Method for locating a called subscriber

• US 6,219,551 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Peltola, Hannu, Varsila, Timo, Hentilä, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US08/981,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/219, 379/220, 379/170, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/458, 455/459, 455/425, 455/426, 455/445, 370/94.1, 179/18.B, 340/825.44, 340/825.47
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A service of an intelligent network consists of two alternative modes of operation. In a first node of operation, that is, parallel paging, the service does not know at which number the called subscriber can be reached. A paging message is thus transmitted substantially simultaneously to all the numbers determined for the subscriber regardless of which network the number is associated with. The call will be connected to the number at which the call is first answered. In the second mode of operation, that, precision paging, the service knows at which number of the plurality of numbers stored in the database the called subscriber can be reached. The paging message is thus transmitted and the call is thus connected to this number only. It is thus possible to reach a subscriber at a number of a PLMN, DECT or fixed network.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a speech connection between a calling subscriber and such a called subscriber for which a plurality of terminal numbers have been determined, wherein a call is routed to an intelligent network if a triggering criteria for the routing is fulfilled, characterized by:

routing the call further to a service program of the intelligent network, said service program having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation,

selecting by the intelligent network that mode of operation of said service program which is to be used for transmitting a paging message of the call, wherein

in case the first mode of operation is selected, a parallel paging message is transmitted to several terminal numbers substantially simultaneously and a speech connection is established between the terminal station of the calling subscriber and that terminal station of the called subscriber that first answers the call, or alternatively

in case the second mode of operation is selected, a precision paging message is transmitted to one predetermined number only and a speech connection is established to the terminal station associated with this number, once the terminal station has answered the call.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the service program finding out which terminal number has possibly been predefined by the called subscriber as the primary number.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that none of the numbers is a primary number, whereby the service program will shift to said first mode of operation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that in case one number is a primary number, the service program will define said number as predetermined number and shift to said second mode of operation.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the numbers is a number related to a PLMN network and that upon the subscriber performing a location updating to this network, this number automatically becomes the primary number.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the numbers is a number related to a PLMN network and at least one is a number related to the DECT system, and that one of these numbers is a primary number.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the terminal station in a multimode terminal station that is operable both in the GSM system and in the DECT system and that only one of the numbers may be a primary number.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by transmitting the paging message to each number determined for the subscriber.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the triggering criterion is a prefix contained in the called number.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the triggering criterion is the subscriber category of the called number.

11. A method for establishing a speech connection between a calling subscriber and such a called subscriber for which a plurality of terminal numbers have been determined in a network comprising a plurality of fixed and cordless exchanges or cordless subscriber lines and mobile networks, at least some of the networks being connected to one or more service switching points of intelligent networks IN, to which service switching points predetermined calls can be routed from the networks, the switching points having an access to utilize subscriber and network data stored in databases, the method comprising the following steps:

routing an incoming call to the intelligent network in accordance with a predetermined triggering criterion,

checking the location of the called subscriber in the networks,

routing the call further to a service program of the intelligent network, said service program having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation,

selecting by the intelligent network that mode of operation of said service program which is to be used for transmitting a paging message of the call, wherein

the selection is accomplished on basis of the information obtained in the checking and the call is routed to one or more numbers of the called subscriber meeting the predetermined criteria, and

in case the first mode of operation is selected, a parallel paging message is transmitted to several terminal numbers substantially simultaneously and a speech connection is established between the terminal station of the calling subscriber and that terminal station of the called subscriber that first answers the call, or alternatively

in case the second mode of operation is selected, a precision paging message is transmitted to one predetermined number only and a speech connection is established to the terminal station associated with this number, one the terminal station has answered the call.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterized by the steps of:

identifying an intelligent network call in a transfer unit, usually an exchange, of the PSTN network,

routing the call to a service switching point SSP of the intelligent network,

analyzing the number and transmitting thereafter a service request and the called number to a service control point SCP of the intelligent network,

receiving the number in the SCP and starting a check by making an inquiry to the database that contains the information on the location,

retrieving from the subscriber data the information on which destination numbers are associated with the number,

transmitting to the service program a list of destination numbers, the list containing all the numbers registered by the subscriber of the service,

choosing from said list the destination number/numbers in response to the service request made by the SSP,

transmitting a call initiating message to the chosen number/numbers, and the other standard call initializing messages to the number/numbers meeting the predetermined criteria,

establishing a corresponding signalling connection,

releasing, under control of the SCP, the remaining signalling connections once a speech connection has been established to one number that meets the predetermined criteria.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, characterized by carrying out location updating in the same way as in the mobile networks.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized by transmitting to the location database of the service program of the intelligent network from a mobile network and/or a cordless and/or a fixed network the information on whether the subscriber is registered to the network.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, characterized by communicating to the location database of the service program of the intelligent network the information on the area of which base station and/or exchange/PBX the called subscriber is located.