed that avoids the need to enlarge the translation tables held by Signal Transfer Points (STPs), for the purpose of effecting global title routing of certain signalling messages to enable number portability. Signalling links are monitored to detect messages needing to be routed by global title; the global title of each such message is then checked to see if it relates to a ported number and if this is the case, the global title is modified to a number that will result in the appropriate routing of the message on the basis of the existing translation tables of the STPs.
86 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating global title translation in a telecommunications signalling network supporting local number portability (LNP) for each subscriber number determined to be ported;
- said signalling network comprising signalling links for carrying control messages between signalling end points at least some of which correspond to bearer-circuit switches, signalling transfer points for routing the control messages, and LNP resource means for providing for each said subscriber number determined to be ported, a routing number related to an actual network location of said subscriber number determined to be ported;
said control messages including particular messages intended to be routed by said signalling transfer points in dependence on global title data held in each such particular message in the form of a subscriber number;
said method comprising the steps of;(a) intercepting said control messages on at least one of said signalling links of the signalling network and selecting from the intercepted messages certain of said particular messages, (b) for each selected one of said particular messages, determining by reference to said LNP resource means whether the subscriber number forming the global title data of the particular message is a ported number, (c) where step (b) determines the subscriber number to be a ported number, modifying the global title data through use of said routing number corresponding to the ported number forming the global title data received with the particular message, and (d) forwarding on over the signalling network, after said modifying thereof said selected particular messages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- said signalling network comprising signalling links for carrying control messages between signalling end points at least some of which correspond to bearer-circuit switches, signalling transfer points for routing the control messages, and LNP resource means for providing for each said subscriber number determined to be ported, a routing number related to an actual network location of said subscriber number determined to be ported;
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9. Apparatus for facilitating global title translation in a telecommunications signalling network supporting local number portability (LNP) for each subscriber number determined to be ported;
- said signalling network comprising signalling links for carrying control messages between signalling end points at least some of which correspond to bearer-circuit switches, signalling transfer points for routing the control messages, and LNP resource means for providing for each said subscriber number determined to be ported, a routing number related to an actual network location of the ported subscriber number;
said control messages including particular messages intended to be routed by said signalling transfer points in dependence on global title data held in each such particular message in the form of a subscriber number;
said apparatus comprising;intercept means for intercepting said control messages on at least one of said signalling links of the signalling network, selection means for selecting from messages intercepted by said intercept means certain of said particular messages, determining means for determining, for each selected said particular message, whether a subscriber number forming the global title data of the particular message is a ported number, global title data modifying means responsive to said determining means determining that a subscriber number is a ported number, to modify the global title data through use of said routing number corresponding to the ported number forming the global title data as received with the particular message, and means for forwarding on over the signalling network the said selected particular messages, after modification thereof.
- said signalling network comprising signalling links for carrying control messages between signalling end points at least some of which correspond to bearer-circuit switches, signalling transfer points for routing the control messages, and LNP resource means for providing for each said subscriber number determined to be ported, a routing number related to an actual network location of the ported subscriber number;
Specification