Validating a forward-to-number within a mobile telecommunications system

• US 5,966,653 A
• Filed: 06/24/1996
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Ranjit, Joensuu, Erkki, Mills, James L., Valentine, Eric, Boltz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US08/637,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/379, 379/45, 379/216, 379/212, 379/230, 379/211, 370/428, 455/465, 455/461, 455/403, 455/417, 455/422, 455/445, 455/414, 455/411, 455/435
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A request for call forwarding activation along with forward-to-number is received from a mobile station via one of the data channels such as a Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH). The activation request itself is transported by an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message. The serving mobile switching center (MSC) analyzes the forward-to-number and establishes a speech connection with the mobile station by calling back the mobile station. Next, the MSC originates an outgoing call towards the forward-to-number and, as a result, establishes a speech connection between the mobile station and the telephone terminal associated with the forward-to-number. By establishing a speech connection between the two parties, the mobile subscriber requesting the call forwarding activation can verbally verify the forward-to-number. As an alternative, TCAP messages can be communicated between the serving MSC and the local exchange serving the forward-to-number to request the local exchange to verify the validity of the forward-to-number.

Claims

1. A method for validating a directory number for a call forwarding feature within a telecommunications system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to activate said call forwarding feature from a mobile station;

receiving said directory number from said mobile station over a connection-less communications link; and

validating said directory number by communicating between a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with said mobile station and a local exchange serving said directory number;

wherein said step of validating comprises the step of said MSC automatically initiating said communicating following receipt of said directory number and said validating step validates said directory number prior to activation of the call forwarding feature by said telecommunications system;

wherein said step of validating further comprises the step of automatically transmitting an application layer connection-less signal encapsulating said directory number from said MSC to said local exchange to request said local exchange to verify the validity of said directory number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said directory number further comprises the step of receiving said directory number by a Direct Transfer Application Protocol (DTAP) based message transmitted by said mobile station over said connection-less communications link.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said directory number further comprises the step of receiving said directory number by an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message transmitted by said mobile station over said connection-less communications link.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said application layer connection-less signal comprises a Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of validating further includes the step of receiving a verification response from said local exchange.

6. A system for validating a directory number for a call forwarding feature within a telecommunications system, said system comprising:

means for receiving a request to activate said call forwarding feature from a mobile station;

means for receiving said directory number from said mobile station over a connection-less communications link; and

means for validating said directory number by communicating between a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with said mobile station and a local exchange serving said directory number, said communicating being automatically initiated by said MSC following receipt of said directory number from said mobile station and prior to the call forwarding feature being activated by said telecommunications system;

wherein said means of validating further comprises a means for automatically transmitting an application layer connection-less signal encapsulating said directory number from said MSC to said local exchange to request said local exchange to verify the validity of said directory number.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for receiving said directory number further comprises means for receiving said directory number by a Direct Transfer Application Protocol (DTAP) based message transmitted by said mobile station over said connection-less communications link.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for receiving said directory number further comprises means for receiving said directory number by an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message transmitted by said mobile station over said connection-less communications link.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said application layer connection-less data signal comprises a Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) message.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein:

said means for validating further includes a means for receiving an application layer connection-less data signal from said local exchange containing verification data for said directory number.

11. A system for validating a forward-to-number from a mobile station, said mobile station served by a mobile telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a connection-less communications link for transporting a forward-to-number from said mobile station to said mobile telecommunications network; and

a validation module for validating said forward-to-number by automatically communicating said forward-to-number with a local exchange serving a telephone terminal associated with said forward-to-number;

wherein said validation module comprises means for automatically establishing a speech connection between said mobile station and said telephone terminal to enable verbal verification.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said connection-less communications link comprises a Direct Transfer Application Protocol (DTAP) based message.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said connection-less communications link comprises an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for establishing said speech connection comprises:

means for automatically establishing a first speech connection from said mobile telecommunications network to said mobile station;

means for automatically establishing a second speech connection from said mobile telecommunications network to said telephone terminal; and

means for automatically connecting said first speech connection with said second speech connection.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said validation module comprises an external node connected to a Mobile Switching Center within said mobile telecommunications network.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said application layer connection-less signal comprises a Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) signal.

17. A method for validating a forward-to-number for a call forwarding feature, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a forward-to-number from said mobile station to a mobile telecommunications network serving said mobile station via a connection-less signal;

establishing a first speech connection from a mobile switching center within said mobile telecommunications network to said mobile station automatically following said transmitting step;

automatically establishing a second speech connection from said mobile switching center within said mobile telecommunications network to the telephone terminal associated with said forward-to-number; and

connecting said first speech connection with said second speech connection.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of activating said call forwarding feature after the connection of said first and second speech connection.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of transmitting said forward-to-number further comprises the step of transmitting said forward-to-number using an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of transmitting said forward-to-number further comprises the step of transmitting said forward-to-number using a Direct Transfer Application Protocol (DTAP) based message.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of establishing said first speech connection further comprises the step of initiating a call back toward said mobile station.

22. A method for validating a forward-to-number for a call forwarding feature, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a forward-to-number from a mobile station to a mobile telecommunications network serving said mobile station via a connection-less signal;

transmitting an application-layer connection-less signal encapsulating said forward-to-number requesting verification to a local exchange serving said forward-to-number; and

receiving a result of said verification from said local exchange.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of activating a call forwarding feature for said mobile station in response to said verification.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of transmitting said forward-to-number further comprises the step of transmitting said forward-to-number using an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of transmitting said forward-to-number further comprises the step of transmitting said forward-to-number using a Direct Transfer Application Protocol (DTAP) based message.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said application layer connection-less signal comprises a Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) signal.