Extended number portability database services

• US 6,266,405 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sultana, Shabnam, Madour, Lila
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/221,165
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 379/211, 379/219, 379/220, 379/230, 379/900, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A system and method for providing portability of internet addressing maintains additional IP addressing information in number portability databases located throughout provider domains in a telecommunications network. This additional IP addressing information, in conjunction with additional Number Portability Request messaging information, permits portability of addresses across telecommunication and data communication networks in a transparent fashion.

Claims

1. A method of routing calls through a communications network comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a call from a first subscriber in a call-originating domain to a second subscriber in a data communications domain;

b) transmitting a first message from a first node in said call-originating domain to a database in said call-originating domain;

c) locating a current data communication network node parameter in said database, wherein said network node parameter is associated with said second subscriber;

d) transmitting a second message that includes said located data communication network node parameter from said database to said first node;

e) routing said call from said first node to a data communications address indicated by said located data communication network node parameter; and

f) updating said database when said second subscriber changes membership from a first communication network provider to a data communication network provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) further comprises the sub-step of:

i) converting said located data communication network node parameter to a data communications address using a naming address database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node parameter is an IP address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the data communications address is an IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first message includes a first parameter that indicates whether said first node supports data communication network addressing.

6. A system for routing calls through a communications network comprising:

means for initiating a call from a first subscriber in a call-originating domain to a second subscriber in a data communications domain;

means for transmitting a first message from a first node in said calloriginating domain to a database in said call-originating domain;

means for locating a current data communication network node parameter in said database, wherein said network node parameter is associated with said second subscriber;

means for transmitting a second message that includes said located data communication network node parameter from said database to said first node;

means for routing said call from said first node to a data communications address indicated by said located data communication network node parameter; and

means for updating said database when said second subscriber changes membership from a first communication network provider to a data communication network provider.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for locating a network node parameter further comprises:

means for converting said located data communication network node parameter to a data communications address using a naming address database.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the network node parameter is an IP address.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the data communications address is an IP address.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said first message includes a first parameter that indicates whether said first node supports data communication network addressing.

11. A method of routing calls through a communications network, the communications network having a set of domains, at least one of the domains in said set of domains being a data communications domain, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing, in a call-originating domain included in the set of domains, a database to obtain an address of a node of the data communications domain which currently serves a called subscriber; and

including the address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber as a parameter in a routing message for routing a call from the call-originating domain to said node of said data communications domain.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

providing a first message to said database indicating whether said call-originating domain supports data communication network addressing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the address included as a parameter in the routing message is the IP address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

updating said database when said subscriber changes membership from a communications domain in said set of domains to a data communications domain whereby the address of the node of the data communications domain is associated in said database with said subscriber.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said call-originating domain is a telecommunications domain.

16. A system for routing calls through a communications network, the communications network having a set of domains, at least one of the domains in said set of domains being a data communications domain, comprising:

means for accessing, in a call-originating domain included in the set of domains, a database to obtain an address of a node of the data communications domain which currently serves a called subscriber; and

means for including the address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber as a parameter in a routing message for routing a call from the call-originating domain to said node of said data communications domain.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing a first message to said database indicating whether said call-originating domain supports data communication network addressing.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the address included as a parameter in the routing message is the IP address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the system further comprises:

means for updating said database when said subscriber changes membership from a communications domain in said set of domains to a data communications domain whereby the address of the node of the data communications domain is associated in said database with said subscriber.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said call-originating domain is a telecommunications domain.