Worldwide wireless subscriber access service

• US 6,192,241 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1997
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Telecommunications Services Incorporated, Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Crollick, Jeffrey L., Yu, I-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US08/926,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/445, 455/435, 455/459, 455/433, 455/16, 455/426, 379/59, 379/60, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/88.16, 379/157
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Wireless telephone communications are processed by first contacting a worldwide wireless access facility which interfaces between the caller and the phone systems to determine a present location of a subscriber. The facility queries the home system requesting a roaming status and number of the subscriber. If the subscriber is roaming, the home network identifies a present serving network for the indicated subscriber from a list maintained of each subscriber'"'"'s roaming location. The home network queries the present serving system and obtains a temporary local directory number for the subscriber. The home network returns a number to the worldwide wireless facility for reaching the subscriber. The facility uses this number to direct the telephone call to the called party.

Claims

1. A system for processing calls from callers to called parties, comprising:

means for receiving a call from a caller via a local switch;

means for collecting data identifying a called party from the caller;

means for determining a home network of the called party based on the collected data;

means for querying the home network to retrieve routing instructions for the called party; and

means for instructing the local switch to send the call to the called party using the routing instructions from the home network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for collecting includes:

means for playing an announcement to the caller.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the home network includes:

means for maintaining a list identifying subscribers and associated networks;

means for comparing the identified called party to the list of subscribers to determine a current serving network for the called party;

means for querying the current serving network to obtain a temporary routing number for the called party; and

means for sending the temporary number as the routing instructions to the means for querying the home network.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the home network includes:

means for determining whether the called party is roaming;

means for querying a current serving network for the called party when the called party is roaming;

means for obtaining a temporary number for the called party from the current serving network; and

means for returning the temporary number as the routing instructions to the means for querying the home network.

5. The system according to claim 1 further including:

means for determining whether the called party is roaming;

means for receiving, from the home network, a temporary number when the called party is roaming and a base number when the called party is not roaming; and

means for routing the call to the received number.

6. The system according to claim 5 further including:

means for paging the called party at a current serving network using the temporary number when the called party is roaming;

means for receiving a page response from the current serving network;

means for instructing the current serving network to alert the called party of the call when a paging response is received; and

means for connecting the call when the called party answers the call.

7. A method for processing calls from a caller to a called party comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

receiving a call from the caller via a local switch;

collecting data identifying the called party from the caller;

determining a home network of the called party based on the collected data;

querying the home network to retrieve routing instructions for the called party; and

instructing the local switch to send the call to the called party using the routing instructions from the home network.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the collecting step includes the substep of:

playing an announcement to the caller.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of querying the home network includes the substeps of:

maintaining a list identifying subscribers and associated networks;

comparing the identified called party to the list of subscribers to determine a current serving network for the called party;

querying the current serving network to obtain a temporary routing number for the called party

using the temporary routing number as the routing instructions to route the call to the called party.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of querying the home network includes the substeps of:

determining whether the called party is roaming;

querying a current serving network for the called party when the called party is roaming;

obtaining a temporary number for the called party from the current serving network; and

using the temporary number as the routing instructions to route the call to the called party.

11. The method according to claim 7 further including the steps of:

determining whether the called party is roaming;

receiving a temporary number when the called party is roaming and a base number when the called party is not roaming; and

routing the call to the received number.

12. The method according to claim 11 further including the steps of:

paging the called party at a current serving network using the temporary number when the called party is roaming;

receiving a page response from the current serving network;

instructing the current serving network to alert the called party of the call when a paging response is received; and

connecting the call when the called party answers the call.

13. The method according to claim 7 further including the step of:

routing the call through a public telephone network to the called party using routing instructions.

14. A call routing facility that processes calls intended for possibly roaming called parties, comprising:

an interactive unit that receives a call from a caller and that interacts with the caller to collect information regarding a called party; and

a controller that determines a home network for the called party based on the collected information, that queries the home network for routing information for the called party, and that instructs a local switch to route the call to the called party using the routing information.